Linda Sue Qualls

Linda Sue Steil Monroe Qualls, 87, passed away in Tulsa on November 4, 2025, joining the love of her life James Bert Qualls ("Bert"), who passed away four years earlier. Linda was born in Tulsa on May 30, 1938, and was preceded in death by her parents James Thomas Steil and Mary Evylen Stiles Steil of Tulsa and her sister Jane Darlene Steil Romine and her husband Gordon of Tulsa. She is survived by her brother Charles Thomas Steil and his wife Janice of Tulsa, her son James Burton Monroe of McLean, Virginia, and her son Ben Cornett Monroe (nee Misty Lynn Monroe) of Springfield, Oregon, as well as by the many children and grandchildren of the extended Qualls family, including Kevin Qualls and his wife Brenda, Keith Qualls and his wife Michelle and Kent Qualls and his wife Terry. Linda graduated from Tulsa's Central High School and attended William Woods liberal arts college in Fulton, Missouri and Oklahoma State University. She took additional business and law courses after graduation to obtain an accounting degree. Linda loved numbers and was always curious about new technology. Her son James bought her one of the first computers that came to market and almost every permutation thereafter, and she still took great joy at 87 sitting at her desk working on Excel spreadsheets and the many other programs on her iMac, and playing around on her two iPads and iPhone. She also was an avid reader and a huge fan of genealogy, insisting that her grave marker and obituary list all of her family names for ease of reference for future genealogy fans. Linda's first marriage was to Stephen Burton Monroe of Bartlesville on February 21, 1961. Steve's first wife had died in a car accident shortly after the birth of Misty, and Linda instantly fell in love with being a mom after marrying Steve. James was born a few years later, thus completing the Monroe family until Steve passed away on April 1, 1971. Linda was heartbroken when Misty's grandparents on her mother's side were unexpectedly granted custody of her following Steve's death simply because Linda had not officially adopted her prior to his death. The next several years as a single working mother to James were very tough, Linda persevered at a time when women still had a hard time getting credit on their own and did not enjoy all of the benefits afforded men. Her life was focused on ensuring that James had every opportunity to succeed, and his in turn was focused as an adult on ensuring that she had a long and happy life. The icing on the cake to her success in surviving the hard years was that she ultimately met Bert, who changed her life in so many wonderful ways. They enjoyed traveling and simply spending time together, as well as with the melded family they created when they married on June 23, 1979. They called Tulsa their home except for a short period when they lived in Michigan for Bert's job. Bert's hometown of Haskell served as a second home. Linda moved into an independent-living apartment at Montereau in 2019 to be near Bert when he moved into long-term care there. Unfortunately, the Covid pandemic came shortly thereafter, and her greatest sadness was that she was not allowed to be by "Berty-Bert's" side when he passed during the heart of Covid restrictions. Linda continued living in her apartment after that until her own passing, enjoying reading, crocheting, solving puzzles and working on family business matters. Linda was known for her quick wit, laughter and determination. She never backed down from adversity and was a fighter until the end. She was a multi-decade survivor of breast cancer and a 6 1/2 year survivor of small-cell lung cancer. Linda also survived several other life-threatening ailments, always choosing the most aggressive treatments that would increase her chance of survival to spend more time with her family and friends. That is the lifelong fighter she was until taken by an unexpected illness with James and Ben by her side. A public viewing will take place on Friday, November 14, 2025, from 3PM-5PM at Moore's Southlawn, and a graveside service will be held at 10:30 AM on Saturday, November 15, 2025, at Memorial Park Cemetery.

Linda Sue Qualls

May 30, 1938 - November 4, 2025