Linda Lee (Johnson) Kazmierzak, 70, passed away December 17, 2018 at her Indianapolis home surrounded by her family following a valiant fight against lung cancer.  She was born October 9, 1948 in Franklin, Indiana to Owen and Mary Catherine (Bass) Johnson. She married Paul M. Kazmierzak May 20, 1978 in the Marian University chapel.

Linda graduated from Franklin Community High School and attended Indiana University. She then trained to become a licensed practical nurse. She received her license in 1969. During her 40-year career she worked at several facilities ranging from Marion County General Hospital (which became Wishard Memorial in 1972) to Hooverwood, a skilled care facility on the north side of Indianapolis. She retired in 2010.

Linda loved animals…all kinds of animals. Aside from the usual cats and dogs one could find a pygmy goat named Grover who chased the kids, ducks, ferrets, two abandoned baby raccoons brought to her by her youngest daughter, two prairie dogs, a squirrel who apparently fell from a tree and knocked himself out, various turtles, frogs and snakes. She said she could never become an animal rehabilitator because she wouldn’t be able to let the animals go.

Linda took great pride in her garden, spending hours pulling weeds and planting half-dead flowers she picked up at sales. Most of them pulled through.

She loved to fish in a small lake near her home. She was strictly a catch-and-release angler. If a fish or turtle was critically hurt by her hook, she would become upset. She would feed her bait (worms) to frogs who turned up at dusk.

Survivors include her husband of 40 years, Paul, and three children, Stephanie, Jenny, and Nathan. She is also survived by sisters Bonnie Johnson and Shirley Beck of Franklin, Indiana. She was preceded in death by her parents, Owen and Catherine Johnson, brother Ronald O. Johnson, and sister Mary Lou Johnson.

Her funeral service is private. Memorial contributions can be made to the Humane Society of Indianapolis and the Humane Society of Johnson County.