Linda Joyce Watts, 80, of Springdale, Arkansas, passed away Monday, September 7, 2026, at Circle of Life Hospice in Springdale following a short illness.
Linda was born February 5, 1946, in Dumas, Arkansas, to Jeff Leonard Nichols, Jr. and Kathryn Virginia (Bishop) Nichols.
Education was at the heart of Linda’s life. She earned her Doctorate in Counselor Education from the University of Arkansas and spent many years with Rogers Public Schools, where she served as a Special Education Supervisor. She later joined the University of Arkansas Department of Student Affairs, working with students with learning disabilities.
Linda cared deeply about her students. She had a gift for seeing the person behind the problem and finding a way forward. She especially loved the moment when a student who had been struggling suddenly understood something or found a solution—the smile on that student’s face meant everything to her.
A lifelong learner, Linda had a curious and thoughtful mind. Her interests reached well beyond her professional life, and she spent many years studying Eastern religions and exploring different traditions and ways of understanding the world.
Those who knew Linda will also remember her wonderfully dry sense of humor and understated wit. She never had to work for a laugh. More often, it was a quiet observation, perfectly timed, that caught you by surprise and left you smiling-- or, just as often, chuckling.
Linda’s loyalty to the Arkansas Razorbacks was unmistakable. She loved Razorback sports, game days, Razorback red and all the gear that went with them. If the Hogs were playing, Linda was watching and cheering. Woo Pig Sooie!
The greatest love of Linda’s life was her son, Christopher. She often said that Chris was her greatest success in life. She loved him beyond measure, and his loss was one she carried with her always.
For nearly 37 years, Linda shared her life with her partner, Cathy Montgomery, a retired educator. Together they made a life that was distinctly their own, filled with love, laughter, family and an assortment of much-loved animals, including donkeys and dogs who knew Linda could usually be counted on to slip them a little something when Cathy wasn’t looking. Through the ordinary days and the difficult ones, the laughter and the losses, Linda and Cathy were each other’s home and constant. After nearly four decades together, Cathy will miss the person who stood beside her, made her laugh and shared a lifetime of memories with her.
Linda was preceded in death by her parents, Jeff Leonard Nichols, Jr. and Kathryn Virginia Nichols, and by her beloved son, Christopher.
She is survived by her aunts, Dorothy Mauney and Lila Bishop Freeman, both of Dumas, Arkansas; her cousin Mike Nichols; many other cousins and extended family members; and Cathy Montgomery, her partner of nearly 37 years.
Linda leaves behind the students whose lives she touched, family and friends who knew the pleasure of her perfectly timed wit, more than a few well-fed animals, and Cathy, who shared the better part of a lifetime with her. She will be remembered for her intelligence and curiosity, her kindness, her devotion to Chris, her Razorback spirit, and above all, for the people she loved and the life she built with them.
Visitation and services will be held Saturday, September 12, visitation from 3:30 p.m. until 4:30 p.m., with funeral services at 4:30 p.m., with Rev. Julius Carter officiating at Griffin Funeral Home, 109 Brasfield Street, Dumas, Arkansas.
A short burial service will be held Sunday, September 13, at 2:30 p.m. at Walnut Lake Cemetery in Dumas, Arkansas.
Linda had requested that memorials in her memory to be made to ASCAP, St Paul’s Episcopal Church, 224 North East Avenue, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701 or to the Special Olympics. Arrangements made by Griffin Funeral Home, Dumas, AR. Please sign the online guestbook at www.griffinfh.com
