Thomas Daley Mahone

Thomas Daley Mahone, of Williamsburg, passed away on May 2, 2024, at the age of 88, having lived a robust, active life to the end.
He was born in Williamsburg on August 20, 1935, to Richard Wise and Margaret Daley Mahone. Raised within the Bruton Parish Church family as an Episcopalian with his older siblings, his life was one of active service. One of his great joys was to serve the community where he was raised and where he raised his own family. He attended Mathew Whaley and Walsingham Academy and loved his reunions with the class of 1953. He next graduated from Georgia Tech in 1957.
He was immensely proud of his 35-year career spanning multiple departments with the Newport News Shipyard, 1958 to 1993, where he worked on the USS Hammerhead and the USS Enterprise, among many others. Additionally, he diligently served for eight years on the James City County Board of Supervisors, 1981-1989, the last of which he spent as Chairman.
On June 1, 1961, Tom married the love of his life, Patricia Haymond Milner, and they raised their two children, Daniel and Elizabeth, with a special emphasis on their summer times on the Chickahominy River. There they taught hundreds how to water ski through 24 years of sharing their cottage with family and friends.
Tom was fortunate to have had a second marriage to Deborah Breeze, which would go on for another 24 years. He was beyond pleased to be given the opportunity to share his love of the river with her children and their grandchildren.
During his retirement, Tom enjoyed vacationing, and wintering, in Sebastian, Florida, where boating in the Intracoastal Waterway was a winter adventure.
Tom was an active member of both the Colonial Ski Club and the local chapter of the United States Power Squadrons, serving as a Commander for a year. A prolific putterer, he kept his boats in peak condition, always ready to hit the water, provided the air temperature was seventy-six or above for water-skiing. After his divorce in 2017, his neighbor and good friend Chris Bonday became his adventure and water-skiing buddy, keeping Tom on his ski for many, many miles.
During the last ten years, he offered historical input to his nephew, Spence Witten, regarding his family home place, The Beeches. With his input and that of his beloved sister, it was carefully restored. Seeing family reside there again brought Tom great pleasure.
Tom is preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Richard Daley Mahone (Helen) of Williamsburg, VA; and his sister, Mardee Mahone Witten (Chuck) of Columbia, SC. He is survived by his son, Daniel Mahone of Newport News, VA; his daughter, Elizabeth Harlow of Vermont; his granddaughter, Hannah Harlow of Florida; as well as many dear nieces and nephews, and warm and kind friends.
He will be laid to rest at a future time, to be announced in the Sunday Daily Press, in the family plot in Williamsburg's Cedar Grove cemetery. Following interment, a celebration of his life will be held at The Beeches.
In lieu of flowers, his family requests donations be made to Faith In Action, a charity he strongly supported with his time, wfia.org. Donations can also be made to the William & Mary Foundation under the name Mahone directly in his honor. The fund shall be used for a need-based scholarship for students in Williamsburg, James City County, or York County. Please use this link:https://give.wm.edu/. Please search for the name Mahone under the "SEARCH FOR A SPECIFIC FUND." It should come up as the Mahone Memorial Scholarship Endowment. When filling out your donation please toggle the "In honor of" button and add Thomas D. Mahone to the comments section. If sending a check, please make the check out to William & Mary Foundation with a note stating that is should be added toward the Mahone Memorial Scholarship Endowment (5005). The address to mail the check is
Office of University
Advancement
Gift Administration
P.O. Box 1693
Harlan, IA 51593-1993