Linda Fay Lanton Coleman of Newton, MA passed peacefully from this earthly life to eternal life with Christ on July 6, 2025 after a brief illness. She was 69 years old.

Linda was born in Memphis, TN on May 24, 1956, to Robert and Clara Lanton, both deceased. Linda is survived by, her loving husband, Isaac Coleman of Newton, MA of (40 plus years) and her son (and heartbeat) Franklin Galloway of Waltham, MA.

While Linda's greatest love in life was for her family, especially for her husband,Isaac and her son Franklin, her next great love was for her brothers and sisters. Linda was the oldest of seven children: Marcus (Peggy) Lanton, Tony (Dimitres) Lanton, Dedrick (Sheron) Lanton and Carolyn Lanton of Memphis, TN, Vivian Gordon of Atlanta, GA, Robert (Colette) Lanton of Elgin, IL, always looking out for them with the greatest love, care, and respect. Linda also leaves behind a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws, Godson (Kendrick), 9 step-children, 32 grandchildren, Maeva Davis (sister-in-law, Georgia), Amos Coleman (brother-in-law, Illinois) and lifelong friends that she cherished dearly.

Linda, who was a scholar from a very young age, graduated from the Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, NH in 1974 and mostly recently served on the Board of Trustees and Alumni Council for the school. She also earned a B.A. in Architecture from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, in 1978. She subsequently earned an MBA from the University of Chicago and a JD from Boston University. She first worked as a Stockbroker / Investment banker, a Mergers and Acquisitions specialist on Wall Street, an attorney (Bingham, Dana & Gould) and then as a Vice President of Business Develop and Corporate Strategy at Motorola and Blue Cross Blue Shield. From 2022 to 2025 she served as a Public Defender in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Linda built an impressive professional career throughout her life and compiled a limitless network of colleagues and close friends who would be counted as members of her extended family. However, Linda strongly believed that her calling and most important responsibility was to serve as an uncompromising advocate and protector for Isaac, Franklin, all of her siblings, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, in-laws, close friends and all of the other members of her extended family!