Linda Tefteller Deal

Linda Tefteller Deal, 80, passed away in Beavercreek, Ohio, on Sunday, June 28, 2026 after a long and courageous battle with cancer.

Linda lived a life that could never be contained by one city, one job, or one chapter. Over the years, she called many places home, including Akron, Ohio; New Orleans, Louisiana; Keene, New Hampshire; Fort Myers, Florida; Cincinnati, Ohio; Murfreesboro, Tennessee; Salt Lake City, Utah; Petaluma, California and Lakewood Ranch, Florida. Everywhere she went, Linda gathered stories, built a life, and collected friends — many of whom remained dear to her throughout the years. 

Linda was married to the love of her life, Jeff Deal, for 52 years. Together, they built a life full of moves, reinventions, adventures, and memories too numerous to count. Their journey together was anything but ordinary, and that suited Linda just fine. 

She is survived by her husband, Jeff Deal; her son Geoff Joliff and his wife, Kathy, of Sacramento, California; her son Chris Deal and his wife, Monica, of Centerville, Ohio; her stepdaughters, Missy Scalise and Tonia Deal; her grandchildren, Miles and Miro; her step-grandchildren, Brittany Dunfee, Claire Lehner, Jaiden Deal, Lauren Volpe, and Bobby Scalise; and her step-great-grandchildren, Nevaeh, Jasper, and Zolara. She also leaves behind her beloved pets, Bluey-Roo (dog) and Tuptim (cat), who brought her comfort, companionship, and joy. Linda is also survived by her dear friends Pam Blevins, Scarlett Rogers, and Edwina Jones, along with the many friends she made and treasured in every place she called home.

Linda was born in New Boston, Texas and grew up in Midland, Michigan where she was raised by her mother, who served as a nurse in the US Army. She attended Olivet Nazarene University and later met Jeff in Akron, OH. They were married in 1974, beginning a 52-year love story that carried them across the country and through a lifetime of shared adventure. 

Linda had a gift for reinvention. Wherever life took her, she found a way to create something meaningful. She opened a gourmet deli in Fort Myers, served as a children’s hospice chaplain and Director of their volunteer program in Salt Lake City, and worked as an insurance adjuster in Cincinnati, among many other roles and chapters. But of all the titles she held, the one she treasured most was grandmother. She loved her grandchildren fiercely, spoiled them generously, and showed up for them in all the ways that mattered. 

Linda loved delicious red wine, home-brewed iced tea, breakfast pastries, and great books. She remained an avid reader until the very end. She also had a well-known fondness for true crime television, Agatha Christie, Sherlock Holmes, and Hercule Poirot — and her family strongly suspected she had a crush on at least one of them. 

Those who loved Linda will remember her laugh, her spunky spirit, her sharp sense of humor, and her uncanny ability to make even her doctors fall in love with her. Jeff will especially remember the tattoo bearing her name — the result of a suspiciously one-sided bargain in which Linda convinced him to go first, then promptly backed out when it was her turn to get his name. It was classic Linda: charming, persuasive, and just mischievous enough to get away with it. 

In keeping with Linda’s wishes, there will be no funeral service. Instead, her family will honor her life by sharing memories, stories, laughter, and gratitude for the impact she had on each of them.

Linda’s life was full of movement, reinvention, love, humor, and connection. She leaves behind a family who adored her, friends across the country who will miss her, and stories that will be told for years to come. 

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Cancer Research Institute in her name.