Linda B. Lipkin

Linda B. Lipnik, 88, met the Lord on Sunday, November 9, 2025 in Brentwood, TN with family surrounding her. She lived a full and wonderful life defined by her unfailing love and care for others around her. Born February 23, 1937 in Bridgeport, CT to John and Wanda Bullard, she graduated from George School in Newtown, PA in 1955 and Wheelock College in Boston, MA in 1959. She then taught first grade and reading until she stopped work to start her family. She was a devoted mother who raised three children, Richard, Wanda and Ann, and had the joy of being mom to Samantha for four years during Sami’s early elementary years. She was reunited with Sami many years later and their strong bond continued until her death.

Her commitment to education continued with tutoring elementary school children, working for the University of Michigan for six years, and then the Ann Arbor Public Schools where she worked in Human Resources for nearly ten years.

Among her favorite memories were the house where she grew up in Fairfield, CT, spending time with her Aunt Jane Stehn and all of her cousins, and her many trips with—and to visit—friends and family. She was an avid golfer and played in many tournaments over the years. She was proud to be the Keowee Key Club Champion in 1999 and to have had four holes-in-one during her golfing career. While in Keowee Key, she renewed her interest in trains and built a model train railroad that took up an entire room! She also loved researching her family history, comparing notes with her cousin and life-long friend Mary Jane (McGlennon), and documenting her learnings in the numerous scrapbooks, which she created for everyone in the family. She was a huge football fan, and when she wasn’t attending the games, she enjoyed cross stitching while watching the Michigan Wolverines play football on Saturday afternoons. After moving to Nashville to be closer to family, she played in multiple bridge groups with friends and enjoyed being responsible for several floral arrangements each week at Blakeford in Green Hills.

She was preceded in her death by both her mom and dad, as well as her son, Richard, and husband, Seymour. We have liked to think about them all warmly greeting her as she walked through the door to heaven holding Jesus’s hand. She is survived by her daughter, Wanda (Dulmage), and son-in law, Dennis, as well as her daughter, Ann (Pickens), and son-in-law, David, her step-daughter, Samantha (Rice), and son-in-law, Iain, and her daughter-in-law, Kathy (Aldrich). She is also survived by her brother, Jack Bullard, 90, six grandchildren, Jonathan Sibley (Catherine), Elizabeth McKechnie (Chris), Anthony Dulmage (Amanda), Victoria Sigers (Tim), Lauren Pickens and Olivia Pickens, and eight great-grandchildren.

There will be a celebration of her life on Tuesday, November 18, 2025 at Blakeford in Green Hills to remember her, and so the family can thank her many friends and the staff members who made such a difference in her life during the last 12 years. The family will then have a private memorial on Saturday, November 22, 2025 at West End United Methodist Church. She will later be interred next to her mom and dad in the family plot at Mountain Grove Cemetery in Bridgeport, CT. Donations in her name can be made to Cheekwood Estate and Gardens and specifically to the Education and Outreach Programs, honoring both her commitment to education and her love of flowers and birds. 

https://cheekwood.org/support/individual-giving/tribute-memorial-gifts/