Linda Lou (Fagnant) Knowles

Linda Lou (Fagnant) Knowles of Harwich passed away on September 5th, 2026, after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s Disease. She was 82 years old.
Linda was born in Keene, NH, on February 17, 1944. She was the daughter of Louis Albert Fagnant and Bernice Elizabeth (McKernon) Fagnant. Linda grew up in Baldwinville, MA, and graduated at the top of her class from Narragansett High School in 1962. She went on to attend the Elliot Community School of Nursing at Keene State College, where she graduated as Valedictorian of her class.
Linda met her husband, John Winthrop Knowles, at Keene State. He was from Orleans, MA, and studying to be a teacher. They were married in Keene on August 28, 1965 and celebrated 60 years of marriage on August 28, 2025. He died less than a month before Linda, on August 9, 2026. They will both be remembered for their devotion to each other, their sense of humor, their kindness and compassion, and the undeniable fact that they were very good dancers. They were a joy to watch.
Linda and John began their life as a married couple in a new place, Nashua, NH, where John had been hired as a history and geography teacher at Nashua High School and Linda, as an RN at Memorial Hospital. Daughter Kristin was born in August, 1966, followed by son Eric in January, 1969. Daughter Katie was born in June, 1975 and died of biliary atresia in July, 1976.
The birth, life, illness, and death of her daughter Katie was a pivotal point in Linda’s life and a most difficult time for the family. Linda felt she could not return to nursing and she and John decided they would move their family to the place they felt most at home, to John’s hometown on the Cape, after his mother died in the fall of that same year.
Once her two remaining children were young adults, Linda worked for Christmas Tree Shops for 13 years as a Store Manager in Orleans, West Dennis, and Hyannis. She was well-liked by her colleagues and staff, and enjoyed the creative aspect of planning displays and merchandising. After leaving Christmas Tree, she also worked at Snow’s in Orleans for many years until her health began declining. 
Linda was warm, friendly, smart, funny, and she loved engaging with people from all walks of life. She loved animals, nature, arts and crafts, music, dancing, and just simply being with family and friends. She was an excellent cook, seamstress, and craft artist in many mediums. She had a great eye for color and balance, and always loved to try new things. She made all kinds of jellies in the fall and her Christmas tins full of gorgeous homemade cookies and candy were the stuff of legend.
Her husband, John, cared for Linda over her ten year descent into Alzheimer’s, and she was lucky to be safe at home with his patient presence until early June of 2026. After John took a bad fall in their yard, Linda was eventually placed in the memory care unit at Cape Cod Post Acute Care in Brewster, where she lived out her last days.
Linda is survived by daughter Kristin and her husband, Tom Fettig, of Orleans; son Eric and his partner, Cathy Alekna, of East Orleans; brother Abbott and his wife, Joleen; grandchildren Marika Therrien, Alexandra (Sasha) Fettig, and Jonathan (Jack) Fettig; nieces Jennifer Majik and Vicki Barrs; nephew Timothy Barrs; grandnieces Jennifer and Kristen Yardley; grandnephews Evan and Seth Majik; and many cousins throughout the US.
There will be a service celebrating both Linda and John on September 26 at 2:00pm at First Parish Brewster Unitarian Universalist Church on Route 6A in Brewster. A reception will follow at their son Eric’s home in East Orleans. All are welcome.