Linda Jeanne LaRock

Linda Jeanne Rose LaRock, 84, of Winston-Salem, passed away Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at her home surrounded by family.

Linda was born August 27, 1941, in Buffalo, New York, to Dr. Wilber Stewart Rose and Florence Clark Rose, their first child.

At the completion of Wilber’s residency, the young family was stationed in Savannah, Georgia, during his military service.

After the war, the growing Rose family returned to their home in upstate New York, where Linda and her siblings grew up mostly in small Adirondack towns and villages. Linda often remembered accompanying her father on house calls, as doctors did in those days.

Linda graduated from Minerva Central School in 1958 and began her education at Buffalo State Teachers College at the age of 17. She had wanted to become a journalist but later reflected that, in her mind, “a woman had two choices at that time: teacher or nurse.”

She taught high school English and Library Sciences in several Adirondack schools throughout the years, including Lake George, Minerva, Long Lake, and Johnsburg Central Schools. In her 40s, Linda traveled from her beloved farmhouse on 11th Mountain to SUNY Albany, attending night courses until she completed her second master’s degree as a Library Media Specialist. She embraced technology and was at the forefront of bringing technology into the high school library.

Linda was a lifelong learner who enjoyed her Kindle, crossword puzzles, and daily writing practice until her final days. As a proud “Adirondacker,” she loved camping, walking in the woods, and her Hornbeck boats.

She was a kind person whose advice and wisdom were sought by students, friends, and family alike. In her 70s, she left her beloved mountains to spend more time closer to her children and grandchildren, first in St. Augustine, Florida, and later in northeast Georgia and North Carolina. In this last year, she often remarked how proud she was of all of her children and grandsons.

In addition to her parents, Linda was preceded in death by her sister, Marilyn.

Left to cherish her memory are two sons, Christopher Dunlap (Lydia Nierobisz) and Branch Dunlap (Boksoon Kim); one daughter, Billye Sullivan (Max Henderly); four grandchildren, Connor Slattery (Paulina Scarlata), Oben Dunlap, Aiven Dunlap, and Teri Dunlap; one brother, David Rose; and two sisters, Paula Rose and Margaret Rose-Preston (Dan).

The family would also like to recognize extended family members who helped weave with Linda a creative, beautiful, and fully lived life: Harris Dunlap (deceased) and Ginger Dunlap, Brian E. Sullivan, Bridget McCarthy Sullivan, Robert LaRock (Sandy), Brendan LaRock, and Ajlan LaRock.

Special thanks to friends and caregivers over the years, including Marshall O’Keefe, Michelle Carroll, Casey Powell, and the wonderful staff of Pruitt Hospice in Forsyth County, North Carolina — Melissa, Nancy, Charlene, Dee, and many others. Thank you for helping us care for Mom at home.

No formal services will be held at this time.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to River Garden Hebrew Home, 11401 Old St. Augustine Road, Jacksonville, FL 32258.