Belfast, Maine - Donald Burnham Terry, known fondly as Don, died March 30, 2025, at the age of 84. Born on February 27, 1941, to Mildred C. Terry and Silas B. Terry, Don grew up in Hartford, Connecticut, alongside his beloved brother, John.

From an early age, Don had a deep connection to the water. As a young man, he worked summers at Cold Spring Camp on Lake Champlain, where he met his first wife, Nikki. They married eight years later, sharing a life together for fifty years until Nikki's death in 2017.

After college in Miami, Don became a yacht broker with his friend, Mark Warner, selling Grand Banks yachts while Nikki worked at the Light and Power Company. Don was a devoted husband, caring tenderly for Nikki through decades of multiple sclerosis. In 1999, they moved to Belfast, Maine, where they lovingly restored their home and nurtured its gardens. Don delighted in designing and maintaining their property. He became a mainstay of the Kaler Road community, always ready with a wave, an engaging smile, warm conversation and laughter.

Don was meticulous and thoughtful in all he did. He chronicled daily life in his Wooden Boat Calendars with tiny, precise pencil handwriting and kept his workshop in perfect order, each tool outlined on pegboards. His collections of magazines, cassettes, and CDs were carefully ordered. He adored anything to do with the water and wholeheartedly agreed with Ratty and Mole that "there is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats."

Don was a natural storyteller, a man of humor, warmth, and kindness. He cherished the deep friendships he formed throughout his life and maintained connections with his long-standing gang from his Connecticut days. He remembered vividly all their adventures with boats, fast cars and beaches. He made strong new friendships and connections in Maine and had an uncanny ability to remember people's stories, always asking after the details of their lives.

A lover of music, Don especially enjoyed acoustic performances, particularly Celtic and maritime tunes. He enjoyed listening to Garrison Keillor and "The Thistle & Shamrock" on NPR, and he was a fan of WERU radio. He and Nikki spent many summers at their camp on the Bras d'Or in Cape Breton, always accompanied by their beloved cats.

Don's bond with his brother John was very strong, and he was delighted when John and his wife, Michelle, moved to Waldo County.

In October 2019, Don found love again and married Lori Terry. Together, they shared a love of the sea, clocks, cats, and seafood, relishing the simple pleasures of home and nature. They found joy in each other's company and tending to their house and garden, watching the birds and the changing tides over the marsh.

Becky Nightingale Johns and her daughters, Rosie and Isi Brimley, were a treasured part of his life. They thought of each other as family and especially cherished the summers they spent living together.

Don was a man of routine, delighting in the small rituals of life - blueberry pancakes on Sundays, eggs on Tuesdays, and flank steak on Thursdays. His playful wit, kind heart, and reliable presence will be deeply missed by all who loved him.

He leaves behind his loving wife, Lori; his brother, John Terry and sister-in-law, Michelle; his nieces Amy Keister, Jennifer Summers and Bethany Turrentine; and many dear friends.

Don lived a life filled with love, laughter, and the joys of home, friendship, and the sea. He will be missed beyond measure but remembered always with warmth and gratitude.