Herbert George Thylin

(Herb) passed away on Sunday, May 11, 2008 in Poulsbo after a two year battle with cancer. He was born in San Francisco on July 6, 1932 to Gustav George Thylin and his wife Theresa Ann Ahlberg. He graduated from Polytechnic High School in San Francisco in 1950 at the age of 17. At "Poly High" he lettered in basketball and won a championship medal, jacket and letter playing Center on the 130 pound basketball team which won the City Championship in 1949. Herb attended San Francisco City College, majoring in Engineering and Math and joined the US Navy Reserve in January 1951. After completing two years at San Francisco City College, he was notified that he would be drafted into the US Army. However, he was allowed to volunteer for active duty into the US Navy to avoid being drafted into the US Army. He was selected as a candidate for Naval Officer's Flight Training school because of his high GCT scores. However, this meant serving eight years in the Navy. At the interview, the recruiting officer ask Herb if he was ready to spend the next eight years of his life in the Navy and he answered "No" and the interview was over.After boot camp in San Diego, his first assignment was to the US Naval Electronics "Class A" School at Treasure Island in San Francisco bay. He attended classes five days a week, eight hours a day, for thirty-six weeks from 10 June 1953 to 19 march 1954 and graduated with an 85 average and a rank of Electronics Technician, Seaman.On graduation day, he was assigned to the Navy Oil Tanker USS Mispillion (AO 105) and flew to Yokosuka, Japan, with enroute stops in Hawaii and Guam, to report onboard. He was told that his ship had left for Sasebo, in the southern tip of Japan, and he had to take the train from Yokohama and report aboard in Sasebo. The 48 hour train ride was an adventure in itself. He was in his Navy blue uniform and traveling with some Australian troops fresh from the Korean front who want to know if I had lost my ship. Many laughs and many sights, including seeing a rebuilt city of Nagasaki which was destroyed nine years earlier by the second atomic bomb dropped on Japan in 1945. The AO 105 left shortly after he reported onboard. The tanker was going to refuel the 7th fleet. Ports of call included Hong Kong, the Philippines and Formosa (now called Taiwan). Herb was responsible for ensuring that all the electronic equipment on board the tanker was working. Herb was separated from active duty in Long Beach on 17 May 1955, after serving on active duty for over two years and was qualified to wear the National Defense Service Medal and the Navy Occupation Service Medal with the Asia clasp. Herb returned to San Francisco City College and obtained an Arts and Science Degree in Electronic Engineering. After completing his 5 year Navy Reserve obligation, he was honorably discharged from the US Navy on 6 January 1956.While still in college, Herb met and married Biancia Restani on October 14, 1956, in San Francisco. They had two children together, James Norman, born 1959 and Anna Marie, born 1962. After getting his College degree, he was hired by Sperry Gyroscope Company, and, as a Field Engineer, he was assigned to various shipyards to ensure that the Polaris/Poseidon submarine's navigational computer (NAVDAC) and the ships inertial navigational system (SINS) were working within specifications. These assignments took him to Long Island, New York and the shipyards at Groton, Connecticut and Mare Island, California and the test firings at Cape Canaveral, Florida. During one of the many Submarine sea trials in the Atlantic ocean, he had an encounter with the very unassuming Admiral Hymie Rickover, often called the father of the Nuclear Submarine. They exchanged nods. He was told that this was a good thing because more often than not the Admiral would lash out if he thought you were not doing your job. In October 1963, Herb returned to California to accept a job offer from the Lockheed Corporation in Sunnyvale. He was assigned to a Facilities Organization which provided Polaris facility design criteria for the United Kingdom. Part of the job assignment included rotational assignments to existing Polaris facilities in Charleston, South Carolina (POMFLANT) and Silverdale, Washington (SWFPAC).In 1968, Herb and Blanche separated and were divorced a year later on June 24, 1969. Herb accepted a rotational job assignment at the Polaris facility POMFLANT and stayed for four