If anyone ever builds a monument to selfless service in Rowan County, D.C. Linn’s name should have a prominent position on it.
Of course, if he were here today, he would immediately (but unobtrusively) object to the idea. Duard Columbus Linn Jr. and his wife, Frances, were the epitome of the sort of unassuming people who do extraordinary things for others while wondering what all the fuss is about and avoiding the limelight themselves. The auto accident that claimed the Landis residents’ lives this week left a hole in the hearts of the countless people they touched.
As new stories following their deaths have noted, D.C. Linn’s citizen activism ranged across many projects and local institutions ó Rowan Regional Medical Center, the South Rowan Y, Salisbury Station, Catawba College, to name a few. Among other causes that benefited from his time and expertise were Habitat for Humanity, Historic Salisbury Foundation and the Rowan County Sustainable Community Development Commission. All of this was in addition to his busy and successful career as a builder and engineer. Always, his wife was at his side, the other half of the team, lending her support, energy and commitment.
It’s a poignant side note that this sad loss occurred in the week that a new president issued a call to service for all Americans, urging people of all ages and backgrounds to look for volunteer roles in their communities. No better example of such service exists than the Linns. While you won’t find their names strewn about on building plaques, they left their mark and made the world a better place for those who follow.
In the end, their lives serve as the monument they would have shunned.