Dr. Harold Jacob Linnerud

Dr. Harold Jacob Linnerud, age 85, a resident of Naples, FL and Yardley, PA, and a longtime resident of Chelmsford, MA, passed away on Saturday, July 20th, 2024. He was the beloved husband of Barbara A. (Salo) Linnerud with whom he enjoyed 60 years of marriage.
He was born in Chicago, IL on May 19, 1939, to the late Aslaug and Reidar Linnerud. He spent most of his formative high school years in Crystal Lake, Illinois. He went on to receive a BS in Engineering Science (with high honors) and an MS in Nuclear Engineering, both from Purdue University. After that he secured a PhD in Nuclear Engineering from Stanford University where he met his loving wife, Barbara.
Along with his wife, he is survived by his daughters Karen Schmid and her husband Walt of Warrington, PA, and Krista Triarsi and her husband Joe of Westfield, NJ; his four special grandchildren, Erik and Ryan Schmid and Jake and Lauren Triarsi; his two nieces, Lisa Ebersole and Cheryl Robinson and his special brother-in-law and his wife, Kenny and Anna Salo and their two children, Andrew and Paul Salo.
Harold is predeceased by his sister, Arline Clark and her husband Bob of Sarasota, Florida.
Working for companies such as EG&G, SAIC, JAYCOR, GTE Government Systems, and VERIZON, Dr. Linnerud became a national expert in the area of nuclear weapons effects. Much of his early work is still classified. His most memorable work was directing a team to design, develop, and test a new Launch Control System Computer (LCSC) for the US Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) fleet. He also helped assure that VERIZON successfully went through Y2K.
Dr. Linnerud was an avid fisherman and enjoyed reading in his spare time. He also contributed socially by being the Chair of the Chelmsford Historical Commission (where Barbara and Hal lived for almost 40 years) and a member of the Board at the Vanderbilt III Condominium Association where they owned in Naples, FL. Both Barbara and Hal enjoyed traveling, having visited most countries in Europe and the Mediterranean, China, Australia, New Zealand, Egypt, and South America. Although both he and Barbara enjoyed traveling, they most enjoyed spending time at their family retreat in Rutland, MA.
His funeral service will be held on Saturday, July 27, 2024 at 10AM at Trinity Lutheran Church, 170 Old Westford Road, Chelmsford. KINDLY GATHER AT THE CHURCH. Interment will follow in Pine Ridge Cemetery, Chelmsford. In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made in his name to the American Red Cross Blood Center at American Red Cross Harold Linnerud Memorial or please consider being a blood donor as Harold was both a lifelong blood donor and a lifesaving recipient last year.