Beloved professor dies at age 63

Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2005

A Montgomery College professor who went public with his fight against a progressive disease that robbed the use of his body in span of a year succumbed to the incurable affliction on Sept. 15.

James Theodore Lindberg, 63, of Montgomery Village died as a result of aggressive amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Diagnosed last September, he continued to teach and serve as chairman of the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice despite increasingly severe physical limitations.

Essentially, Lindberg’s nerve endings steadily lost their connection to his muscle tissue.

By May, when he was interviewed by The Gazette, the resulting loss of muscle control and atrophy hit his body hard, depleting muscle mass in the former outdoorsman’s chest, completely immobilizing his right hand and affecting his breathing and voice.

Known for his humor and classroom stunts designed to capture student attention, Lindberg used his affliction to teach the community about the disease and endurance.

‘‘I think I can either be part of the problem or work with the problem,” Lindberg said in May. ‘‘I can easily feel sorry for myself, but what does it get me?”

College officials expressed their condolences.

‘‘We will miss his insights and marvelous sense of humor,” said Dr. Charlotte Twombly, a colleague who replaced him as the Rockville Campus department chair.

‘‘His dignity regarding his illness and his continued devotion to the department has been a model for all of us,” she added.

Born Oct. 15, 1941, in Boston, he was the son of the late Theodore and Margaret Lindberg.

Lindberg earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Syracuse University in 1963. Four years later, he earned a graduate degree in sociology from the University of Maryland, College Park. He was state certified as a drug and alcohol abuse counselor in 2000.

Lindberg began at Montgomery College, Rockville Campus, in 1967.

In May he was honored with the college’s Faculty Outstanding Service Award and this fall will be awarded emeritus status from the college, as well as the Silver Medallion, the highest award the college confers upon professors.

In addition to teaching at Montgomery College, he worked as a drug abuse counselor at Guide, Suburban Hospital and for Montgomery County’s Abused Person Program.

Survivors include four children, Jennifer Robinson of Stafford, Va., Scott Lindberg of Frederick, Margaret Lindberg of Montgomery Village and Elizabeth Lindberg of Gaithersburg; two brothers, Edward Lindberg of Springfield, Mass. and Glenn Lindberg of Pennsylvania; and two granddaughters.

Funeral services will be private.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Washington ALS Association, 615 S. Frederick Ave., Suite 308, Gaithersburg, MD 20877 or to Casey House Hospice, 6001 Muncaster Mill Road, Rockville, MD 20855

Rapp Funeral Home and Cremation Services handled arrangements.