How Do I Tell My Child Someone She Knows has Died?

"Mommy, I'm worried about Miss Linda," Punky whispered out of the blue a few nights ago as I tucked her in.

"What do you mean?" I asked nervously. Miss Linda was Punky's preschool ballet teacher in the spring. She had died unexpectedly after an illness, and since class had ended for the season, I'd opted not to tell Punky what had happened.

"She's been sick for so long," Punky said. "I'm really worried about her."

"Oh, don't worry, Punky," I said. "She's not sick anymore." I gave her a kiss, closed the door to her bedroom, and went to find Hubs.

"Punky's worried about Miss Linda," I said, and told him what had just happened.

"Uh oh," he replied.

"I have to tell her."

"No you don't," he objected. "She's only five. She's too young to have to think about someone she knows and loves dying."

"No, I have to tell her," I said. "She starts ballet class again soon and I'm worried she'll hear people talking about it."

The question is, how do I tell her? How did you tell your child that someone he/she loved had died? And if you haven't had to do it yet, what do you plan to say when the time comes?