Thomas David Tilden

Dr. Thomas David Tilden

Thomas was born on 10/08/1929 during the country's great depression in Hartford, Connecticut to parents Thomas David and Virginia Tilden. His father was a pharmacist and his mother a stenographer for an insurance company.

He grew up in West Hartford and Simsbury, Connecticut and attended Trinity College before the family moved to south Florida for work opportunities. Thomas followed and continued his education at the University of Miami where he studied pre-med.

A call to service during the Korean War placed his education on hold when Thomas was drafted by the Army. He joined the heavy field artillery battalion.

Following his Army commitment, Thomas returned to finish his educational pursuits, graduating from the University of Miami with a B.S. in Chemistry. From there he was accepted into medical school at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, graduating in 1960.

It was during his first year of medical school that Thomas met and married his first love, Margaret (Peggy) Ruth Gueringer. Peggy was a newly graduated registered nurse. Thomas always said that without her support, he would never have completed medical school.

After an internship in Mobile, Alabama and pediatric residency in New Orleans at Ochsner Foundation Hospital and Charity Hospital, Thomas entered private practice in southwest Louisiana. He also served for many years as a Tulane Medical School Pediatric Assistant Instructor.

In 1971, the family left Louisiana to move to Boise, Idaho, where Thomas joined with the B.I. Copple medical group and practiced at both St. Luke’s and St Alphonsus medical centers. He was very proud when, together with other pediatric physicians, he helped start the St Luke’s Neonatal Intensive Care Program.

Sadley, his beloved wife Peggy Ruth died unexpectedly in 1992, leaving a void in the family for many years. He was blessed to again find love, when in 1996 he married Leora Day. Thomas continued to practice as a pediatrician until his hearing loss made his life’s work too difficult to continue. Following his retirement he and Leora settled on their ranch in McCall. The “Double T Ranch” was a source of joy for Thomas and Leora. And while they eventually came to spend their winters in southern California, they loved every minute of being on the ranch. They busied themselves taking care of their property, including several ponds and extensive gardens, and enjoyed sharing their home with family and friends.

While mending fences, fixing roads, shoveling snow and gathering firewood was a great way to stay in shape, eventually the years forced them to leave the ranch and return to Boise where they continued to live independently until Thomas’s death.

Thomas is survived by his loving wife, Leora, his children: Judith (Mark)Anderson, Michael (Kara) Tilden and Patty (Derrick) O’Neill. Together he and Leora watched the incredible accomplishments of sixteen grandchildren and fourteen great grandchildren. He was predeceased by his parents, siblings, his first wife Peggy and his beloved son-in-law, Mark Anderson. He leaves behind an amazing legacy of a very close-knit family and dear friends like Al and Pat Henderson and Marilyn Buxton, who have been a great support to Thomas and Leora. He will be remembered by the many families he lovingly cared for as a pediatrician over his 30 years of practice and knew that his care and expertise made a difference in the community.

His family would like to thank not only his dear friends for the love they shared with he and Leora but his Ancora hospice physicians and nurses who provided amazing care and guidance.

A funeral mass is planned for October 8th, Thomas’s day of his birth. Services will be held at 1:00 pm in St. John’s Cathedral in Boise, Idaho.