John D. Tomlinson

John D. Tomlinson, Age 63, of Troy, passed away at his residence. He was born May 18, 1954 to George & Sue (McGann) Tomlinson in Lansing, Michigan. He is preceded in death by his mother Sue Tomlinson and sister Jeanne Skewes. He will be missed and remembered by his father George (Linda Johnson) Tomlinson; sister Julie (Jeff) Jones; brother Steve (Ellen) Tomlinson; niece Rachel Skewes; nephews Eric and Evan Jones; aunts Laura (David) Elkins, Nancy McGann, and Joyce Boyd and numerous cousins. John was a 1972 Milton-Union High School graduate and attended Miami University of Ohio from 1972-1974. John was extremely intelligent, and was once ranked in the top 5% nationwide in physics among high school students.  He was a Boy Scout and he attained the rank of Eagle at the age of 16.  He worked as a security guard for several years.  He also wrote articles for a local paper and served as the newsletter editor for a mental health organization. John was a talented musician and singer who quickly mastered new instruments.  He played trumpet, French horn, guitar, and piano and was able to play all of these with music or by ear.  He had perfect pitch and a lovely singing voice. He played in several rock bands in his teens and twenties. He had an eidetic memory and could recite an amazing array of facts on many topics, with his favorite being classic rock music.  When he heard any song, he would talk about when it was released, where it was on the billboard charts on various dates, what the band members contributed to the song, who wrote it, what the ‘flip side’ was, and other facts. John struggled with mental illness for most of his life.  In spite of the pain of being judged and shunned at times, in spite of the struggles of finding housing and jobs, John did not complain.  He never said a negative word about another person, and he forgave those who struggled to understand his condition. His empathy for other people was extraordinary.  He was gracious and appreciative for every gift or kindness given to him.  He was smart and wickedly funny, and enjoyed puns and wordplay.  He will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved him. A Memorial Service will be held at a later date. Arrangements are in care of Hale-Sarver Family Funeral Home, West Milton. Online memories of John may be left for the family at www.hale-sarver.com.

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