Mullins, Michelle Lineberry

Michelle Lineberry (Petie) Mullins, 44, of Pilot, Va., died on Saturday, October 10, 2009. Her spirit and love of life buoyed those around her even as she quietly coped with the effects a heart transplant she had in 1986. She was always grateful for that gift of life, and 20 years later, once she found the family of the donor, she thanked them in person.

She could brighten an already lit room. She had a playful sense of humor and wasn’t afraid of a pun. She liked movies, music, the arts, and enjoyed the outdoors. She loved animals, especially dogs. Her health stopped her from having children of her own, but she found her family in 2003, when she married Tim Mullins and joined in raising his son, Ian.  She took pride in her Latin American heritage and found strength in prayer and her Catholic faith.

Her mother, Isabelle Rangel Lineberry; and her sister, Veronica Lineberry Manzella; preceded her in death. She is survived by her father and stepmother, William and Wanda Lineberry; her fatherin-law Edwin Mullins; and a large and loving family including stepbrothers, many nieces and nephews and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 17, 2009, at St. Jude Catholic Church with interment following at West View Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be sent to the American Heart Association. Visitation will be held on Friday evening, October 16, 2009, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Mullins Funeral Home in Radford, Va. www.mullinsfuneralhome.com