We regret to advise of the death of Corporal Tommi Wiktor Lindberg (Ret’d) of Cobble Hill BC at age 76 when the “Arctic Fox II” tuna trawler capsized offshore of Cape Flattery, Washington on 11 August 2020.
Tom was born in Sweden and immigrated to Canada with his parents at age seven. He joined the Royal Canadian Air Cadets when he was 17 years old and enlisted in the Canadian Forces in 1962. He took his basic sapper training with 29 Section in Recruit Squadron at the Royal Canadian School of Military Engineering in Chilliwack BC. Tom served as a Combat Engineer with 3 Field Squadron in Chilliwack and 4 Field Squadron in Werl GE. After seven years, Tom took his release from the Canadian Forces.
Tom worked as a commercial deep sea diver off the coast of Louisiana before discovering his passion for fishing in the 1970s when he started a 50-year career as a commercial fisherman He moved from the BC lower mainland to Cobble Hill on Vancouver Island and started fishing out of Cowichan Bay. Tom captained The “Arctic Fox II” that was owned by the former Sapper Apprentice Larry Laatch (now know as Teague) who had known Tom for many years since the two served in the Royal Canadian Engineers together.
Tom Lindberg was previously the president of the B.C. Tuna Fishermen’s Association and a longtime board member with the Cowichan Bay Fishermen’s Wharf.
The funeral will be a small private family service at the funeral home followed by small reception for close friends on 3 September 2020 in Duncan. Online condolences can be sent to the funeral home.
