Belinda Van Zee

Belinda “Linda” (Lyons) Van Zee, 76, of Newton, Iowa, passed away peacefully in Ohio on November 8, 2025, surrounded by her loving family, after a courageous battle with cancer.

Born in 1949 in Las Vegas, Nevada, Belinda built a life rooted in love, creativity, and generosity. Before moving to Iowa, she lived in several different states, including Oregon, California, Colorado, and Montana, and worked many different jobs to support her family. Moving to Iowa was difficult because she left her family out west, but somehow, she maintained relationships with her sisters, brother, and many nieces and nephews, who all have fond memories of “Aunt Linda” and her antics. She brough a contagious joy wherever she went. Nothing brough her more happiness than the time she spent with her loved ones, and if she couldn’t be there in person, she made sure you knew she was thinking of you.

When her daughters moved out of state, she made tremendous efforts to visit as often as she could, never missing the birth of a grandchild, and always remembering to send gifts if she couldn’t be there in person.

In Iowa, Belinda worked as a quality control specialist at Maytag Corporation, from 1985 until the plant’s closing in 2007. It took a strong woman to work in manufacturing in the 80s and 90s, and people knew not to mess with Linda. She was smart, spunky, and fiercely independent; all qualities that helped her succeed in her career.

A creative soul and lifelong crafter, Belinda was always working on a project, whether she was painting, baking, sewing, or taking pictures, and these projects reflected her love for others. In her later years, when she wasn’t crafting, talking on the phone, or playing Mahjong on her Kindle, she was watching her favorite crime shows.

Belinda was also a wonderful listener who offered comfort and wide advice to those who needed ti most. She was the type of person with whom you could talk for hours, and in that conversat6ion you laugh, cry, and plot someone’s death (but never actually follow through!). If you were lucky enough to have Belinda in your life, you knew she should do anything for you. Her friends joked that she carried a shovel in her trunk just in case.

Belinda was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She is survived by her husband of 41 years, Gregory Van Zee (yes, Greg knows how lucky he is to have survived living with Belinda all these years); her three daughters, Tracy DeKoning, Jill (Anthony) Whitmarsh, Mary Amanda (Chase) Ashby; eight grandchildren; three great-grandchildren, and many dear friends.

She was preceded in death by her beloved parents, Lois (Floyd) and Orval Ray Lyons.

Belinda will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered as a strong-willed, spunky woman who didn’t go down without a fight.

Belinda is to be cremated, per her wishes. Services for Belinda are private and were entrusted to Mallory-DeHaven-Carlson Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 8382 Center St., Garrettsville, OH 44231. For online condolences go to www.carlsonfuneralhomes.com.