Linda was born in Bellingham WA, entering the life of a military family with deployments around the world in the wake of a world at war. This included living in U.S. Army bases in Washington, California, North Carolina, Georgia and Tokyo Japan. The family eventually returned to Western WA, where Linda graduated from Tumwater High School in 1962.

While participating as a high school representative in Olympia’s 1962 Lakefair celebration, Linda met the love of her life, Lt. JG James Manlove, who was part of the Navy’s delegation to Lakefair and the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair. After a year at Western Washington University, Linda joined her family in Decatur GA where Jim and Linda married in Aug. 1964. The young couple started their family in upstate New York, welcoming son James Manlove Jr. and daughter Sarah Anne Manlove. The family returned to Western Washington in 1973, and following her husband’s career set up households in Federal Way and Puyallup Washington, San Francisco, and then Morris, Illinois in 1983. In 2000 the couple returned to Washington upon her husband’s retirement and settled in Port Orchard, Washington.

Linda was passionate about education and children. In 1976 while her children were still in school she completed her bachelor’s degree in education from Central Washington University.It was during this period that Linda worked tirelessly as a volunteer in the education system of her children and actively participated in campaigns for levy votes to increase educational spending in our public education system. While in San Francisco Linda set up and maintained a literacy and reading center at Burlingame Intermediate School. She continued teaching elementary school in Morris, Il and pursued a Masters degree in education from Northern Illinois University and eventually achieved the level of all but dissertation status towards her doctoral degree. Upon leaving public education Linda pursued a career as an instructional designer working with a variety of industries including the U.S. Navy.

Throughout her life Linda was fascinated with computers and was an early adopter of them, studying and designing some of the earliest curricula and training materials that sought to use computers to better education and advancement for others.Throughout her life she applied her knowledge of education, child development, and instructional design and passed it on to as many people as she could in any situation she found cause to do so; from mentoring co-workers, to her children’s friends, to her caregivers.

In addition to her educational accomplishments, Linda was an accomplished home renovator and seamstress. Over the many homes Linda set up and lived in, she renovated them almost single handedly and always made them a home where family and friends felt welcome. Linda always sought to use her many talents for others across many venues; from making over fifty raggedy Anne and Andy dolls for sale to support educational causes in North Carolina, to the end of her life when she developed low cost copyright free educational materials, crafts, and toys for teachers in public education who could not afford them.

Above all Linda was dedicated to her family, both her husband and children and that of her extended family. She always sought to include, with love and generosity those who came into her life. She was a dedicated caregiver to her mother, mother-in-law, brother, three sisters-in-law, and step-father. She welcomed into her home and cared deeply for her many in-laws, nieces, nephews, step-children, grandchildren and their extended family. She is predeceased by her mother Sarah Ennen (nee Williams), father Edward Carson, step-father Gene Ennen, her brother Thomas Ennen and sisters-in-law Susan Ennen as well as Betsy Manlove and Marilyn Manlove. In addition to her loving husband James Coulter Manlove Sr. Linda is survived by her son James Coulter Manlove Jr. and spouse Tracy Manlove and her daughter Sarah Anne Manlove and spouse Jan-Maarten Luursema.