Thomas B. Lindberg

Judge Thomas B. Lindberg, 58 years old was a fixture of the Yavapai County legal community for three decades, died from a brain tumor Saturday night at his home. Lindberg was born in Jackson, Mich., in 1952, and moved with his family to Tucson in 1958. He attended the University of Arizona, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree, with honors, in 1974 and his Juris Doctor from the UA College of Law in 1977.
He began to practice law later that same year, working in a private practice firm until 1979, when he went to work for the Tucson City Attorney's Office.
Lindberg then moved to Prescott in 1981 to work for Charles Chick R. Hastings, Yavapai County Attorney. He became the chief of the Criminal Division of the County Attorney's Office in 1987.
Appointed to the bench by then-Gov. Jane Hull in 2000, he successfully ran for the seat in 2002.
In talking to his friends, a clear picture emerges: A man of deep faith, a solid work ethic, a sense of fairness, and a well-developed sense of humor. At times, it seems as if everyone working in the county legal community today worked for him at some point.
Tom Kelly, a local defense attorney, is one of those people. A quarter-century ago, Lindberg was his supervisor in the Yavapai County Attorney's Office. "He was a great lawyer and a great judge, but more importantly he was a great person," Kelly said. "He always put people first.
Presiding Judge David L. Mackey, who also joined the staff of the County Attorney's Office while Lindberg was there, said, "He worked extremely hard at being a judge." Mackey recalled that Lindberg read every case to come out of the Arizona Court of Appeals and Supreme Court. "We should all do that, but Tom actually did, he said.
Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk said Lindberg was at the County Attorney's Office when she arrived. She remembered most his sense of humor. "Tom's a very thoughtful individual, very bright, but what stands out for me the most is his sense of humor and his wit. He was just delightful." She said his attitude frequently lightened the mood in the office when situations were stressful.
As a judge, Polk said, "He was very thoughtful and careful, noting that every defendant could be sure they would receive fair treatment from him. Mike Murphy of Murphy, Schmitt, Hattaway & Wilson, a Prescott law firm, said, "He had no enemies, and in this business, thats hard to do.
Lindberg was active in the community; he was a board member of Yavapai Big Brothers/Big Sisters (and took on a Big Brother commitment himself), a member of the Sacred Heart School Board, and president of his church council.
Lindberg was presiding over the Steven DeMocker murder trial in June 2010 when he collapsed. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor. A week after he was stricken, he spoke with The Daily Courier, saying he felt "no pain, no dizziness, no loss of consciousness."
Mackey attributes Lindberg's upbeat attitude to his faith and the courage that came with it. "It kept him going these last nine months or so, he said.
Lindberg had been in at-home hospice care for the last several weeks.
Polk said she last saw Lindberg the day of Judge Cel Hancock's investiture in January and had a chance to speak with him alone for a few minutes. She found his sense of humor to be as strong as ever.
"He never gave up hope that he was going to be back here," said Mackey, choking back tears. "And we never gave up hope for him to be back.
Tom is survived by his wife of 23 years, Donna Lessard Lindberg, son Daniel Lindberg, 20, father Judge John Lindberg of Tucson, he is preceded by his mother Jean Bryant Lindberg, brothers; John (Helen) Lindberg of North Carolina & their 6 children, Robert (Jill) Lindberg of Pennsylvania & 1 child, David (Tammy) Lindberg of Texas & their 2 children, sisters; Mary (John) Penrod of Tucson & their 4 children and 1 grandson, Ann (Duncan) Carrick of Glasgow, Scotland & their 5 children, Jean (Dave) Ovellette of Tucson & their 5 children, Joan (Dick) Gladson of Tucson, Laura Lindberg of Tucson, Patty Lindberg of Tucson, and Julie Lindberg of Tucson.

Memorials:
In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made in Tom\'s name to St. Vincent de Paul or Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 150 Fleury, Prescott, AZ 86301, or Hospice Family Care, 100 E. Sheldon, Suite 100, Prescott, AZ 86301.

Visitation:
On Friday there will be a viewing from 3 to 6 p.m. at Arizona Ruffner Wakelin Funeral Home, at the corner of Cortez and Carleton streets. A rosary will be at 8:15 p.m. at Sacred Heart Church, 150 Fleury, with visitation 30 minutes before that.

Service:
A rosary will be at 8:15 p.m. Friday, April 8, 2011 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 150 Fleury in Prescott with a visitation 30 minutes prior.
A funeral mass to celebration Judge Lindberg's life will take place at 8 a.m. Saturday, April 9, 2011, at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Prescott.