Dr. Thomas Burwell Vaden Jr. of Richmond, Virginia and Barters Island, died March 25, 2013 after a long illness.

Born on born January 11, 1943, he was the son of Frances Dean Vaden and Thomas Burwell Vaden Sr. He graduated from Randolph Macon College, received his master’s degree from Virginia Commonwealth University, his doctorate from the University of Virginia and Interned at Children's Hospital of DC.

He was a member of the Sons of the Revolution in Virginia. Dr. Vaden was a licensed clinical psychologist with the Tucker Psychiatric Clinic in Richmond, Virginia for more than 30 years until his retirement in June, 2011.

Burwell grew up around the water and he loved to tinker with all things pertaining to boats. For many years, he sailed his Sparkman Stevens Yankee 38 out of the Rappahannock River Yacht Club (RRYC) in Irvington, Va. where he served as commodore in 1979 and was named Yachtsman of the Year in 1978.

He won the inaugural RRYC Commodores Cup Regatta in 1976 and again in 1979. He was also a member of the Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club, Indian Creek Yacht Club (VA) and the Detroit Yacht Club.

As much as he loved Virginia, the Boothbay peninsula was his second home. As a result of a friend’s recommendation, he vacationed at Linekin Bay Resort (LBR) beginning in the 1970s and returned annually through 2012.

The resort was instrumental in shaping his life. In addition to special friendships spanning more than 20 years, he met his wife Ginny outside Main Lodge in 1999 and they married two years later at All Saints by-the-Sea. He was particularly fond of Ida and Bob Branch and, in their honor, he donated the flag pole and a memorial plaque that now stand in front of Main Lodge.

He supported the YMCA building fund, the Boothbay Regional Land Trust (BRLT) and was a member of the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. He was extremely proud that, despite ill health, in 2010 he completed all four of the BRLT's 30th anniversary “30 in 30 challenges”: to hike all 30 miles of the Land Trust trails, kayak 30 miles between properties and identify 30 plants and 30 birds on site. He began the challenge without realizing that he would not be in Maine during the Land Trust’s scheduled visits to Damariscove Island.

Not to be deterred, he arranged private transportation to the Island in October to complete the required hikes. His prize for completing the challenge, a Land Trust hat and pins, accompanied him on later trips to the Galapagos Islands, Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park, the Pacific Northwest and on Back River boat rides in his Boston Whaler, Freedom.

Burwell continued his love of projects in his boat shed on Barters Island often using finds from the Waste Management Facility in Boothbay. He also loved the cinnamon rolls at the Ebb Tide and particularly enjoyed the camaraderie of his two favorite waitresses at Ebb Tide. He never minded being the brunt of their “dump” stories about him and was happy to be considered a regular at the last table on the left.

Burwell was predeceased by his wife, Mary Parker Moncure Vaden.

He is survived by his wife, Dr. Virginia Delaney-Black Vaden of Grosse Pointe, Mich.; his sister, F. Page Vaden Ritter of Virginia; two stepsons, Thomas Rutherfoord Roper (Holly) of Virginia and Shaun Black of Chicago, Ill.; a niece, Kim F. Ritter Kavanagh (Paul) of Charlottesville, Va.; his nephew, William Thomas Ritter Jr of Va.; and many cousins. As his doctor so poignantly remarked “he will be remembered for his ultimate chivalry and his fighting spirit.”