Linda Marie Couch
Type of Donation: organs and tissue
Age and Location: Age 15 - Kissimmee, FL
Donation Date: 1/15/1999
Sponsor: Honored by OurLegacy
LINDA’S STORY
Linda Marie Couch was the beloved and only daughter of Diana and Larry Couch. As a freshman at Gateway High School in Kissimmee, Florida, she was cherished amongst her friend group as the outgoing, social butterfly, with a contagious laugh and sweet smile. Her family dearly remembers having a noisy household, making precious memories with her close group of friends and loud music always playing through her speakers. Her mother would tease her about her devotion to being amongst friends saying, “If you had a favorite subject in school, it would be any opportunity to socialize.”
As a talented member of the high school marching band, Linda was part of the woodwind family as a clarinetist. She loved music of all kinds and her passion for music covered a diverse collection of genres from swing band jazz to hip hop. Perhaps her greatest love was for animals, especially her black lab mix puppy, Velvet. As Linda’s constant companion, Velvet became a great source of comfort for her family after her passing.
Linda also enjoyed the outdoors and being amongst nature. She loved flowering blooms, especially her favorites—gerbera daisies and sunflowers. She dreamed of someday becoming an architect and creating new types of spaces for people to enjoy. She had a vision for developing beautiful, peaceful architectural concepts that incorporated her love of nature into the designs.
While attending a football game, Linda was hit by a car while crossing a busy intersection by her high school. After the accident, Linda’s friends advocated for four years to improve pedestrian safety at the intersection. Their diligent work with local elected officials resulted in having a state law changed to allow digital countdown crosswalks signals to be installed at intersections on Florida state roads. On July 21, 2003, the first digital countdown crosswalk signal on a Florida state road was installed at the intersection where Linda’s accident occurred. Linda’s legacy paved the way for the installation of more digital crosswalk signals on Florida state roads and created safer walking paths for communities across Florida.
Linda’s Father, Larry, passed away in 2019. Her mother, Diana Couch, has given a lifetime of service honoring Linda’s life and legacy through donation. She has volunteered with Central Florida’s Organ Procurement Organization, OurLegacy, for the past 20 years. Linda’s life has inspired clinical partners, civic groups, and community organizations across the state of Florida. In addition to her work with OurLegacy, Diana has also volunteered with National Kidney Foundation as a Donor Family Liaison and Chairwoman for Transplant Games of America, Team Florida from 2000-2006.
Above all else, Linda’s friendly, joyful personality, accompanied by her infectious giggle is what she continues to be known for among her family and friends. Linda’s parents were life-long advocates for donation and spoke about their decision to donate as a family. When Linda was young and learned of her mother’s wishes to be a donor, with admiration, she thought the idea of her mom helping others someday was “cool.” Linda’s donation of organs and corneas provided the Gift of Life and Sight to four recipients.