David Joseph Tomlinson

David Joseph Tomlinson, aged 78, peacefully passed away after a short illness in Monterey, CA on May 9, 2025. He was born in San Francisco on November 8, 1946, the second child of Ruben Leon, a notable west coast Latin Jazz musician and composer and Mary Margaret (Von Slomski) Leon, a lifelong professional dancer and member of Hollywood's Screen Actors Guild. David was preceded in death by his only daughter Mary Elizabeth (Tomlinson) Larsen.

David is survived by his sister Irene Masteller and step brothers Robert Tomlinson, Ruben Leon Jr., Noel Leon and Luis Leon, a granddaughter and many nieces and nephews from coast to coast. At his side, upon death at the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, was his companion Tina Martinez and his niece Christina Miguel.

An Air Force Veteran who served in Germany, David will be honored with military internment at the Central Coast Veterans Cemetery, 2900 Parker Flats Road in Seaside, California on Friday November 7, 2025 at 2 P.M.

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David and his sister Irene were legally adopted by Robert Tomlinson when they grew up in Burbank. Their stepfather owned automobile dealerships which began David's career interest in all things cars. When he was honorably discharged as an Air Force Sergeant his passionate pursuit was fulfilled. He built a garage in Los Angeles which was featured many times in newspapers and broadcasts worldwide. He was fully involved in the car culture that mysteriously dissolves differences in the variables of life; social, economic, racial, political and spiritual backgrounds faded.

Never was David Tomlinson, a self described Old Car Nut, happier than when one of his long drives through the backroads yielded a rusted out old vehicle stored away in an old barn for him to tow back to his garage. Restoring, rebuilding, brokering, and consulting created a cross pollination of celebrity collections in the U.S. and abroad. The only thing dearer to his heart was his daughter Mary Elizabeth, also an actress and leading holistic practitioner.

When he reluctantly retires his East L. A. auto shop he moved north to join family in the Carmel area where he quickly became a regular volunteer at the concours d'elegance Pebble Beach Event. He was in heaven and many associations grew from his years in Carmel where he was an active member in the Carmel Foundation.

David was a giver and a lover of life. He enjoyed singing in classical choirs, serving at his church in Pasadena and staying in touch with friends all over the world. As he slowed down, he still helped those in need and turned his passion for collectibles, literature and restoration to being a formidable scrabble opponent and solver of intricate puzzles. He completed the last one just a few days before he left his little downtown apartment complex in Carmel for the last time. The other tenants of Carmel Foundation housing left the puzzle intact for weeks. The image expressed the hopes and joys of his heart: a big Victorian house filled with intergenerational activities. There was a feast ready for a party, complete with balloons, and friends and children playing. The sky was blue, trees reached up and flowers were blooming. All who knew and loved David are blessed to have heard his fabulous stories of adventures near and far, to have broken bread together, to have had deep discussions in the wee hours and to be wrapped up in one of his bear hugs.