Nearly fire years to the day of his Elgin Police Department retirement ceremony, retired Sergeant Tom Linder died. He was 61.
The long-time Elgin officer was remembered by his former co-workers and other city officials as a caring officer dedicated to his family, church and the Elgin community.
As a retired officer, Linder will have a full police funeral and burial, said Elgin Police Cmdr. Colin Fleury. Details for those services are still pending.
Linder died Wednesday morning. His retirement ceremony was held Feb. 7, 2012, at the Centre of Elgin. Just three months later, Linder suffered a debilitating stroke at age 56.
A fundraiser for the family held in August 2014 filled Danny’s Pizza with retired and active police, fire and other area officials.
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"It was elbow to elbow, with people rolling out of Danny’s" said Elgin City Council Member Rich Dunne. Dunne, a former Elgin firefighter, worked with Linder across the two departments.
"My memory was that he was a constant professional as a police officer," Dunne said, but that wasn’t what he remembered Linder for.
"He was nice to everyone. you can’t find anyone as nice as Tom Linder," Dunne said.
Linder was known not just as a police officer, but for many area children he was Santa Claus.
For more than a decade, Linder dressed as St. Nick for the annual Caroling and Caring event at Presence Saint Joseph Hospital.
Retired Sgt. Tom Olson would often read "The Polar Express" during those events.
Olson was with Linder’s wife, Dawn, as funeral preparations were underway.
"He would help with anything," and volunteer his time, Olson said.
During his retirement ceremony, Linder said his plans were to serve with a missions trip to Africa. He and a dentist planned to teach villagers how to prescribe eyeglasses and do basic dental work.
Linder often used his vacation time on similar mission trips, having gone to Sierra Leone, Brazil and the Czech Republic, Olson said.
"He was Mr. Volunteer," Olson said.
Linder was technically savvy, Olson added. When he couldn’t find a report lost somewhere on his computer, Olson said he’d call Linder to come fish it out of the computer.
"He would come over and save me," Olson said.
Jack Darr, also a retired Elgin officer, said Linder always found a way to solve problems for people. "If he couldn’t solve it, he would find someone who could," Darr said.
"He cared for his family and his community," Darr added.
"He had a rapport with people — he could just sit down and talk to people," Olson added. "He was EPD through and through."
Linder started as a Elgin community service officer and as a patrolman in Carpentersville before coming to the Elgin Police Department in 1985. He was a patrol officer and on the major investigations squad before he was promoted to sergeant in 1993. As a sergeant, Linder served in special investigations and internal affairs. Just before retirement, Linder was the director of communications and emergency management and day shift patrol sergeant.
Janelle Walker is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
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