Linda Baker Segebarth

Linda passed away on November 20, 2022 … while in Hospice Care at her Home in the Village of West Clay, Carmel, IN. Steve Segebarth, her husband of 30 years and Primary Care Giver for many months, was by her side.

During the 21 months prior to her death, Linda dueled with a myriad of very serious health care challenges including AFIB, gJunction Cancer, a Broken Hip, numerous Chemo and Radiation Sessions, 2 Full Bird Colonel Surgeries, a Perforated Bowel, a year+ of g & jTube Feedings, Cardiac Arrest Resuscitations, Profound Weight Loss, Difficult To Quell Severe Pain Levels … and More.

Throughout her seemingly endless treatment sessions and hospitalizations [with Covid raging and hospital beds in short supply] her family and medical staff in various facilities witnessed the grit of a special patient with [to paraphrase Winston Churchill, one of Linda’s icons] a “… never, never, never quit” iron will … i.e. she did her best to “stay frosty” … even on the bad days … of which there were many.

Linda greatly appreciated the steady outpouring of prayers and positive thoughts during this very difficult time.

Linda was born in Toledo, OH on December 28, 1948. Her family moved to Tucson, AZ from Peoria, IL in 1963. She attended Palo Verde High School … graduating in 1966. While attending Palo Verde, Linda was a member of the Concert Choir and the Jubileers, a select group of musicality talented students. Thereafter, she attended the University of Arizona from 1966 to 1968 prior to moving to Indiana.

She married M.James Gray on August 15, 1969 and moved to Germany where he was stationed with the US Army. They subsequently divorced in 1975.

She married Dan Wych on October 12, 1981. They subsequently divorced on August 31, 1990.

Linda attended Purdue University from 1972 to 1977, graduating with a BS in Industrial Management. Upon graduation, she was pleased to get an excellant job offer from RCA to work in its Human Resources [HR] Department at its Monticello, IN wood cabinet manufacturing plant.

In 1980, she was promoted to an HR position at RCA’s Corporate Headquarters in Indianapolis, IN. Thereafter, she held a number of increasingly responsible HR positions with special focus on Pension, 401 K & Health Care Plan Design / Administration; Ex Pat Management and Executive Compensation … while also directing numerous External Consultants. Her responsibilities required extensive travel … e.g., from Paris to Singapore and to numerous plants in the US and Mexico.

Linda was honored to play a key role on the Benefits transition team when RCA was sold to GE [1986] and then to Thomson, a French company [1988] … a complicated process to say the least. She also played an important role on RCA’s management side labor negotiations team in the design of the first [successfully] collectively bargained US Cash Balance Defined Benefit Pension Plan. She derived immense professional satisfaction during what were very “exciting” times in HR.

Linda “finally” met her “perfect match” in 1988 [i.e., Steve Segebarth, a lawyer on GE’s RCA acquisition team]. After rigorously negotiating a “Forever Love & Trust Agreement” Team Segebarth was “officially” formed when Linda and Steve were married in their then Lake Clearwater, Indianapolis, IN home on November 8, 1992.

Linda “retired” in 1998 to have more time for her voracious reading appetite [especially WWII nonfiction history], quilting [especially kibitzing with Cass re their respective projects], knitting [especially with the “Knit-wits” at the Village of West Clay’s Meeting House] cross stitching [particularly when on a plane], dining out at fine restaurants [everywhere & often], along with watching a lot of football [i.e., the Hawkeyes, Boilers, UNI Panthers & Cornell Bears and the Colts] … always as the self designated “Big Dog” … with no qualms about using her graduate level, 4 letter word vocabulary to “assist” Officials in getting a call right.

She also “managed” Steve’s professional and personal life … and importantly, served as Team Segebarth’s very savvy personal Travel Agent as they continued to “vacation” whenever they could find free time during Steve’s busy work schedule.

Linda particularly enjoyed sailing with the Celebrity Line and visiting Hilton Head … having booked each venue more than a dozen times. She also enjoyed the Outer-banks, Scotland, Paris, Normandy, Norway and hanging out in her favorite US city … Washington D.C. [i.e. Linda was an enthusiastic “all in, Blue Dog” Democrat].

Most of her previous RCA, GE and Thomson colleagues thought she would soon be bored in retirement and, within 6 months, eagerly return to the workplace wearing a Senior “Benefits Consultant” hat.

Turned out, they were mistaken … Linda loved the flexibility of being her own full-time boss with her only Direct Reports being … the ever present cat(s) [i.e., at that time, Conway T. Kitty] and, of course, Steve.

