H.W. "Tim" Timrud

H.W. “Tim” Timrud, 90, of Naples, died on July 4th of congestive heart failure in his Longshore Lakes home surrounded by his family. Tim will be most remembered for his tireless dedication to family and friends and exemplary service to his country; to know him wasa to truly love him. He was a career Marine and Foreign Service Officer and those who knew him saw him as a vibrant, bigger-than-life, fun, extremely knowledgeable and above all a loving gentleman.

H.W. “Tim” Timrud was born on September 6, 1925, in Mussoorie, India, a small village in the Himalayan foothills, to Norwegian missionaries, Ketil and Gertrude (Petersen) Timrud. His parents brought him to New York City from India in 1930, where he became a U.S. Citizen. He grew up in Bay Ridge Brooklyn and joined the Marines at the age of 17 during WWII. He met his wife of 57 years, Katherine Evans Timrud, at a USO Center in Kansas City, MO, in1945. They were married after the war. She predeceased him in 2003.

A veteran of three wars, Tim received two Purple Hearts and numerous medals after being wounded in both WWII (where his service included the battles of Iwo Jima and Guadalcanal) and Korea. He became a Foreign Service Officer in 1966 and rose to the highest FSO rank. His Foreign Service assignments included Karachi, Pakistan; the Mekong Delta in Vietnam; Asmara, Ethiopia, and Cologne, Germany. During his assignment in Vietnam, he served as a PsyOps Officer commanding an entire force of military and broadcast resources. He was severely wounded from a bomb placed on his jeep in Saigon and received the highest civilian award given by the U.S. State Dept., the Medal of Valor, for his heroic efforts to save others before himself despite his personal injuries.

He lived in Alexandria, VA, during his state-side assignments and retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 1989. His final post was Diplomat-in-Residence to the Smithsonian Museum based in Washington, D.C. Afterward, he moved to Florida. In retirement, he settled in the Longshore Lakes neighborhood of Naples, becoming a regular and cherished fixture at the Marine Corp League, the Collier County Honor Flight program, the Sons of Norway, the English Speaking Union and many more. Tim, a 33rd Degree Master Mason, was always active in numerous civic and fraternal organizations where he held many leadership positions. More information about Tim may be found in articles via a search “Timrud” on the website of the Naples Daily News.

He is survived by his son, William Ketil “Bill” Timrud (Jeanne) of Wethersfield, CT; his daughter, Eva Timrud Clough (John H.) of Columbia, MO; his beloved companion and partner of nearly 10 years Margaret Foley of Naples; three grandchildren: Kirsten Timrud Palmer (Jason) of Wardsboro, VT; Evan Timrud (Christina) of Burlington, VT; and Brett Timrud of Wethersfield, CT; plus, three great-grandchildren: Tessa and Thatcher Palmer, and Haakon Timrud (Evan’s son), who was born on July 3rd, less than 24 hours before Tim’s death. In addition to his wife, Tim also was predeceased by an older brother Dr. David H. Timrud and David’s son Tim.

H.W. “Tim” Timrud, or Bestefar (Norwegian: Grandfather) as he was known to his family, will be dearly missed by all those graced by his smile, kind words, devotion, and extraordinary life.

A memorial service to celebrate his life will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, July 15, at the Faith Lutheran Church, 4150 Goodlette-Frank Rd, Naples FL 34103. After the service, his family will receive friends in the church parish hall. Interment will be at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA, at a later time. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in his name to the Collier County Honor Flight, PO Box 8001, Naples, FL 34101 or to your charity of choice.

Hodges Funeral Home at Naples Memorial Gardens (239) 597-5825 is in charge of arrangements.

For additional articles on Tim's story from the Naples Daily News, please visit some of the links below:

1) http://www.naplesnews.com/news/local/tim-timrud-a-marine-bigger-than-life-dies-as-a-patriot-on-fourth-of-july-36fdc2a1-a29a-7374-e053-010-385778101.html

2) http://www.naplesnews.com/news/local/north-naples-mans-storied-military-career-sparked-by-pearl-harbor-attack-2396a13d-4cfc-59fe-e053-010-360728251.html

3) http://www.naplesnews.com/news/leading-the-charge-two-iwo-jima-survivors-to-ride-lead-st-patricks-day-parade-float-ep-459702719-341376391.html