Thomas Dale Nielsen

Thomas Dale Nielsen passed away peacefully on December 10, 2023 with his beloved wife Laila by his side. Tom was born on August 15, 1943 and lived a very long and full life and was a truly wonderful person. He will be deeply missed by his family, friends and colleagues.

Tom is survived by his wife Laila; children Kristen of Carmichael, Eric (Julie) of Golden, CO, Tyler (Ariel) of Sacramento, Spencer (Katie) of Sacramento; and 9 grandchildren: Karsten, Katie, Helena, Scarlett, Jocelyn, Mya, Jack, Harper and Colin. He is also survived by his two brothers Lee (Reno) and Allen (North Carolina).

Tom grew up in Alameda and then when he was 8 years old his parents, he and his two brothers moved to San Bernardino. After graduating from high school, he moved to Sacramento to attend California State University, Sacramento where he was a member of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity. He then enrolled in the Army in Officer Candidate School, where he served in Kentucky and was in the service for several years. After the Army, Tom decided to go to law school and attended Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law where he graduated in 1972.

Tom loved the practice of law and had a very long and distinguished career as a trial attorney handling complex civil litigation cases. Tom primarily represented defendants including propane companies, many other types of businesses and individuals in challenging and interesting cases, but did enjoy handling plaintiff side cases for a number of years as well. He was a very caring and kind person to all he represented and was respected for his trial skills, his knowledge of the law and the professional and ethical way he handled his cases He was a mentor to many of his colleagues and was always willing to help on any case. He had the highest integrity and never had a cross word to say about anyone. He will be missed by his clients, his colleagues and many opposing counsel who respected Tom. He has been called humble, kind, smart and a true gentleman by so many that knew him. Tom was Senior Counsel at Jacobsen & McElroy at the time of his passing and was a longtime member of ABOTA.

On a personal level, Tom enjoyed music and art, and was a spiritual seeker who loved learning and practiced meditation. He and his wife Laila were married in 2007. They shared a love of the ocean, particularly going to Bodega Bay and Point Reyes. Tom was a creative person who loved to draw when he was young and then recently had picked up this hobby again as well as making succulent gardens. He also coached Little League and was actively involved and supportive in his son’s soccer league activities when they were growing up. Further, despite moving from the Bay Area as a child, he remained an avid Oakland A’s baseball fan.

Tom was dearly loved by many and will forever be remembered in our hearts. A small private celebration of life will be held in the Spring. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Tom’s name may be made to the Point Reyes National Seashore.