Thomas L. Linden

January 1, 1944 ~ April 20, 2019

Tom L. Linden, born in Hultsfred, Sweden, immigrated to the United States in 1949. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics and Physics from the University of Washington and his Master’s Degree in Theoretical Physics from the University of Uppsala in Sweden.

Tom’s scientific and technology career spanned over forty years in both Europe and the US. A member of the Monterey Peninsula Country Club, he enjoyed playing golf and spending time with friends and family.

Tom is survived by his wife, Jane Ritchie Linden and his children, Lars and Christina Linden.

A Celebration of Tom’s Life will be held at Monterey Peninsula Country Club. His family thanks Dr. Zach Koontz and the staff at the Cancer Care Center for the wonderful care they provided to him. Memorial contributions are suggested the Center at 5 Harris Court, #201, Monterey, 93940. Please visit www.thepaulmortuary.com to sign Tom’s guest book and leave messages for his family.

Reprinted from the Stillwater Club Newsletter:

The Stillwater Club’s membership carries many stories of professional achievements…and lives well lived. These achievements are attributed to expertise, the wisdom grown through experience, and a bit of luck along the way.

Many individual accomplishments are the result of a gifted and creative, or analytical mind. The combination of all of these attributes within one person is a rare occurrence. This unique blending of qualities, with an emphasis on analytical thinking, certainly describes long time SWC member, Tom Linden. We might even say Tom has a scientific mind given the way he approaches problems and opportunities—calling upon the principles of mathematics and physics.

Born in Sweden, Tom immigrated to the U.S. in 1949 and graduated in 1964 from the University of Washington with a BS in Mathematics, and Physics. Tom’s education advanced further when he earned a Masters’ degree in Theoretical Physics from the University of Uppsala in Sweden.

Fluent in Swedish, Danish and German, Tom’s scientific and technology career spanned over forty years in both Europe and the U.S. Tom began his career as a Scientific Consultant with Boeing. As a member of an elite scientific group he assisted Boeing engineers to find solutions for complex problems. His most significant accomplishments included: the creation of the mathematical model that would describe the complex operation of the 747-aircraft landing gear, and the development of mathematical models used to implement the 747’s acoustical systems. Drawing upon his scientific background Tom also taught advanced mathematics at both Boeing’s in-house aviation engineering school and the University of Washington.

Tom’s career moved forward outside of the US when he was recruited to be the Resident Scientist for the European Space Agency. As with Boeing, he provided mathematical oversight for advanced projects in Germany and other European sites. Tom was responsible for the ground segment design of the Space Agency’s first meteorological satellite. While with the Space Agency, Tom authored four scientific papers published in Theoretical Physics. They centered on “An alternative theory of gravitation, illustrating a less complex mathematical model of Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity.”

While in Europe, Tom’s scientific career shifted again. He became a business entrepreneur, specializing in systems software and computer hardware design and development. He founded a computer engineering company based in Denmark and worked with numerous European firms. Tom later moved back to the U.S. in 1981 to form a company that provided much of the computer industry with underlying compiler technology. He continued the licensing of compiler software to customers of the Digital Equipment Corporation until his retirement in 2015. He currently serves on the boards of an east coast software company and a semiconductor hardware company.

Tom’s scientific mind was not only geared toward business and technology solutions. Much of his everyday life included the application of principles of mathematics and physics.

• Tom taught himself to play golf in his fifties through researching the physics of the golf swing. Tom with no lessons achieved an 11 index within a couple of years—before Bryson DeChambeau, today’s golf scientific mind, was even born!

• Soon after purchasing a house in Pebble Beach, Tom razed it to rebuild his dream home. Upon learning AutoCAD design software Tom took on the roles of architect and contractor. The internet was explored, and many custom building and accessory features sourced from numerous global suppliers were discovered. After thirty-nine months of planning, staging and construction, Tom moved in.

• In 2015, while spending time in Switzerland, Tom was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. He was told his therapy would be palliative and he received a first dose of radiation. Tom immediately began studying the medical science of his condition. After coming back to Pebble Beach, he started chemotherapy. On three different occasions, he interrupted his chemo treatments to try immunotherapy suggested by DNA testing without success. Tom continues to investigate options and is now in a Stanford trial using the body’s own immune system by modifying extracted Tcells to recognize cancer cells.

Those of us during the SIR (pre-SWC) days will remember Tom as our club’s president or Big SIR in 2005. He, along with his Big SIR predecessors, moved forward to sever SIR authority to form today’s independent club. Interestingly, Tom initially proposed the name Stillwater Men’s Club, but the Board decided to not include Men’s. And, in 2011 the Stillwater Club name was born.

For Tom, and many SWC members, Still Water runs deep.