Thomas Ferdinand Bournival, of Thomaston, passed away Jan. 24 at the Portland Medical Center after suffering a massive brain hemorrhage. Tom was born in Boston, Mass. on June 17, 1948.
After graduating from high school in Canton, Mass. in 1967, Tom attended The New England School of Art for two years. Shortly thereafter, Tom met his first wife in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. They had three children and settled in Francistown, N.H.
In 1979 Tom met the love of his life, Linda Zwicker. In 1980 they moved to Warren, where they restored their first historical home. For the next 30 years Tom and Linda embraced their Maine coast life with gusto.
Tom Bournival entered the boatbuilding world while on the rebuild of the Stephen Taber in 1980 (which served as Tom and Linda’s nuptial schooner in 1986). Since then, he’s left his mark on almost every schooner in the windjammer fleet. His artistic talents also encompassed the M/V Pauline, yawl boats for the Stephen Taber and the J. & E. Riggin, as well as a west coast stint working on The HMS Rose that’s featured in the movie, “Master and Commander”. Other boats in Tom’s career have been the Bunker & Ellis Reward, The Bonnie Lynn, Kathryn B. and his and Linda’s own boat, Alamae that they proceeded to share with hosts of family and friends while exploring the eastern seaboard.
His final boat project was his work on his grandson’s lobster boat, The Provider, which he did as a gift of love to his first born grandson, Dustin.
Throughout Tom’s shipwright career he restored several antique homes and restaurants in the area, as well as The Spire @ Sharp’s Wharf in Camden, and The Waterworks, The Captain Lindsay House Inn, and The Black Pearl restaurants in Rockland. Tom had a passion for saving colonial antiquity in all its forms. But as a quintessential Yankee, “Jack-of-All Trades” and “Shipwright Extraordinaire,” he also enjoyed going to auctions, collecting antique cars, and most recently, bringing his artistic talents to his earthmoving and stone building efforts while putting the final touches on the second homestead that he and Linda have creatively restored in Thomaston.
Tom was a faithful member of the H.I.L.T. (Howard’s Institute of Lower Technology), as well as being the founding member of the short lived Warren Yacht Club in Warren.
He was predeceased by his father, Ferdinand N. Bournival III,; son, Abel Thomas Bournival; and sister, Patricia Gooch.
He is survived by his mother, Marie (Derrah) Bournival, 90, of Sarasota, Fla.; wife and partner of 30 years, Linda Bournival, 53, of Thomaston; daughter, Sasha Brunetti and husband Dino Brunetti of New Freedom, Penn.; son, Seth Christian Bournival and wife Gisela Cardoza Bournival; grandchildren, Dustin Delano of Friendship, Jesse Collins of Concord, N.H., Giavanna and Vincent Brunetti of New Freedom, Penn., and Alma, Leona and Kaya Bournival of Rockland; sisters, Carol Wilkins and husband Charles of Plymouth, Mass., Marilyn Hopkins and husband Dan of Largo, Fla., and Janice Kowalczwk and husband Tom of Middleton, R.I.; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Visiting hours 6-8 p.m., Sat., Jan. 30 at Hall & Bibber Funeral Home, 78 Main St., Thomaston, with a celebration of life service 2 p.m., Sun., Jan. 31 at Thomaston Baptist Church, Main St., Thomaston.
In memory of Tom, donations will be accepted through the Thomas F. Bournival Memorial Fund, c/o Damariscotta Bank & Trust, P.O. Box 1067, Warren, ME 04864.
Expressions of sympathy may be sent to the family through hallbibber@myfairpoint.net.
Arrangements are entrusted to Hall & Bibber Funeral Home, 78 Main St., Thomaston.
