Linda Elisabeth Tomitsch-Meadows

Linda Elisabeth Tomitsch-Meadows (née Proeschell), affectionately known by many as “Oma,” passed away peacefully on August 3, 2025, at her home in Palmer Lake, Colo. She was 84.

Born on November 30, 1940, in Brooklyn, N.Y., Linda carried the strength, fun wit, and straightforward charm of her hometown throughout her life. In 1959, she married Herbert Tomitsch, and together they raised three sons. The family moved in 1973 to Golden, Colo., where Linda worked as an assistant to the department manager in the economics department at the Colorado School of Mines. After Herbert’s passing in 1987, Linda emerged as a resilient and devoted matriarch – so formidable that a police officer joked that her teenage sons had more to fear from their mother than from the law. 

In the 1990s, Linda met Roland Meadows, her beloved travel companion and second husband. The two spent nearly a decade exploring their country in their fifth wheel, making memories and spending summers on her cherished property near Fairplay, Colo., until Roland’s death in 2008. Wherever someone was from, Linda would recount how “beautiful” (one of her most-used words) that particular area was. 

A no-nonsense but doting oma, Linda was a fixture in her grandchildren’s lives. She hosted them at campsites, shuttled them to soccer practices and school events, and formed bonds marked by playful teasing and warm affection. Her signature Brooklyn accent made phrases like “bumper to bumper” legendary among her family, and her efficiency at cleaning up after gatherings often  left people wondering where their water glasses had disappeared to – usually already washed and put away.

Linda loved people, always asked about others’ family and friends, and enjoyed her coffee group in the Tri-Lakes area the last 11 years of her life. She remained active into her 80s, walking two laps around Palmer Lake most days. After receiving a cancer diagnosis in July 2025, Linda faced her final days with the same grace, humor, and gratitude that marked her life. Her loving courage, vibrant energy, and strong-willed spirit continue to inspire others.  

Linda is preceded in death by her parents, Fritz and Betty Proeschell; her husbands, Herbert Tomitsch and Roland Meadows; and her brother, Freddie Proeschell. She is survived by her sisters, Betty Quinn, of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and Margie Freitag, of Hopewell Junction, N.Y.; her three sons, Erich, of Arvada, Colo.; Herb (Paula), of Palmer Lake; and Pete (Kecia), of Palmer Lake; and her six beloved grandchildren, Alec, Kason, Samantha, Bryden, Annika, and Bastian Tomitsch.