Linda Carolyn Oehl of Ocean Pines, Maryland passed away on January 21, 2013 at Westside Regional Medical Center in Plantation, Florida after a courageous battle with a long illness. Linda was born on January 27, 1948 in Alexandria, VA, the daughter of the late Thomas and Ruth Keatts. She will be remembered as kind and thoughtful, a giving wife, mother, mother-in-law, sister, grandmother, aunt, cousin, neighbor and friend. At the time of her peaceful passing, she was surrounded by close family. Linda had an excellent work ethic; her first job was during high school, working in an exclusive boutique in Alexandria. After graduating from Hammond High School in 1965, she went on to spend over 30 years as an Executive Assistant, Paralegal, and Office Manager for various law firms and title companies. Linda grew up in the Cameron Valley area of Virginia and most of her very close knit, large family lived in the same community. They were very family oriented and spent a lot of time together, dancing, laughing, traveling, and just having a good time. Their home was always open to friends and family. She fondly remembered spending summers at Rehoboth Beach with her entire family, a tradition she passed down to her own children. She had so many great memories and fun stories from when she was growing up, and delighted in sharing them with others. In 1978, she moved to Columbia, Maryland, where she and her husband raised their daughters. Once her children were grown, she made the decision to retire, and in 2005 she and Barry settled into a cute little beach house in Ocean Pines. Linda had fun decorating the house with beach themed items, and browsing the stores in Ocean City for beachy things for her home. Linda loved living near the beach, where she could spend hours sitting out on her front porch in the pines and waving to people who walked by, driving around the community looking at houses, and people watching on the boardwalk while eating a funnel cake. One of her favorite things to do was ride the tram with Barry, back and forth from one end of the boardwalk to the other, just taking in the sights and sounds of the beach. She also looked forward to having her granddaughter visit in the spring and summer, and the two of them made great memories together during those visits. Throughout her life, Linda was a consummate mother, wife, and homemaker, dedicating her life to creating and maintaining a warm, comfortable home. Linda was an excellent cook and enjoyed preparing special meals for her family. She was “famous” for her pot roast, chicken and dumplings, potato soup, beef stew, and she made the best tuna sandwiches and sweet iced tea. She was a dedicated Ravens fan and enjoyed wearing purple and watching ALL of the Ravens football games. When her children were younger, she was a very involved “Dance Mom” and “Pageant Mom”, taking her daughters to dance class several times a week, and pageants most weekends. She also enjoyed her daughter’s involvement in soccer, never missing a game, always cheering from the sidelines. Linda loved dancing and singing. Whitney Houston, Adele, Carrie Underwood and Celine Dion were among her favorite singers, and she could never resist singing along when an “oldie but goodie” came on the radio. Traveling was a favorite activity of Linda’s, every year she and her husband visited her family in Florida, and she liked meandering about small towns with Barry, peeking in antique shops, and enjoying the different foods, preferably some authentic fish and chips, or a rack of ribs. Later in her life, her hobbies included dollhouse making, and she took a keen interest in genealogy. She spent the last few years researching, collecting documents and pictures, and compiling everything she could find about her family and her husband’s family to create a lasting legacy which is much appreciated by her children and generations to come. Linda was actively involved with the Ocean Pines Forum, and made many good friends from the forum and the Ocean Pines community that will remember her fondly. Linda is lovingly remembered by her husband of 43 years, Barry, of Ocean Pines, Maryland; daughter Stefani Rodriguez of Ellicott City, MD; daughter Samantha Jacobs and son-in-law Michael Jacobs of Sunrise, Florida; grandchildren Gabrielle Rodriguez of Ellicott City, MD and Will Jacobs of Sunrise, Florida; sister Mildred "Middy" Faye Shawver of Santa Rosa, California; brother Thomas Keatts, Jr. of Burke, Virginia; cousins Linda Florence of Las Vegas, Nevada, John Page of California, Don Bilbrey and Linda Bilbrey Streat of Springfield, Virginia; niece Mindy Shambaugh and nephew Dan Shawver, of Santa Rosa, California. She joins those who preceded her in death including her parents Thomas Sr. and Ruth Keatts; grandparents Caner Nelson Hall, Sr and Ollie Mae Hall; aunts Madeline Robinette and Mildred Faye Suares; uncles Sylvino Suares, Caner Nelson Hall, Jr., Thomas J. Hall and Charles Hall; and nephew Daryl Shawver. A moment of reflection is being held at 11:00 am on Saturday, February 2nd, at St. John Neumann Church, 11211 Beauchamp Rd Berlin, MD 21811. Following the service, visitors are invited to a “Celebration of Life Open House” at the Oehl home, 13 King Richard Rd., Ocean Pines, MD 21811. Linda was passionate about the Baltimore Ravens, so in honor of her love for the team, and the Raven’s trip to Super Bowl XLVII, please wear something purple to the service and open house. Should friends desire, the family suggests that memorial contributions be made to The American Lung Association, http://www.lung.org/donate/.