Linda had numerous passions … some of which are highlighted below:

▪️Linda was a member of Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church, Indianapolis IN for more than a decade, serving on the Vestry from 2012-14 [Junior Warden in 2013 and Senior Warden in 2014] along with chairing the Annual Stewardship Campaign in 2013 and 2014. She also served on St. Paul’s Altar Guild for many years along with volunteering in St. Paul’s office welcoming visitors, answering the phone and helping Staff as needed. Linda found much spiritual comfort in worshiping at St. Paul’s and particularly enjoyed the structured liturgy and awesome Choir.

▪️With a deep appreciation for the countless blessings that had come Team Segebarth’s way … coupled [pun intended] with a purposeful decision in 2009 to “pay it forward” in a lasting way, Linda and Steve established the first of 4 endowed scholarships at the University of Northern Iowa’s College of Social & Behavioral Sciences [UNI’s / CSBS] which now include: the Stephen A. and Linda Segebarth Endowed Scholarship; the Segebarth Endowed Fund For Excellence; the Vajpeyi Endowed Fellowship and, most recently, the Linda & Steve Segebarth “Empowering The Future Now” CSBS DEI Endowed Scholarship. Linda loved to engage with Team Segebarth’s “scholarship kids” at UNI / CSBS events and was delighted when one of the “kids” was recently awarded a Fulbright Research Grant for study in Slovenia.

Linda also worked with UNI to facilitate the multi-step “repurposing” of a farm [80 acres or so] they had owned for some time, back to PERMANENT wetland status … which is now designated the Black Hawk County, IA “Segebarth Wildlife Area”. Team Segebarth considered this a small, but important, push back against the ever more apparent ravages of “Climate Change”.

Linda was a bit embarrassed, but also immensely proud when, in 2014, UNI / CSBS honored Team Segebarth by designating a significant area in Sabin Hall as the “Stephen A. and Linda Segebarth Auditorium”. Sabin Hall was / is the longtime home of the CSBS and had recently undergone a major renovation including meeting all requirements for “LEED” certification. Linda was pleased that the Auditorium is much used both for Events of all sorts and to hold large Classes in various academic disciplines.

▪️Linda was particularly proud of being on the Commissioning Committees for the USS Indiana SSN 789 [a Virginia Class Fast Attack Submarine] Commisioned on September 29, 2018 at Port Canaveral, FL and the USS Indianapolis LCS 17 [a Littoral Combat Ship], Commissioned on October 26, 2019 at Burns Harbor, IN.

During the Commissioning process, she was honored to meet many of the Boat’s and Ship’s crews. Linda was especially impressed by the passion, commitment and knowledge displayed by the young men and women on both Crews … who play indispensable roles 24/7/365 in defending the US in an increasingly dangerous World.

▪️ Linda was a stickler for certain “Rules” associated with “correct” grammar, spelling & punctuation, “good” manners, “proper” posture and balancing Team Segebarth’s checkbook to the penny every month.

Linda is preceded in death by her Father, Robert Lyle Baker, Jr. [DOD April 29, 1976] and Mother, Frances Muriel Wedge [DOD March 23, 1988].

Linda is survived by her husband of 30 years, Stephen A. Segebarth also of the Village of West Clay, Carmel IN; Daughter, Cassandra [“Cass”] Gray of Moreno, Valley CA; Sister & Brother In Law, Barb and Ted Frohling of Tucson, AZ; Sisters in Law & Brothers In Law & Children: Judi Segebarth of Stevensville, PA; Rebecca Segebarth [Ari, Kira, Scott & Stella] and Don Ostoff [Donald Jr.] of Oslo, Norway; Scot and Dawn Segebarth [Austin & Jamie, Mackenzie] of Waterloo, Iowa; Sandy Palmer [trusted housekeeper, kitten sitter & friend for more than 30 years of Greenwood, IN; the UNI family, Cedar Falls, Iowa; the “Village” Knit-wits and her much loved “Demopaw” kittens … Momala, Franklin & Eleanor.

A Memorial Service will be held at St.Paul’s Episcopal Church, 6050 North Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN 42608 on April 15, 2023 at 10:00am to accommodate travel planning for attendees residing in CA, AZ, Oslo, Norway and many points in-between. Further details will be communicated on Leppert’s Website at WWW.LEPPERTMORTUARY.COM prior to April 15, 2023.

Interment will be in St. Paul’s Columbarium [Niche #68] which is located on the Church Grounds.

Contributions in Linda’s Memory may be made to St. Paul’s or to the University of Northern Iowa Foundation, Attention Nathan Clapham [Assistant Vice President for Collegiate Development & Annual Giving … Segebarth Endowed Scholarships], 204 Commons, Cedar Falls, IA 50614.