Linda Ann Kehm-Rich

Linda Kehm Rich, 62, is reunited in death with her dearly beloved husband William J. Rich who passed away unexpectedly on March 12, 2015, while vacationing with her in Hawaii.  Linda was a graduate of Wissahickon High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She received both an undergraduate and master’s degree from Michigan State University where she was also a member of Chi Omega Sorority.  After graduation from Michigan State, Linda taught special education with the Grand Rapids Public Schools. Her teaching career also included employment with Mecosta-Osceola Intermediate Schools, Big Rapids, Michigan, Johnson County Schools in Indianapolis, Indiana, and Northview Public Schools in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  She accepted her first administrative position with Thornapple Kellogg Schools in 1989. She thoroughly enjoyed a career of 21 years as an employee of East Grand Rapids Public Schools, serving as the principal of Lakeside Elementary.  She enjoyed many professional accomplishments throughout her career including Region 9 Principal of the Year, a workshop and keynote speaker booked across the country on the topic of literacy development for the Bureau of Education & Research based in Seattle, Washington, and workshop and keynote speaker during several summers with Bill Martin’s Pathways to Literacy.  She also started her own staff development company, Literacy Compass, providing quality teacher workshops around the country, utilizing the most accomplished educators in the country, specializing in the area of literacy in the classroom. However, she was best known to the delight of her elementary students as coining the phrase, “Kindness Counts” and not least of all, for her memorable, wonderfully over the top readings of “Piggy Pie”.   Linda's passions were many, including being an avid quilter, looking for sea glass and scuba diving throughout the world with her husband, playing bridge with her club of more than 30 years, spending quiet time bird watching at her riverside home, and as a season ticket holder, cheering wildly for her Michigan State Spartans.  

Raised primarily in Grand Blanc, a suburb of Flint, Michigan, Linda’s family moved to Pennsylvania during her senior year of high school. She leaves behind, mother, Nancy M. Kehm (father, Paul Kehm, deceased May, 1996), sister Carolyn Kehm Strohm, brother in law Tom Strohm, niece Andrea Strohm Cole, her husband Greg and son Matthew Cole of Las Vegas, Nevada, nephew Trent Strohm, wife Harmony and daughter Isla of Shanghai, China, niece Kimberly Strohm Snyder, husband Eric and daughter Britney of Traverse City, Michigan, and uncle Jim Kehm and aunt Monica Kehm of Fort Collins, Colorado.  Linda would also like to acknowledge Bill’s wonderful family and all of her many close friends that have supported her during all the happy times as well as the more challenging ones.

In lieu of flowers, donations will be accepted to East Grand Rapids Public School Kindness Counts Scholarship Fund or East Grand Rapids Foundation for Teacher Mini Grantshttp. 

Memorial service will be held at Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park on Sunday, April 17, 2016 at 2:00pm.

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