months, renting a beach house on the Isle of Palms. He resolved a huge problem regarding testing the Polaris Flight Control Packages and received his first Commendation which in part stated " ... For outstanding technical support during the troubleshooting phase of special engineering tests which included providing design concepts and criteria for an expanded FCEP monitoring system..." ..."His excellent knowledge of both the test complex and flight hardware circuitry and his calm systematic approach to each problem are highly commendable. " After completing his job assignment, Herb returned to Sunnyvale.In 1972, Herb became involved in a union organizing drive for the salaried professionals at Lockheed. He was appointed to the union communications committee and wrote leaflets for distribution. The Lockheed engineers and scientists rejected the AFL-CIO union after a spirited campaign. Although the union organizing drive failed, most of the worker's grievances were subsequently resolved by the Lockheed management to the benefit of everyone.After assignments at Sunnyvale, California and Charleston, South Carolina, Herb was selected as the Lockheed electrical engineering representative for the United Kingdom Polaris program at the Royal Naval Armament Depot at Coulport, Scotland. Herb enjoyed Scotland very much. He was able to do quite a bit of traveling while assigned there. In 1975 he visited Sweden and got to know some of his Swedish relatives.While in Scotland, Herb met Elizabeth Alexander Buchanan, a lovely young Scottish lass who immediately caught his fancy. She was the only child of John Buchanan and his wife Beatrice Stewart. After Herb returned to the United States, he asked Elizabeth if she would like to join him and, to his surprise, she did. They were married in Carson City, Nevada on November 12, 1977.Herb's next assignment took him and his new wife to Florida. Here he worked at the Eastern Test Range at Cape Canaveral which included assignments during Trident missile launches. Their first daughter, Fiona Theresa Beatrice Thylin, was born in Rockledge, Florida, on August 26, 1978.In March of 1980, Herb was assigned to the Trident Program at Subase Bangor in Washington State. The family moved to Poulsbo, a small seaside village first settled by Norwegians. A second daughter, Sandra Sonja Elizabeth Thylin, was born there on October 17, 1980, in Bremerton. A third daughter, Heather Alexander Stewart Thylin, was born on March 6, 1982.In July 1982 Herb was reassigned to Coulport, Scotland and he and his young family set up residence in Helensburgh. It was here that their fourth daughter, Eilidh Victoria Beatson Buchanan Thylin, was born on May 14, 1984. They returned to their family home in Poulsbo, Washington, in the summer of 1984.In July 1988 the entire family returned once more to Scotland when Herb took another assignment at Coulport working with the British Ministry of Defense. The four year stay resulted in trips to France, Italy, Monaco, the Canary Islands and side trips to England, Wales and London. While in Scotland Herb took up the sport of clay pigeon shooting and managed to win a few trophiesThe family returned home in August of 1992 and Herb became active in local city affairs, serving on the Poulsbo Board of Adjustments and Appeals (1994-1998) and the Kitsap County Fire District Citizens Advisory Board (1995)Herb worked for the Lockheed Martin Corporation for 35 years, retiring on 31 August 1998. In his retirement, Herb became very active in family genealogy and writing political letters to local newspapers. Two letters were published in the national newspaper USA Today. He joined the local Evergreen Bonsai society learning to style small trees for exhibitionHe is survived by his wife Elizabeth Buchanan and their four daughters, Fiona Horn (Nick) of Royal City, Sandra of Poulsbo, Heather Thorene (Casey) of Bremerton and Eilidh Thylin of Poulsbo, and two children from his first marriage to Biancia Restani, their son James Thylin (Stephanie) and their daughter Anna Halverson (Sean), also his sister Sonja Shaffer (Woody) and seven grandchildren.The Funeral Service will be held on Tuesday, May 20, 2008 at 1:00 PM at the Poulsbo First Lutheran Church. A visitation will precede the service at the church from 11: 00 AM until service time. Interment will take place in the First Lutheran Church Cemetery.Arrangements entrusted to Cook Family Funeral Home.Arrangements by Cook Family Funeral Home.