Linda S. Taliaferro

Linda Susan Taliaferro, beloved wife, mother, Nana, sister, nurse, teacher, mentor, photographer, and friend, passed away unexpectedly on September 2, 2026.

Linda was born on Christmas Day, December 25, 1957, in Kansas City, Missouri, and was adopted as a baby by her parents, Gordon H. Day and Maybelle Leora Day. Being a Christmas baby was always something special to Linda, and she would proudly and playfully remind those around her that being born on Christmas meant she was an “angel.”

Linda shared 46 years of marriage with her husband, David Taliaferro. Together, they built a life centered around faith, family, friendship, and a home where people were always welcome.

Linda earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing and devoted her professional life to caring for others. Throughout her career, she served in many areas of nursing, including bedside care, nursing leadership as Director of Nursing at University Medical Center in Lubbock, Texas, and palliative care. In every role she held, Linda brought compassion, knowledge, and dedication to her patients, their families, and those she worked alongside. Her career was defined by a genuine commitment to caring for others and making a difference in the lives of those she served.

For Linda, nursing was more than a profession; caring for people was part of who she was. Throughout her career, she was a devoted teacher and mentor to many nursing students and fellow healthcare professionals. Her students affectionately referred to her as “Mom Linda,” a name that reflected the way she taught, encouraged, cared for, and invested in those around her. She freely shared the knowledge and experience she had gained throughout her career and helped prepare others to continue the work she loved. Linda retired from nursing in November 2025 after a lifetime of service to others.

Linda also had a creative side and spent many years as a photographer, using her talent to capture moments and preserve memories for others.

Her devotion to people extended well beyond her professional life. Linda was strong in her faith in God, and she loved opening her home to others. Family, friends, and guests were always welcome, and she especially enjoyed hosting gatherings and throwing parties for the holidays. A house filled with people was a place where Linda was at home.

Above all, Linda treasured her family. She was the loving mother of Andrea Taliaferro-Taylor and Nicholas Taliaferro, but one of the titles she cherished most was “Nana.” She was Nana to her grandchildren, Olivia Judkins, Aurora Lawson, and Selah Taylor, whom she loved dearly.

Linda was preceded in death by her parents, Gordon H. Day and Maybelle Leora Day. She is survived by her husband of 46 years, David Taliaferro; her children, Andrea Taliaferro-Taylor and Nicholas Taliaferro; her grandchildren, Olivia Judkins, Aurora Lawson, and Selah Taylor; her brother, John Day; as well as extended family members, friends, colleagues, students, and countless others whose lives she touched.

Linda spent her life caring for people—at the bedside, through the lens of her camera, around her table, and within her family. To her grandchildren, she was Nana. To her students, she was Mom Linda. To David, she was a wife and partner of 46 years. And to so many others, she was a source of compassion, guidance, faith, friendship, and love.

Her legacy will live on through the nurses she taught, the patients and families she comforted, the memories she captured, the people she welcomed into her home, and, most of all, the family she loved.

A Celebration of Life for Linda will be held at a later date. Services are being postponed until her husband, David, is able to return to Lubbock. Details will be announced once arrangements have been finalized.