On January 09, 2026 Linda Tallent Hafley joined her Mother Ruby Lee Tallent her Father Homer Charles Tallent , her brother John Henry Tallent and her two sisters Norma Tallent Carrigan and Maxine Tallent Keeble in Heaven, she was born February 16.1943Linda was a wife of over years to her husband Donald and a loving Mother to her children Robin Hafley Farmer and Johnathan Scott Hafley and the proudest most loving “Grammy” to her two beautiful granddaughters Taylor Nicole Farmer and Kayden Brianna Hafley. She was also a proud member and Tribal Elder of The Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation and a devoted member of Oak View Baptist Church. Linda loved horses and we feel sure that St. Peter was waiting for her at the gates of Heaven with a beautiful white stallion and she’s enjoying riding thru the green pastures of Heaven with her family and our Lord Jesus by her side. The one thing our mother loved almost as much as her family was her career as a nurse and her closest friend Annette Dekanich wrote this beautiful tribute to our Mother Linda Hafley RN MSN NE-BC: The nursing profession has lost one of its brightest lights. Linda was more than a nurse—she was a mentor, a leader, and a steady pillar within Blount Memorial Hospital. Over her decades-long career, she worked her way through the hospital system with quiet determination and unwavering dedication, beginning as an LPN and ultimately becoming the Clinical Director of Oncology. She built the oncology program from the ground up, guided it with clarity and compassion, and ran a tight ship where her nurses were always prepared and always able to offer the very best care. Linda’s influence reached far beyond the walls of the hospital. She was a pivotal force in the nursing profession, touching and encouraging countless lives—patients, families, students, and colleagues alike. Even after retiring from Blount Memorial, her passion for education and service continued. She went on to lead the medical programs at the Tennessee College of Applied Technology in a role created specifically for her, serving as Director of Medical Programs and shaping the next generation of healthcare professionals with the same excellence and heart that defined her entire career. Linda was, in every sense, a class act—gracious, poised, and endlessly giving. She was a role model to so many, not because she sought recognition, but because she lived her life with integrity, kindness, and purpose. Her legacy will live on in the countless lives she touched and in the many people who will continue to carry her lessons, her spirit, and her example forward. Services are still pending due to illness in our family please keep us all in your prayers while we are working our way thru this difficult time. In lui of flowers we ask that any donations be given to St. Judes Hospital for Children.