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Linda Boy Hauck of Bellefontaine, beloved wife of Rick Hauck, loving mother of Lindsay (Brad) Jackson and Nate (Hannah) Hauck, proud grandmother of Landen and Amelia Jackson, dear sister of Gary (Beth), Ed (DeDe) and Bill (Amy) Boy and aunt to multiple nieces and nephews.
From her earliest beginnings, Linda did it her way. She lifted up others around her through her outgoing spirit and can-do attitude. She was blessed with two loving and supportive parents, Ed and Lois Boy. They provided a foundation of caring for others, which Linda expanded on daily by caring for others as a registered nurse in her professional life and through volunteer work in her personal life.
Drawing on her love of horses and passion to serve others, Linda became deeply involved as a volunteer at Discovery Riders, a therapeutic riding center that provides horseback riding lessons to children and adults with disabilities. From its humble beginnings with one student, Linda provided the vision for moving the facility to its current location and she worked diligently to get donations and sponsorships to scrape together the money needed to put a down payment on the facility. Eventually becoming the director at Discovery Riders, Linda kept fighting for the underdogs and overlooked. Hundreds of students have benefited from Linda’s never ceasing efforts and many more in the future will receive the therapy they need thanks to her leadership.
Not done there, Linda also founded the 4H Club Breaches and Wranglers. Members of the club were welcomed into the group no matter their ability level or background. Linda valued each individual member and sought to bring out the best version of each person by providing opportunities to participate in challenging yet rewarding activities. Members of Breaches and Wranglers performed demonstrations with their horses, performing complex drill maneuvers after hours of practice. Linda enjoyed watching members reach their full potential as riders and as human beings — she helped them do it their way.
Linda’s caring nature also extended to victims of bullying at school, veterans dealing with PTSD and victims of human trafficking. She used mini-horses to show local K-12 students that being different was OK and that physical violence or bullying people who didn’t look or act like you was never the answer. For veterans and victims of human trafficking, Linda calmly listened to their stories and provided friendship and compassion. Step by step, hoof by hoof, veterans and victims calmed their nerves and regained their trust in others by riding the horses.
Throughout her life, Linda made it her mission to care for others and she did it her way by providing compassionate friendship when no one else would. In a last act of compassion, Linda donated her corneas which will be used to restore sight for two individuals she had never met.
While her chapter on earth may be closed, her story lives on and will continue to be written through her legacy left behind: her loving family and the countless students and individuals she touched through her never-ending volunteer efforts.
Linda passed away Feb. 7, 2018, at the age of 63.
Family and friends are invited to attend a reflection on her life and legacy from noon to 3 p.m. with a celebration service from 3 to 4 p.m. with dinner to follow Monday, Feb. 12, at the Bellefontaine First Church of God, 1000 E. Brown Ave., Bellefontaine.
Donations in lieu of flowers may be directed to Discovery Riders, 5850 S. State Route 292, Zanesfield OH 43360 (discoveryriders.com).