Harold Richard Linstrom ("Hal" or "Pops" to his family) was born an only child in Omaha, NE on May 23,1933 to Edward and Bridget (Alfano) Linstrom.

Hal grew up around and loved the trains that built America. His father, along with several of his uncles in the Linstrom family worked for Union Pacific Railroad. Harold attended public elementary school in Omaha and completed high school at Creighton Prep where he lettered in football, track, and served as a co-opt agent with the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture. He attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (GO HUSKERS!) and graduated in 1955 with a Bachelor of Science. After graduating from the University of Nebraska, Hal served our great country in the US Army from 1955 to 1957.

Hal married the love of his life, Donna Joseph in 1962, and began his lifelong career with the USDA while living in Northern Virginia. In 1963, the USDA transferred Hal to Honolulu, Hawaii to work on projects with coffee farms. While working in Hawaii, Hal earned a masters degree in Agricultural Economics and Marketing from the University of Hawaii (1967). During their years living in Honolulu, Hal and Donna adopted two of their three children - Erik John Linstrom Kawananakoa 66, and Alissa "Malia" Linstrom Barrington 67. Subsequently, they were transferred to New Orleans, where their third child, Stephan Gregory Linstrom 69, was conceived and born. Hals work with the USDA meant taking positions and moving his family to work on projects in New Orleans as well as Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. He also worked on several temporary projects in Vietnam, Columbia, South America, and Europe. Ultimately, Hal was transferred to the USDA office in Washington, D.C. where he and his family settled in Springfield, VA. He always looked forward to annual vacations with his family in South Bristol, Maine as he loved fishing, as well as bird watching, even as a young boy. After nearly 40 years of federal service, Hal and Donna retired in 1996 to Jupiter, FL and, in 2015, they moved to McKinney, TX. Hal and Donna were both generous, sacrificial, and gentle in character and they deeply loved their family and God. They are greatly loved and will be hugely missed. Hal will be laid to rest with Donna, his loving wife of 57 years, in a double inurnment at the Dallas Fort Worth National Cemetery on January 13, 2023. Those left to cherish their memory include their children, Erik (56) of Dallas, TX, and his 3 children, Nicholas, Alexandra, and Lucas; Stephan (53) and his daughter, Katie of Herndon, VA; and Malia (55) of Ashburn, VA.