Thomas Joseph Burchell

Private family service will be held at a later date.

“How can you really know who you are if you don’t know where you came from?” 

January 16th, 2026 Thomas Burchell’s final journal entry 

(Written with love by Thomas Burchell III) 

Thomas Burchell passed away this morning in his home at the age of 77, leaving behind a legacy of adventurousness, generosity, and unparalleled charm. 

Tom made friends easily, and he would always greet you with a smile and a heartfelt ”hey there, buddy! How ya doing?” You’d say something like, “It's just me, Tom.” And he’d say “Nooo! What a blessing it is to see ya!” Like you were the most special person in the world, and that your presence made his entire day. And he’d laugh, what an infectious laugh. You couldn’t help but smile because in that moment, you felt how much Tom really loved life. And he loved each of us. Always keeping in contact, years after life took us on different paths. 

Tom grew up in Plainedge, New York and later was stationed at Fort Bragg during his time as a radio operator with the US Army during the Vietnam War. He was a man’s man; proud of his country, fiercely independent, and always drawn to the next challenge or adventure. The kind of man who would rival fictional characters like Indiana Jones or Robinson Crusoe. 

Tom loved being outdoors and going on adventures; hunting, hiking, fishing, sailing, skiing. You name it. “And what an adventure!” He’d always say, as he told me stories and showed me old homemade videos of sailing in the Caribbean, life on Jones Beach, going to the Olympics in Lake Placid, or building a cabin from scratch at his little hideaway, “Heavenly Acres”. 

Tom was a musician and you can bet if there was an Elvis or Moody Blues song, he would sing along no matter who was around! He could play a rock and roll guitar and loved photography. He was always with a camera or video recorder in hand, recording every moment of his adventures and special moments with his family and friends. Tom never missed a moment! 

Tom was always building, learning new skills, and leaning on his impeccable work ethic when things got tough. He worked for the Department of Transportation for 18 years, starting at the bottom and working his way up to a supervisor for both New York and North Carolina states, where he managed teams of crews. Tom took pride in overcoming the challenges of his work, and he loved the people he worked with so much that he kept in contact with them years after his retirement. 

Tom became ill in his early 50s, when the doctors told him he would only live another 5 years. But heaven wasn’t ready for Tom yet. 

He would lean into his Catholic faith, continuing to watch Mass every Sunday even after he became housebound. He continued to remain independent and began reaching out to everyone he could to maintain connection through every means: phone calls, social media, videos, letters, and birthday and Christmas cards. Tom always wanted to know how you were and what was going on in your life, always talking about you. He gave generously and loved fully, even when he couldn’t be there for the next 20 years.

 It was around this time that Tom really began something really special. He began journaling every single day, recording his thoughts and experiences, as well as going back into the past, reliving the moments captured in those old videos and journaling about those too, and the moments they would bring back. He began to dig into the family history, like an archaeologist sifting through the past. He wanted to know about everyone in our family’s history, where we came from, what they did, and what their stories were. He collected birth certificates, death certificates, military medals, diplomas, and family heirlooms. “The Book of the Burchells”, I would joke about with him. It was a massive undertaking, culminating in a book that is nearly 10,000 pages long. 

You see, Tom knew something. He knew that the story, our story, matters. He knew that we create our own adventures, and that we’re living that adventure now. The twists and turns, the life-changing moments, and the climactic successes. They are all part of our story, and it is a story worth telling. Because when you tell someone’s story, you breathe life back into them. You bring them here with us. And in that way, we’re always together forever. 

Tom was predeceased by his amazing parents, Kathryn and Robert Burchell, and his brother Robert (Bert) and twin brother James (Jimmy). He is survived by his son Thomas Burchell II, his 7 grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren, whom he loved with all his heart. 

So whether you’re singing Elvis in front of a crowd like he did, shakin’ what your momma gave ya on the dancefloor, quietly watching a hummingbird out the window alone, going on a grand adventure in the outdoors, or laughing at the Knights Who Say… “Ni!” in an old Monty Python movie, remember that these moments are all a part of your story. 

Remember to say “Hey buddy!”, and tell someone “they’re such a blessing”, or that they’re “such a joy.” Because in loving one another, we become part of something even greater than our story. We become part of a tapestry of stories. And together we weave a legacy of love for those whose stories are yet to be told.

Services entrusted to Butler Funeral Home, 6535 Clinton Road, Stedman, NC 28391.