Linda Stark Davies (nee Shaw) transitioned to her heavenly home on September 7, 2024, at approximately 12:30 in the afternoon in Ravenna, Ohio. Born August 5, 1943, Linda was a dedicated mother, beloved grandmother, and stalwart friend.
She is survived by her four devoted children, Wayne Stark, David Stark, Courtney Vail, and Michael Stark; by her siblings, Susan Palmer, Courtney Shaw, Darrel Shaw, Blair Shaw, Priscila McKinney, and Julie Shaw; and her partner of 28 years, Mike Repko. Linda resided in Ravenna, following short residencies in Hudson and Garrettsville, upon returning to her Ohio roots after nearly two decades in the greater Phoenix, Arizona, area.
Linda was an accomplished and prolific artist from childhood until her recent death. Her prodigious talent was recognized at an early age by the Cleveland Museum of Art where she took classes and where her artwork was subsequently displayed. Linda’s artwork received high praise and recognition throughout her career, and her pieces won distinguished ribbons, awards, and accolades from art competitions (including her one-woman show at the Yavapai Art Gallery in Prescott, Arizona), private clients, and community associations. Her at-home gallery is filled with both abstract and realistic depictions of the human and natural world.
Linda’s self-sacrifice, resourcefulness, integrity, and profound commitment to her children colored the artistry and life of this remarkable woman. When Linda’s children were very young, she taught art classes from the basement of her home in Elyria. She then moved into the classroom to teach K-12 art at Lakeridge Academy in North Ridgeville for four years. While there, Linda served as Head of the Art Department and launched their annual Spring Art Show, showcasing her talents alongside those of her students.
After moving her children to the Phoenix area in the late 1970s, Linda turned her sights to enriching the lives of inner-city youth. Within the Phoenix Unified School District, Linda taught art, math and language, and supported and counseled her students inside and outside of the classroom for over 12 years. This included her dedication to extracurricular activities at Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary, where she was awarded Teacher of the Year and spearheaded writing competitions, produced the annual yearbook, helped to start and lead the local parent teacher association (PTA), organized Bethune’s first science fair, edited the school newsletter, gave up her prep time to help students organize a talent show, and led a self-contained class for repeating, at-risk seventh graders.
As one of her many letters of commendation noted, “Linda possesses that rare combination of a gifted artist and a gifted teacher.” And another emphasized, “She is one of the finest teachers I have ever had the privilege to know.” When leaving Lakeridge, the Principal lamented, “Linda is more than a teacher—she is a person who will be missed by this community.”
Linda’s artwork ranged from the whimsical, evidenced by the yard sculptures crafted from scrap metal and the quirky birds made from the dried gourds that she grew in her abundant garden; to the prestigious, where her gifted hand painted the lifelike portraits of esteemed colleagues throughout her career. A prolific muralist, Linda donated her talent to paint murals in children’s hospitals, orphanages, schools, and galleries, and her artwork has adorned brochures and pamphlets for charitable organizations such as the United Way and American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio. Never resting on her laurels, Linda illustrated over 30 children’s books later in life, working with a diversity of authors who sought her unique talent to bring their stories to life.
Linda cared deeply about her community—she volunteered with the Portage County election committees, East Valley Hospice (Phoenix), Desert Samaritan Hospital Emergency Room (Phoenix), and as an emergency medical technician (EMT) in Hudson.
She is preceded in death by her father, Darrel Thomas Shaw (December 1990); stepmother, Ruth Shaw (October 2014); mother, Elizabeth Shaw Palmquist (nee Penn) (May 1974); stepfather, Dennis Palmquist; and brother, Thomas E. Shaw (February 2019).
No formal funeral or burial services will be held. Linda’s children welcome close friends and family to join them in a memorial service to celebrate the life of their incredible mother that will occur at her residence in Ravenna, Ohio, in late Spring (May/June 2025).
*All obituaries are submitted by family and friends of the deceased.
Please enter the amount you would like to give and click continue.
