Linda Ann Novinger died peacefully at home on September 19, 2025, following a long struggle with metastatic breast cancer, which she met with remarkable strength and grace.

Linda was born on September 12, 1943, in Springer, New Mexico. She spent her younger years in Springer and Hutchinson, Kansas. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Graceland College in Lamoni, Iowa, and taught physical education in Kansas, Missouri, and Wisconsin.

Linda moved to Madison in 1973, where her occupations included youth services provider at a group home for adolescent girls; professional driver for Purolator, Independent Living, Airborne Express, Madison Metro, and Care Wisconsin; and massage therapist in a private practice. Linda was active in Madison’s lesbian community. She was a card-carrying member of Lysistrata. She played softball for many years. She was an avid fan of UW-Madison women’s sports. Linda was an early fan of the WNBA; she enjoyed attending some games and watched countless games on TV. She had a gorgeous voice and sang with Womonsong feminist choir and participated in the annual Lesbian Variety Show.

Linda was loved by all who knew her, and she was blessed by a wide circle of friends. She and Deborah Daniel (“DD”) met in Womonsong in 1995. Their friends liked to say Linda and DD were joined at the hip, which was essentially true. They enjoyed life together for almost 30 years, having as much fun as humanly possible, even in the face of Linda’s cancer diagnosis in 2018. Linda and DD were married at the Dane County Courthouse by the honorable Rhonda Lanford on December 9, 2016.

Linda was preceded in death by her entire immediate family. She is survived by niece Jama Schott and nephews Dennis Schott, David Schott (Victoria Schott) and Chris Novinger. She is further survived by her large circle of friends and chosen family in Madison, her wife, Deborah Daniel, their daughter and son-in-law, Nicole and Joel Heiman, granddaughter Grace Heiman (Sam Parker), and grandson Sam Heiman (Sara Polinag).