“The memory can be hurt, time and again—but in that may lie its final mercy. As long as it’s vulnerable to the living moment, it lives for us, and while it lives, and while we are able, we can give it up its due.” Eudora Welty from The Optimist’s Daughter
Rebecca Linda Johnson Lambeth, age 85, passed away peacefully on June 3, 2025, at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Oxford. She was born on October 13, 1939, in Memphis, the daughter of Sarah (Smith) Johnson and Pinckney Nathaniel Johnson.
After living on her grandfather’s farm in Guntown, Linda spent most of her childhood in Baldwyn, where she graduated from Baldwyn High School. Linda went on to earn a degree in education at the University of Mississippi where she was a member of Delta Gamma.
Linda began her teaching career at Casey Elementary School in Jackson, and in recent years, she volunteered as a tutor for the students there.
As a dedicated member of Covenant Presbyterian Church, Linda served as a deacon, elder, Sunday School teacher, flower and hospitality committee member, and president of the Women of the Church.
Following her certification as a master gardener, Linda was a member and former president of The Garden Club of Jackson and served as a member of the Mynelle Botanical Society, American Hosta Society, and the Eudora Welty Foundation. Her volunteer work included leadership roles such as vice president of the Mississippi Committee for the National Museum of Women in the Arts, president of the Book Friends of the University Press of Mississippi, and president of the Friends of the Mississippi Museum of Art. She also gave generously of her time to the Kidney Foundation Board, Symphony League Board, Junior League of Jackson, and numerous other civic and cultural organizations.
Linda loved creating and surrounding herself with beautiful things. An avid gardener, she used her talents to create award-winning flower arrangements. Skilled in the art of French hand-sewing, Linda both taught lessons and sewed designs for her children, grandchildren, and others. She was a top sales representative in the nation for Worth Clothing for many years.
Always fashionable, Linda modeled for several stores in Jackson, most recently featured as a popular model for Maison Weiss. Her shoe collection was legendary.
Linda and her beloved husband, Auburn, spent much of their marriage traveling the world and falling in love with different cultures. Linda was a talented pianist, and she and Auburn spent happy moments singing together with family and friends in the living room. They were both active members of Covenant Presbyterian Church, where they were faithful and diligent in their study of the Bible.
Linda adored her grandchildren and step grandchildren. Family holiday events, especially the fabled Easter egg hunt and egg dying, were treated with style and flair.
A book lover, Linda was most excited about the installation of bookshelves in her new home in Oxford. Deep into studying the works of William Faulkner, she was intent on becoming a true “Faulknerian.”
Linda’s determined spirit and impeccable style will be missed by her friends and family. She is survived by her son, Alvin Eugene Brent III, and his wife Shelli (Memphis), and her daughter Sarah Frances (Brent) Hardy and her husband John (Oxford). Also surviving are her six grandchildren, Anne Hardy, Sallie Hardy, Julia Hardy, Christina Brent, Preston Brent, and Caroline Brent. She was preceded in death by her husband, Auburn C. Lambeth.
A visitation for Linda will be held Saturday, July 26, 2025, from 10:30 am until 12:00 pm at Covenant Presbyterian Church, 4000 Ridgewood Rd, Jackson, Mississippi 39211, followed by a memorial service at 12:00 pm.
Donations in her memory can be made to Covenant Presbyterian Church and the Mississippi Museum of Art.
