Linda Rayle "Hess" Theakston

Linda Theakston ObituaryObituary published on Legacy.com by Beinhauer Family Funeral Homes - Peters Township - McMurray on Mar. 16, 2026.Linda Rayle (Hess) Theakston of Canonsburg, PA, passed peacefully on March 7, 2026 with her daughters by her side. She was 84. Born in Corning, NY, to Eugene and Eleanor (Cole) Rayle, Linda moved several times as a child as the family followed her father, a foreman for Consolidated Natural Gas, across northern Pennsylvania. Linda graduated from Dubois High School in 1959 and moved to Pittsburgh where she graduated from Presbyterian Hospital Nursing School in 1961. A neo-natal nurse for over 40 years, Linda began her career at Magee Women's Hospital, where she became the youngest head nurse at the hospital at the time of her appointment. She later worked for Dr. Joseph Finegold, the Pirates team physician, through whom she met her first husband, Merrill S. Hess, the Pirates Assistant Director of Scouting. Linda was a founding member of the "Pinch Hitters," a charitable organization formed by the players' wives and partners. When her children were school age, Linda returned to nursing at St. Clair Hospital where she served in the neo-natal department on 4C as a post-partum educator and lactation consultant until she retired in 2005. Later in life, she became a volunteer at Canonsburg Hospital. Linda will be remembered as a larger-than-life character known as much for her Manhattans, cigarettes, and red lipstick as for her love of Christmas baking, Bermuda vacations, and flamboyant eyewear. Her infectious laugh and boundless hospitality will remain foremost in the memories of all who gravitated into her orbit. Linda is survived by her daughters Arlan Hess (Patrick Schmidt) and Heidi Hess, and scores of close friends around the world she loved like a surrogate mother. A remembrance service will be held on Saturday, April 18, 2026 from 1:30-3:00 PM at Beinhauer & Son, 2828 Washington Road, McMurray, PA. Attendees are encouraged to wear colorful clothing and bring a memory of Linda to share. Those who wish to commemorate her dedication to children and healthcare may make gifts to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, www.stjude.org/donate, or the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Pittsburgh and Morgantown, https://ronaldmcdonaldhouse.org/donate.To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.