Dr. Linda W. Briggs

Fairview Dr. Linda Mae Wilson Briggs of Emmas Grove Road passed away Friday, February 7, 2014 at her home after an extended battle with cancer. She was the only child of Blaine E. and Pansy Young Wilson. A lifelong resident of Buncombe County, Linda was born at Norburn Hospital in the Montford Community on August 20, 1942. She graduated third in her class at Lee Edwards High School in 1960 and attended Midwestern University in Wichita Falls, TX, graduating Cum Laude from Western Carolina with a BS/BA in Marketing and Management, and a MBA from Western Carolina and a PhD in Education from Columbus University. Linda worked at Akzona as Federal Tax Administrator, Memorial Mission Hospital as Human Resource Director, Joblink, Cecils Business College, AB-Tech and Blue Ridge Tech part time and full time for over 36 years. Linda was very active in church life, playing piano and was a SS teacher for over 61 years at Craven Street/Westwood Baptist Church and Emmas Grove Baptist Church, where she was a member, as well as filling in as pianist at other churches and Fleshers Rest Home. She was saved at the age of ten while playing the piano for the Buncombe Baptist Missionary conducting Bible Schools in Buncombe County. She is survived by her loving husband of 53 years, O. Earl Briggs, Jr.; daughter, Catherine McCraw (Barry); sons, Blaine Briggs (Keila), Norman Briggs and Gordon Briggs; seven grandchildren, Monica (Ronald), MacKenzie (Travis), Brandon (Amy), Erin (Isaac), Annlei, Ivy and MacCaleb, as well as three great grandchildren, Ethan, Jonah and Pressley. A celebration of life will be held at 2:30 PM Sunday, February 9, 2014 at Emmas Grove Baptist Church with Rev. Davis Plemmons and Rev. Scott Thompson officiating. Burial will follow in Emmas Grove Baptist Church Cemetery with members of her Sunday School Class serving as pallbearers. The family will receive friends from 1 to 2:15 PM Sunday at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to: CarePartners Hospice Home Care, PO Box 25338, Asheville, NC 28813.