Linda Ann Berger Hamblin

Linda Ann Berger Hamblin — Mom, Grandma, MeeMaw, and the bright, steady voice behind Mama.Linda444 — peacefully left this world on December 20, 2025, at the age of 83. Born on September 4, 1942, in Corpus Christi, Texas, she arrived as the youngest of three sisters and spent her life much the way she began it: in motion, in laughter, and in full color.

She shared 61 years of marriage with her husband, James L. Hamblin, a love she spoke of with humor, honesty, and the kind of wisdom that only comes from a lifetime lived side by side. Her home was a sanctuary of angels, crosses, and crafts. Her voice was stitched with “Linda‑isms” — “No charge,” (instead of You’re Welcome) “I’m as serious as a heart attack,” “Let’s take a picture.”

She lived a life of adventure as a Navy wife, moving from state to state during their seventeen years together as was in Jim service to the country. Fiercely independent, she took on the world as a single mom while he was at sea, then welcomed him home each time as a devoted partner. She carried that same spark into every chapter of her life — volunteering as a Girl Scout leader for Cheryl, cheering on Marci from the sidelines as a soccer mom, and embracing Ken’s Boy Scout community where she made lasting friendships. Years later, she greeted everyone who walked through the doors of the McKinney Senior Center with warmth and humor. Every life she touched was left lighter, brighter, and in a better mood than before she arrived.

Even as her hands grew tired, her creativity never dimmed. She filled inspirational coloring books with paint‑pen artwork, helped design pieces such as quilts and afghans that were still in progress, and enabled many of her family members to have something warm to wrap around their shoulders — a piece of her love made tangible.

She is survived by her husband, James; children Marcella (Merlin) Pruett, Kenneth Hamblin, and Cheryl (Ed) Yeatman; sister Caroline Mallett; nephew Harold (Gracie) Brundidge; grandchildren Jack (Brogan) Pruett, Cody Pruett, Kylee (Paul) Billany, and Dustin Yeatman; and greatgrandchildren Jaxon Pruett, Haizley Pruett, and Cormac Billany. She was preceded in death by her parents, Anthony and Pauline Berger, and her sister, Mary Etta Brundidge.

A celebration of her life will be held on Tuesday, January 20th, at 11:00 AM at Charles W. Smith & Sons Funeral Home, 601 S. Tennessee St., McKinney, TX. Guests are not automatically expected to wear dark colors — she lived her life in full color, and you are welcome to wear whatever feels right. An escorted procession to Dallas‑Fort Worth National Cemetery 2000 Mountain Creek Pkwy, Dallas, TX, (Grand Prairie area) for the Committal and Internment, will gather at the funeral home at 1:15pm. There will then be a reception directly following the graveside service at the family home, 2801 Terrace Drive, McKinney, TX, for food, stories, and shared remembrance.

To honor her legacy, please consider performing a random act of kindness in her name.

And as she so often reminded us, with a spark in her eye: “No charge.”.

Services entrusted to Charles W> Smith & Sons Funeral Homes & Cremations.