Lindsley Wilburn Langford

Lindsley Wilburn Langford, affectionately called “Grasshopper” (“Hoppy” for short) by his close family and Lin to his friends, was born December 31, 1940, in Dallas, Texas to Beulah Magnolia and Drew Eltis Langford. He was called home to be with the Lord on March 31, 2025 at his beloved Farm in Hopkins County, Texas at the age of 84.

Visitation will take place on Sunday, April 13, 2025 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Commerce Funeral Home in Commerce, Texas. A funeral service will immediately follow beginning at 2:00 p.m. Interment will be at Mt. Zion Cemetery, Cumby, Texas.

Lin grew up in Center, Austin, and in the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas, Texas with Center being, in his words, the place of his fondest childhood memories together with his four older sisters, Iva Neal, Gracie, Loma Rae, and Patsy Ruth, and two younger brothers Gary Michael and Johnathan Oliver.

Lin met and married the love of his life, Linda Aileen Mitchell, in 1960 – a union truly blessed by God. They shared 64 glorious years together chasing dreams and sharing adventures while raising a family in Mesquite, Texas.

Lin graduated from Crozier Technical High School and started work at Downtown Radio in Dallas where he remained for four years. Later, Lin worked for Doran Chevrolet for three years and then Steakley Chevrolet for 30 years. After a long career in radio and electronics, Lin “retired.” However, he soon hired-on with Mrs Baird’s Bakery in Dallas where he worked nights as a diesel truck mechanic and all-around plant maintenance specialist for 12 years before “retiring” for a second time. Lin finished out his working life closer to his Farm with eight years of service to Hunt County before finally “retiring” for the third and final time.

Lin was a member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Cumby, Texas, where he served as a lay preacher and a much sought-after Bible study leader. At Mt. Zion in 2010 and 2011, Lin oversaw the complete inside and outside renovation of this historic church. This was a labor of passion for both Lin and Linda and a source of great satisfaction. In the community, Lin was also a long-time Member of the Board of Directors for the Gafford Chapel Water Supply Corporation. He was also an active long-time member of CB / HAM radio clubs in Mesquite, Texas, during the late 1970s and early 1980s.

When asked of his greatest accomplishments, Lin jokingly would answer, “None.” He was a humble, kind, gentle soul. He lived life on his own terms and at peace with God doing the things that made him and his family happy. To say that Lin was a man of many talents would be an understatement. In his life, he taught college-level courses, was a fine self-taught guitar player, became a certified cable TV community access videographer, was a licensed commercial truck driver, was a certified fork-lift operator, served as a volunteer firefighter, was an avid amateur geologist and archaeologist, and became a nationally recognized Gold Certified Master Mechanic. He was a renaissance man - always thirsty for knowledge, reading anything and everything he could get his hands on, and he never tired of learning new things.

Lin was never a man to sit idle and seemingly always had a project going. These projects could include things like building a working eight-foot-high miniature oil drill-rig in his back yard, building a racing boat, designing and constructing scientific instruments for the local college geology department, rebuilding every kind of vehicle imaginable, and repairing and operating CB and HAM radios. He could build anything he set his mind to and was adept at the finer application of a chainsaw to carpentry projects: log cabins, tee-pees, a general store that was featured in a national magazine, numerous barns, bunk houses, treehouses, house additions, bridges, fishing shacks, etc. Nothing was beyond his ability. If he could dream it, Lin, with Linda’s help, could find a way to build it.

Lin is survived by his loving wife of 64 years, Linda; son Shannon Langford and his wife, Karyn, of League City, Texas; daughter Leslie Susan Collard of Paris, Texas; and grandchildren Laurren Langford and husband Jon Martinez of Austin, Texas; Scott and wife Paige Langford of Seabrook, Texas; and Cade Collard and fiancée Haley Dora of Winona, Texas. He is preceded in death by his parents, his sisters Iva Neal, Gracie, Patsy Ruth, and his brother Gail Borden.

We will truly miss, but be forever thankful for, his ever-present humor, strength, and unwavering support of his family. You were the best dad, grandfather, husband, role model, and friend anyone could dream of having.

In preparation for his passing, Lin left a personal written message reading: “My fondest memories with my family were at the Farm.” And….“I Love You ALL.”

Serving as Pallbearers are Laurren Langford, Jon Martinez, Scott Langford, Paige Langford, Cade Collard, and Haley Dora. Honorary Pallbearers are the McDonald’s Coffee Crew.