Linda Carol Thiel

Linda Carol (Crawford) Thiel was born on September 19, 1944, to Don and Lila (Carringer) Crawford in Boise, Idaho. She departed on April 27, 2026, due to complications from Myelodysplastic Syndrome. She resided in Nampa, Idaho, with her husband, Wayne Thiel.

Linda grew up in Eagle, Idaho, with her parents and two younger brothers, Larry and Greg. She enjoyed helping her dad in the garage, where she learned about tools, cars, and riding motorcycles. In addition to helping her dad, she played the flute and piano and enjoyed ragtime music. In high school, she was a seamstress, making many of her own clothes. During her senior year, she was the editor of the school’s annual.

After attending school in Eagle and graduating from Meridian High School in 1962, Linda enrolled at Boise Junior College where she graduated with a secretary science degree. She put her skills to work throughout her career with office jobs at the Idaho Transportation Department, a grade school, and various property management companies. For the last 20 years of her career she worked alongside Wayne in their insurance business, where she had her property and casualty license. She retired in 2013.

Not long after Linda graduated, she married her high school sweetheart, Del Bain. Together, they had their daughter, Carmen. They later divorced. She reunited with Wayne Thiel at their 20-year high school reunion and they married in 1986. Her family quickly grew from one child to four. They celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on April 12, 2026.

Linda lived in Eagle and Boise for most of her life. She took pride in her Eagle roots. When Wayne and she purchased their house on Chinden Boulevard, she was happy to have a “616” zip code again. There, she enjoyed the view from their patio and windows of Eagle Island, hot air balloons, and deer. After retirement, she and Wayne built a home in Nampa, Idaho, where they hosted many dinners and family gatherings.

Linda was a wonderful hostess for friend and family functions. Good food and drinks were at the center of most gatherings. For 14 years, Wayne and Linda hosted a Christmas Day Brunch for friends who may not have had Christmas plans. Linda handled the details with ease, making everyone feel welcome. She supported her kids and grandkids by attending their activities and preferred being behind the scenes rather than in the spotlight. Linda was strong and tough, evidenced throughout her life from being a single mom to her illness at the end of her life. She accepted and adapted to life and was stoic in true Crawford nature. Maintaining a positive attitude was at her core. She was quick to laugh and had a dry sense of humor. Her smile and eyes could light up a room, complementing her style, which usually involved a great handbag, shoes, and lipstick.

Together, Wayne and Linda lived a full life. They worked hard and played hard together. Over the years, they mountain biked (including riding their bikes to Bogus Basin), skied, golfed (making A Hole in One!), camped, and flew to several backcountry strips for breakfast and airplane camping. An avid reader, Linda enjoyed sitting by the stream with a book while Wayne fished. She loved fresh air, sunshine, green grass, flowers, puppies, and babies. She enjoyed keeping up with the children in her family as they grew, and tracking their significant moments in life. Linda truly supported all in her quiet way. She maintained an amazing core group of high school friends and neighbors, reflecting the kind of person she was.

As a wonderful wife, mother, and grandmother, she will be dearly missed. Linda is survived by: her husband, Wayne; 4 daughters: Carmen Schmidt (Rusty), Shawna Swain (Tyre), Michelle Thiel, and Nicole Thiel; 7 grandchildren: Marina Rose, Forest Daily, Ty Swain, Jacob Swain, Trevor Swain, Daisy Schleicher, and Meagan Schmidt; and 4 great grandchildren: Wesley, Scarlet, Aurora, and Lilith.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the American Cancer Society or American Red Cross of time, money, or blood/platelets in her honor.

Her family extends gratitude for the medical team and caregivers who assisted her with great compassion. These teams include: St. Luke’s Internal Medicine, St. Luke’s Cancer Institute, First Choice Hospice, and Visiting Angels.

A memorial service is being held Friday, May 8, 2026, at 11 am at Karcher Church of the Nazarene, 2515 W Karcher Rd, Nampa, ID 83651.