Birth date: Dec 6, 1953 Death date: Aug 18, 2014
Dr. André M. van Tilborg, 60, of Oak Hill, Virginia passed away on Monday, August 18th, 2014. André was born on Sunday, December 6th, 1953 in Delft, Holland. He was the son of Adriaan van Tilborg and Vera (Berg) van Tilborg of Bu Read Obituary
On behalf of A Forever Home Rescue Foundation, please accept our condolences on your loss.
We are honored to be the recipient of a donation from Ralph Wachter in Dr. van Tilborg's memory. This donation will help us in our mission to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome abused, neglected, and abandoned puppies and dogs who would not have a chance at a loving home without our help.
Patti Stinson
www.aforeverhome.org
I had the privilege of crossing paths with Andre several times during my years in the Navy. I got to see him on a regular basis when I working for Dr. Holland at Andre’s Rosslyn office and then again when I was Dr. Holland’s military assistant. Andre always had a smile to greet me and knew I was always up to mischief and fun. He had as good a dry sense of humor as I and always won the battle of playful wits. He always made me feel welcome and I never heard him say an unkind word about anyone, even during difficult times at the Pentagon. He had the respect of his bosses, his peers, and his subordinates. He served his country by just trying to do the right thing and take care of the troops in harms way. I will miss him but I feel fortunate to have known him. I think he would want all to rejoice in his life. I imagine him quoting from this blessing I learned at the small Irish college I attended:
My life's been full, I've savoured much:
Good times, good friends, a loved-one's touch.
Perhaps my time seemed all too brief—
Don't shorten yours with undue grief.
Be not burdened with tears of sorrow,
Enjoy the sunshine of the morrow
Mike Lilienthal (CAPT USN Retired)
When I was a PhD student at CMU around 1983, I was lucky to join a real time computing project led by Andre. His idea of developing theoretical understandings for high impact recurring technological problems encountered by industry has had a deep influence on me.
Indeed, DoD systems often push the envelope of existing technologies. Some serious development problems are not caused by the lack of exercising best practices. Rather, they are caused by the lack of adequate scientific and technological foundation. At that time, the practice of real time system engineering was rather ad hoc. Andre had the vision of creating a comprehensive real time computing theory and supporting infrastructure.
Andre went to ONR and created the ONR Real Time Computing Initiative which fostered the formation of the real time computing community. To help ensure the impact of ONR 6.1 research on DoD systems, he also funded IBM FSD to create a generic avionics model problem and a generic submarine model problem published in RTSS. His leadership to form academic and industry partnership in the Initiative not only created a real time computing theory widely used in practice but also transformed the real time computing infrastructure - IEEE standards on real time computing.
Andre also played a key role in the success of model checking. He recognized the importance of this then new research and wanted to ensure its impact on industry. He asked me to introduce IEEE Futurebbus+ cache coherent protocol to model checkering researchers in an ONR workshop. At the end, Andre asked, “Who is interested to verify this protocol?” Ed Clarke raised his hand. His tool did find bugs in the early design. Ed later became a Turing Award winner. I would say that Andre also helped shape the culture of model checking community.
When F22 was threatened to be canceled by Congress due to persistent avionics instability, Andre created an industry - academic team, OSD Avionics Advisory Team, who helped raise F22 lead jet's avionics stability by an order of magnitude in 9 months, and the lessons learned were passed to F35 design team.
I was in Italy when he got sick. I planned to visit him when I came back in late August. But it was too late. I regret that I could not visit him when he was hospitalized.
Andre was a visionary, a leader and a friend since I was a PhD student. We all miss him deeply.
Lui Sha
My first met Andre when I was in 7th grade and he was in 9th. His sister, Benny, has been my friend ever since. I remember being at their family home and Andre always had a quick smile. Being 2 years younger at that age was huge, yet Andre always took the time to say, "hi." So, I am not surprised a bit, with the life that he lived!
My sincerest condolences on the loss of Andre. Even in death he is providing all of us once more a moment of teaching - to live every day to its fullest and to the best of our abilities. Andre was a man of many talents but it will be his warmth, compassion, sense of humor, and friendship that will be remembered longest.
I am very saddened by the unexpected news of his passing. He has been a great supporter and friend of mine for a long time. My first meeting with him was early 1983 when I was interviewing for a job in Buffalo. I got to know him much better after I got interested in real-time computing. His visionary initiation of the real-time computing program at ONR has been instrumental in starting the new era for research in real-time computing. I fondly remember his persistent encouragement with smile in early days in my career. It is very likely for me to be in a different research area if it wasn’t for his vision and encouragement.
Andre, you have done a lot here with great impact.
May your soul rest in peace in heaven!
Best wishes,
Insup
The world was a better place with André van Tilborg in it – and bleaker without him. Andre was one of the kindest persons I’ve ever known, and deeply respectful of all human beings. If you watched him carefully, you could learn from his example, for he was one of those rarest of individuals: a genuine mensch urging us to our better natures through his example. André had a quiet and unexpected good humor at the absurdities of life, and his always-there dependability was a steady comfort to me throughout the years.
I am so sorry for your loss.
Cindy Dion-Schwarz
Employee, Colleague, and Friend
I remember that when I met André at my new job in Rosslyn, we both said "I know you from somewhere"... and neither of us could remember where! By that afternoon we realized I had worked for one of his people when he had worked at the Office of Naval Research.
Dr van Tilborg was a true statesman, a visionary, and a leader whose deep integrity and decades of selfless work directly contributed to young soldiers getting home safely to their families. His remarkable skills at guiding and selecting research paths have helped our country maintain and expand its global position as a powerhouse of technical innovation and of opportunities for small companies.
André could have done amazing things for himself had he chosen to work in the private sector. Instead, he dedicated his skills and intellect to helping to make sure that amazing things could happen for others. His skillful guidance of research programs both strengthened our country and enabled researchers to explore new ideas and build new businesses.
André also skillfully and subtly guided the pattern and tone of this emerging fabric of innovation. His leadership ensured that instead of producing a few small groups squabbling for funds, research efforts under his watch grew into a living foundation of innovation that will continue to strengthen and empower our country for decades to come.
In my many years of working a few yards away from his office, I never once heard André boast about or even mention the service he was doing every day for his country. Yet in a world where it is too easy for people to use empty words to paint themselves as patriots, Dr André van Tilborg exemplified the true meaning of this word though his decades of dedicated, utterly selfless service to our country and its people.
André, you were one of the greatest and truest patriots I have ever met, and it was my honor and privilege to have worked under you. I am comforted that after a long and difficult journey you have can finally hear the words you have so earned: "Well done, good and faithful servant. Welcome, welcome home!"
Dre was the sweetest friend with the ability to be there for you at any time you needed help. He was kind, caring, and had a heart of gold! He will be missed and not forgotten. Roger and I thought the world of him. I'll never forget Dre's compassion when my Mom and Dad died. He went way out of his way to get to the Arlington cemetery both times, to be with my family and honor my parents. God bless you dear brother in Christ. Rest in peace dear Dre.
