Linda Lee Beard died on August 12, 2016 at age 67.

A daughter of the late DeRoy Alvin Davis and Lelia Shelton Davis, she was born January 22, 1949 in Halifax County.

She did decades of mission work for children and adults in the US, Uganda, and the Philippines that included educational helps and encouragements from a Biblical perspective and passion. She loved people with a love empowered by Jesus Christ. Repeated cancers brought challenges but did not stop the work or her love for her husband until disease overtook her body. She will be sorely missed by her husband and the many people she touched.

She is survived by her husband, Roland of 43 years; brother, Randy Davis; and sister, Patricia Irby.

A celebration of Linda’s life will take place at 3:00 PM Saturday, August 20, 2016, at the Waynesboro Church of the Brethren officiated by Rev. Dr. Glen Holman. Friends will be received at the family’s home in Crozet at 6:30 PM following the service.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to CHRISTWORKS MINISTRIES, 6424 Burnt Acres Ct, Crozet VA 22932 (www.cwm4him.org) to continue the mission work she did with her husband and a few volunteers. Flowers can be sent to Waynesboro Church of the Brethren, 364 Bridge Ave, Waynesboro (indicate for Linda Beard memorial)

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Less than a day before Linda’s death, the following note was sent by Roland Beard to the children and staff at the Institute for Foundational Learning in the Philippines, where Linda and Roland were actively involved in a project of helps. Roland’s concern, because of the love between the Beard’s and so many people at IFL, is that some of the children would have a tough time finding out the Linda had died without any explanation of what was happening beforehand. He sent the note below, which was read to the children and then to the church at the same location. Since then, several people have contacted Roland to tell them how much the letter meant to them. It is also on Caring Bridge. The whole note is repeated below, because it may encourage the reader:

For the Filipino children at IFL (Institute of Foundational Learning, Philippines)

August 12, 2016

Dear children,

This note is from Sir Roland, who is sitting beside Ma’am Linda’s bed at a special hospital near our home in Virginia. I have some important things to tell you, and I want to tell them like a story and with a parable. Would you please listen carefully as this is read to you? I asked Tita Pat if I could do this, because some things I will tell you are not easy to say or to hear.

Many of you have gotten to know us because we have visited you several times during the last six years. Some of you have grown close to us, and we have grown close to you. We remember picking you up, hugging you, asking you questions, watching you play games, learn, and grow during our visits. Many of you visited our little cottage or came to our room or did things with us at the IFL compound. We taught many of you about God’s creation and the heavens. We remember taking you places, looking through telescopes with you, and visiting your classrooms. We love you as much as we love the teachers, the staff, and the parents at IFL.

We planned to come back to see you late this year, but Ma’am Linda became very sick. After years of having a disease, years of prayer, and years of wonderful work with children like you, she can no longer do it because the disease she has is destroying too much of her body. It appears that she will die very soon. Because we know the love of Jesus, we also know that only her body will die, because deep in her heart is a special place that God will raise to be with Him.

It makes me very sad that I will not have her with me very much longer, and it may make you sad, too. I have already cried many times. But where she is going is so much better, purer, and more wonderful that my tears kind of melt away after awhile. She has suffered a lot with disease even from the first time she visited you. That will stop. She will no longer suffer. And, she has left you something special, because she encouraged you to be like her. You can be like her by loving God, by caring for each other, and by doing many things to help others with the help and guidance that God gives us, if we ask for it. This is what the Bible teaches.

The staff can show you many pictures of Linda and me so you can remember the kinds of things we did with you. I want to show you one more picture, because it makes a parable, or a story with a lesson. Do you see the two hands? I took this picture today at Ma’am Linda’s bedside. Her hand is so very weak that she cannot lift it anymore. Her hand is on top. My bigger hand is on the bottom. I had to carefully lift her arm and place her hand in mine to take the picture. These same hands are the ones that made puppets, held you, lifted you up, pointed at the night sky, and waved at you. Now her hands cannot do those things. But just like I raised her hand and put it in mine, God will take that special part inside her heart and raise it to Himself. She cannot do it, but He can and will when she dies. While I am sad that she will go away, God will lift her up to a place with Him where she will be forever. So if you are sad or cry, remember this little parable. It will help as time passes, because one day, we can be with Him, too.

I am already praying that I can return to see you. If God will permit me to come, I will do my best to come. I wish I could hold those of you that are especially sad, but someone close to you at IFL will have to do it for me. When I do return, you can tell me about how Linda encouraged you. But remember, she would be most encouraged if you would do things like she did. Please ask Jesus, who loves you, to give you that desire and ability to do things like she did.

Love,

Sir Roland