David Tomlin

David Tomlin passed away on October 21, 2026, in Newport, NH, at the home he shared with his partner of 22 years, Heidi Chapman.

Born on May 19, 1942, in St. Louis, Missouri, Dave was the biological son of Forrest & Arline (Tibbets) Hodges. He was later adopted by his aunt Marie (Hodges) Tomlin and her husband Edwin.

Dave graduated from Kirkwood High School, Class of 1960, where he earned The Bausch & Lomb Honorary Science Award for “outstanding academic achievement, good character, and superior intellectual promise in the field of science”. His parents were a positive influence on his studies, and his father’s career as a high school science teacher helped foster his interest in the subject.

He went on to get a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Physics and Math from the University of Missouri before serving in the U.S. Army from 1966-1969 in Europe as 1st Lieutenant. He later attended the Executive MBA Program at the University of Nebraska.

Dave spent 40+ years as a software engineer, doing software development and management of development teams, primarily in the financial industry. He began working for Jack Henry & Associates in the early 1980s, leaving in 1990 to pursue a business venture with fellow programmers. DataTrade specialized in digital report storage and management systems. Dave went back to Jack Henry & Associates in the late 1990s where one of his most significant accomplishments was developing report creation, distribution, and storage programs, as well as document imaging systems.

Part of the job was traveling to banks to install the software that he helped create. Many funny stories have been told over the years about these adventures. One very memorable one (that may only resonate with those who worked around computer rooms, as they were referred to “back in the day”) was the time he had just changed banks and was in Boston. At the previous bank, to exit the room hitting a button on the wall was required. He had been traveling that day, was tired, and had not yet acclimated to the new building. He slammed the button on the wall and the building was instantly very quiet and dark. He had hit the “oh shit” button which powers down the entire building in the event of an emergency.

Dave was a very detailed, intelligent person and while he was very competitive, he didn’t believe in overengineering software. He viewed that as an ego trip. He was set apart from many in the industry because his earlier years in banking made him sensitive to the urgency required for customer service. He was highly regarded in the industry.

His competitive side made him fierce when playing cards… or anything where a “winner” was named! But he used this competitiveness toward himself; he had a strong belief in “mind over matter”. This was evident when he began running. He started by pushing himself to walk farther, then to run farther, adding weight to a backpack, and finally beating his own time. (All of this was tracked in Excel because data is everything!) He enjoyed running and did several 5K fundraisers, participating in his last one at the age of 75.

Dave is survived by his partner, Heidi Chapman; his son, Christopher Tomlin; his biological children from his first marriage, Elizabeth & William; his bonus daughter Jackie Chapman-Brunt, her partner Seth Nason, and his beloved granddaughter Quinn Nason, who he frequently described as “something else!”.

He was preceded in death by his adoptive parents, biological parents and siblings.

In honoring David’s wishes, a private graveside service will be held at Hope Hill Cemetery in North Charlestown, NH

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations in Dave’s memory be made to the Lake Sunapee Region VNA & Hospice, whose team helped make it possible for him to remain home during his final weeks.