WEST POINT — Linda Combs is the best kind of friend and neighbor Bianca Freeman could have.

For a long time they taught together at Springwood School. Both are retired and remain very good friends.

Bianca has a life-long love of reading and learning new things. She now has a disability that keeps her from reading as much as she once did.

She doesn’t miss out that much, though, since her good friend Linda comes to her home every day and reads to her and keeps her informed of what’s going on in the area and the world.

Bianca’s husband, Dale, still teaches at Springwood and is one of the most revered members of the faculty. Together, they won just about every award teachers can receive. Linda earned lots of awards, too, in her 29 years in the classroom at Springwood.

Linda is leading a very active life in retirement.

“I love to walk, and I do that a lot,” she said. “I also participate in SilverSneakers, and I really like that.”

She and her late husband, Jack Combs, lived in South Carolina for more than a decade before coming back home to the Valley area. Linda taught school in South Carolina for 12 years before joining the faculty at Springwood. They were active in the First Baptist Church of West Point for many years.

Linda and Jack were instrumental in getting the community garden started across East 8th Street from the church. No one worked it any harder than Jack.

“He loved doing that,” Linda said. “I’m glad we’re still doing it. It’s a raised bed garden now.”

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