Man killed in Aliso Viejo hit-and-run remembered as doting father, talented engineer
Loved ones gathered in remembrance of a husband, father and engineer who was killed at the age of 51 in an Aliso Viejo hit-and-run crash on Jan. 30.
About 100 friends and relatives of Michael David Tomlinson came together Monday evening for a candlelight vigil at the intersection Wood Canyon and Westridge Drives. That’s where the systems engineer for Broadcom Inc. and 20-year resident of Aliso Viejo had been riding his bike when he was fatally struck by a vehicle days earlier.
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“It’s been a terrible shock to Mike’s friends and family,” said Warren Lew, a friend and former colleague of Tomlinson who helped organize the vigil. “It’s really made clear the lasting impact he had on everyone who knew him.”
Tomlinson was from England and graduated at the top of his class with a masters in electrical engineering from Loughborough University in the 1980’s. He spent time in Japan working for Mitsubishi Electric, where he met Lew in the early 90’s.
“He learned to become fluent in Japanese language and culture,” said Lew. “He was always open-minded and willing to study.”
Tomlinson later worked for Rockwell Semiconductor Systems and moved to Orange County, where he met Judy, a fellow engineer and his wife of the past 21 years. The couple settled in Aliso Viejo, where they lived for two decades and raised a daughter, Alex, 20, and a son, Ian, 18.
Lew called Michael a “hands-on dad.” He coached his children’s soccer teams, helped them with their homework, and used his technical know-how to build mobile apps used by his kids and their classmates at school.
“It’s something he did on the side, and a talent many of us didn’t even know he had,” said Lew. “Mike was ridiculously skilled as an engineer and as a person, but he never bragged about his accomplishments. The only time he ever seemed really proud was when he talked about his family.”
Tomlinson’s wife and children were joined by neighbors as well as past and present co-workers at his funeral on Tuesday. A Gofundme page has been set up to help the family cover the cost of funeral expenses.