Dr. Tung Dju Lin, known as T.D., a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and follower of Christ, died June 1, one day before his wife, Su Yu Lin, of complications from coronavirus at their home in Wilmette. He was 87.
T.D. surrendered his life to Jesus in the early 1970’s, a result of Su’s fervent prayers for him. From this point on he viewed life through a more spiritual lens. Through his shared faith with Su, they found a focus in life that opened his awareness of blessings beyond what he imagined. He enjoyed serving, witnessing, and living according to his faith.
T.D. was born May 10, 1933, and he was raised in Luodong, a city in Yilan County in Taiwan. He was the youngest of twelve siblings. His parents died when he was about twelve, and an older brother became a father figure to him. His older brother pushed him to work hard, emphasized education, and was instrumental in getting him to travel abroad to study. T.D. would later use that story to illustrate to his four children why they should adopt the same approach and excel academically.
T.D. was an intellect at heart who came from humble beginnings, immigrated alone from Taiwan to the United States, and worked his way from busboy to world-renowned civil engineer. He received his BS in civil engineering from Chung Yuan Christian University in Taiwan. When he first arrived in Chicago in 1960 to pursue his graduate education, he worked as a porter at the Palmer House hotel. His graduate studies began at Illinois Institute of Technology and continued at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he received his master’s degree in structural engineering in 1962. While in Tennessee he took a job as an engineer for the Tennessee Highway Department in Newport, Tennessee. He later acquired his Ph.D. in engineering mechanics from Oklahoma State University in 1968.
Prior to his immigration to the United States, T.D. met Su and maintained a long-distance courtship. During his post-graduate years in Tennessee, he arranged for her to join him in Tennessee, and they were married on February 12, 1964. The couple moved to Stillwater, Oklahoma, where Tim and Christina were born. After a short stint in Corpus Christi, Texas, the growing family moved to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, so T.D. could work for PressCon Steel. A year or so later, he found a position in the Chicago area, a more permanent job with stability. It was during this time that David and Michael were born. While at Portland Cement Association (PCA)/Construction Technology Laboratories he continued to advance in various positions until his retirement in 1991.
A theme in T.D.’s life was thinking outside the box and exploring ideas in unexpected ways. During his years at PCA, NASA awarded T.D. forty grams of lunar soil to test the feasibility of building a concrete lunar base using materials from the moon. This was one of his most notable achievements because he was the first civilian to be granted permission to use this sample brought back from the Apollo 16 mission.
T.D. became a well-published research scientist writing hundreds of papers providing significant contributions to the field of civil engineering His research paved the way for a full professorship for him at National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan from 1991 to 1995 and a research professor position at National Cheng Kung University from 2001 to 2009. Under his own consulting company, Lintek International Inc., he expanded his global influence of innovative technology related to civil engineering.
Through his challenges and experiences, he developed a desire to help inspire and pave the way for others to come to the U.S. Always generous with his time and knowledge, T.D. was a lifelong mentor to many.
T.D. and Su lived in the same house in Wilmette for close to fifty years. He single-handedly designed and built a large three-season room where many fond memories were created.
He would often encourage his children to rise early and make the most of the day. Time was valuable to him. He believed hard work brought more opportunities. He always wanted his children to be self-sufficient and he taught them many important life skills.
He enjoyed traveling with Su and some of their favorite trips were to Vienna, Ottawa, Hokkaido, Geneva, Paris, and Madrid. They often visited their son David in San Francisco for months at time.
In his retirement, T.D. found joy in gardening and working outdoors. He loved walking and driving around to different places, always looking for new routes to keep the journey fresh. He found value in the journey and not just the destination. His favorite song was “Whatever Will Be, Will Be” by Doris Day. It mirrored his outlook on life: “Whatever will be, will be … according to God’s plan.” He served at Evangelical Trinity Church (ETC) and Winnetka Japanese Church, gladly offering help in any way possible as a servant leader.
He loved vanilla and butter pecan ice cream, pecan pie, peanut brittle, and wasabi. His favorite restaurant was Ginza, the place he enjoyed taking all the grandchildren.
T.D. and Su’s partnership in life weathered many ups and downs, and they tirelessly and lovingly advocated for one another, taking turns carrying the other along life’s path. Their bond was a gift to witness and learn from.
Survivors include four children: Timothy (May) Lin, Christina (Mark) Giacomin, David (Mimi) Lin, and Michael (Grace) Lin; and ten grandchildren: Jefferson Lin, Julia, Jessica, A.J., and Jake Giacomin, Phoebe, Allison, and Joseph Lin, and Matthew and Oliver Lin. T.D. was preceded in death by his parents, Huoo Lin and A Taur Yang, and all of his brothers and sisters.
Due to the coronavirus, T.D. will be remembered with a memorial service at a later date. Interment will be private at Memorial Park Cemetery in Skokie, IL.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Winnetka Japanese Church 305 Ridge Rd., Wilmette, IL 60091 or Evangelical Trinity Church, 9800 Crawford Ave., Skokie, IL 60076. Please indicate “T.D. Lin” in the memo of your donation.
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