Linda Faye Etheridge-Ruffin

Linda “Faye” Etheridge , age 58, passed away peacefully on Thursday September 8th, 2022 at Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, New Jersey; after fighting a long battle with stage IV breast cancer. Linda was born August 23, 1964 in Greensboro, North Carolina to James Ruffin and Clara Mae Etheridge and later grew up in Freehold Boro, New Jersey . She attended Freehold Boro High School, where she met her future husband, Craig Daniels; and was a part of the graduating class of 1982. In 1986, Linda and Craig had their first child together, a son named Craig “C.J.” Daniels Jr. On July 15, 1990 the couple married and later welcomed their daughter, Ashley Daniels, into the world.

During that time, Linda took an interest in children and began working as a teacher at St. Peter's Church Preschool located in downtown Freehold Boro . Throughout the years, Linda continued to work with children, touching hundreds of families and their children throughout the community. Linda continued sharing her heart with the Freehold Boro community; working at Head Start Preschool, and Park Avenue Elementary School where she served as a cafeteria aide.

Her giving heart continued to soar throughout Monmouth County as she had taken on a new interest in serving the community as a whole. With her new interest, Linda began working at Catholic Charities: Linkages Transitional Housing Program assisting families in need of emergency transitional housing. Despite her fear of computer technology, she ambitiously took on a job as a telephone operator working at Monmouth County Division of Social Services where she assisted clients in Monmouth County. After her initial diagnosis of stage IV breast cancer in 2019, she soon returned to work and transitioned to the scanning department.

Linda lived her life to the fullest despite her situation, a true representation of learning how to dance in the rain and dance she did! She enjoyed spending time with her family, bestfriends, childhood friends, new formed friendships, and coworkers. She loved purple, her Dodge Challenger, vacations, taking thousands of pictures, talking on the phone, social media, making her famous potato and tuna salad, planning outings, going to parties and dancing as it was her way to keep connected to everyone ; making memories to last a lifetime.

Linda is predeceased by her father James Ruffin, her Dad Leonard “L.C.” Shuler, her mother in law Jweda Daniels, and her granddog Peewee. Linda is survived by her mother Clara Mae Shuler, and two children Craig “C.J.” Daniels Jr., and Ashley Daniels and her future son in law Sean Howard, her ex husband Craig Daniels Sr, and her former in laws Ewanna and Earline Daniels, her sisters; Melissa, Monica, and Melody Shuler, her brothers; Leonard, Lavaris, Lamont, and Lateef Shuler, and James and Gerald Ruffin, her many nieces and nephews from the Shuler, Ruffin, and Daniels families, godchildren,cousins as well to surviving family and granddogs Vinnie and Frankie.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Linda Faye Etheridge-Ruffin, please visit our floral store.