Jonathan Tomshine

Jonathan Robert Tomshine was born in the Methodist Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota on Friday, August 8, 1980. He passed away in Mayo's Methodist Hospital on Friday, August 2, 2024. Jonathan suffered a prolonged and very disheartening battle with liver disease, and at the end, cancer.

This remarkable man who was struck down in his prime, was a very busy and productive explorer and student all of his life, preferring to endlessly learn over any other endeavor. During his very earliest years, he disassembled, and most of the time, reassembled, everything from coffee pots to television sets, floor sweepers to spectrophotometers. Jonathan learned how to solder electronics on his grandfather's home workbench while still a toddler. Grandpa Tomshine nurtured this interest in engineering at Jonathan's youngest possible age.

Jon, as he preferred to be addressed, went to John Marshall High School in Rochester, Minnesota, graduating in 1999. While in high school, he completed a program known as UMTYMP, the University of Minnesota Talented Youth Mathematics Project.

Jon's other interests in his youth included collecting rocks, riding bicycle, acquiring a short wave radio operator's license, storm and sky watching. Jonathan designed and with the help of his step-father, Tom Knopp, he built a large telescope. Jonathan wanted to take flying lessons, scuba diving lessons, and travel while in high school, so in spite of the "overload" factor, he took a job at Apache Mall as a camera salesman. During his time as a part-time employee selling cameras, he was a huge success. Only one full-time career salesman sold more cameras than Jon. Jon's secret was his knowledge of the camera models and his memory of the customers' preferences. Jon's ability to master every detail of all things technical was shared with and fostered by his father, Toby.

Jon's most significant high school travel experience was offered through a program called People to People. This program started under President Eisenhower, long before Jon came along. The idea was for young people to make friends world-wide by learning about and understanding other cultures. Jon was so excited by this trip, he once told his mother that he was going to live in Australia after he grew up. Oh my!

After high school, Jon moved to Madison, Wisconsin to attend the University of Wisconsin. There he acquired a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering. Afterwards, he enrolled in and completed his PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus. Jonathan married his college sweetheart, Jin Cui, and together they braved the big move to the San Francisco Bay area. His first achievement while there, was completing a post-doc program at the University of California at San Francisco. In that rapidly evolving environment, Jon was employed using his education. Two different young companies went bankrupt while he was an employee. This repeated restarting of a career was not a satisfactory pattern in his mind. He chose to return to Rochester, Minnesota and work for the Mayo Clinic. He was sure that this employer had a solid, dependable future.

Through his professional role, or as a private citizen, Jon traveled extensively. He visited Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, Spain, France, Germany, Norway, England, Scotland, Canada, and Mexico. During the Covid pandemic, Jon signed up with a live tutor who was a native of Greece. Jon spent 3 years learning, studying "ancient" Greek. As with anything he did, he dove into it with intense purpose and focus. From this exposure to the culture, society, and language, Jon developed a deep love for the Orthodox Christian faith. On June 6, 2024, Jonathan was confirmed in the Holy Anargyroi Saints Kosmas and Damianos Orthodox Church.

Also, during the pandemic and immediately following, Jonathan enrolled in and completed the Masters of Healthcare Administration (MHA) program through the University of Minnesota. Jon was a member of Sigma Xi at Mayo, and he achieved the academic rank of Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery. Jonathan was employed at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota as a Principal Engineer for ten years, up to the time of his death on August 2, 2024.

One relationship of Jon's life that was steadfast, always true, a dedicated connection unwavering in it's love and mutual understanding was with his mother, Gail. Whenever either of them needed support of any kind, the other was there to help. Gail was Jon's advocate, his protector, his greatest fan. And he knew that. She will miss him forever... more than words can convey.

Jon was preceded in death by his step-father, Tom Knopp. Jonathan is survived by his 3-year old daughter, Catherine Marian Tomshine-Weigand, his mother, Gail Knopp, his father Tobin Tomshine (Michele Back), two step-sisters, Anne Knopp and Amy Knopp, several cousins, aunts and uncles, including Russ Bond who visited many days with Jon while he was hospitalized.

Services will be held on Jonathan's 44th birthday, August 8, 2024 at 10 am at the Holy Anargyroi Saints Kosmas and Damianos Orthodox Church in Rochester. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service. Burial will take place at Sumner (Millet) Cemetery in Spring Valley, MN.

Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Home is honored to be serving the Tomshine family. To share a special memory or condolence, please visit www.ranfranzandvinefh.com