William Thomas Fountain

Lifelong Easton resident William Thomas “Tom” Fountain passed away peacefully on November 21, 2022. Born in Easton on July 13, 1939, Tom attended the Country School and graduated from Easton High in 1957. He received an A.B. in History from the College of William and Mary in 1961. Following his college graduation, he attended the U.S. Navy Officer Candidate School in Newport, R.I., served on an aircraft carrier, The Boxer, and taught at the Naval Amphibious School in Little Creek, Va. He went on to study at the University of Maryland Francis Carey King School of Law, earning his J.D. in 1968, and was admitted to the Maryland Bar the same year. Tom practiced law in Easton for more than 54 years, beginning with the firm Henry, Henry & Adkins in 1968. In 1998 he co-founded Fountain, Bryan & Ritter, and since 2001 he was a partner at Ewing, Dietz, Fountain & Kaludis. Throughout his career, much of which focused on estate planning and estate and trust administration, Tom was beloved by colleagues and clients for his sage counsel, personal touch and generous friendship. He served as a longtime attorney for the Talbot County Board of Appeals. He was counsel for The Retirement Community of Easton, Inc., a Maryland housing cooperative founded in 1989 to address the need for retirement housing in Talbot County, which later built Londonderry on the Tred Avon. Families throughout the Mid-Shore trusted him throughout multiple generations to handle their legal matters, and when Tom became of counsel in 2020, many clients continued to contact Ewing Dietz and ask about him. Tom was a dedicated member of Christ Church in Easton and served in the vestry for many years. He was an avid gardener and historian. Proud of his family’s Talbot County roots stretching back to the 17th century, Tom’s knowledge of local lore had few rivals. Pick a home in downtown Easton, and he could usually tell you who lived there a century ago and often earlier. Tom enjoyed his summer road trips out West to Big Sky country. He was headstrong and sharp-witted. Tom served on the boards of multiple community organizations and institutions, including the Memorial Hospital at Easton (Vice-President), the Historical Society of Talbot County, the Academy of the Arts (President), the Talbot County United Fund (President), Talbot Hospice Foundation, Historic Easton, Inc., and Critchlow Adkins Childrens Centers. In 2002, he was selected to chair a new Advisory Council for the Mid-Shore Community Foundation. Tom was also a dedicated supporter and donor to numerous area causes, including the Talbot Humane Society, The Country School, Habitat for Humanity, Chesapeake College, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum and Preservation Maryland. Tom was devoted to his family and is survived by his brother Alexander “Alex” Fountain, his niece Becky Pfund, nephews Dixon Fountain and Brad Fountain, his cousins Jay Fountain and Jeff Fountain, and several other Fountain family members. He is predeceased by his parents, Alexander Dixon and Helen Fountain. The Fountain family is grateful to Talbot Hospice for its compassionate care and support, and to Tom’s caregivers for their dedication and kindness. A memorial service will be held at Christ Church, 111 S. Harrison Street, Easton, Md. on Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022, at 11 a.m. A private family interment will take place at Oxford Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Talbot Humane Society, P.O. Box 1143, Easton, MD 21601 and online at www.talbothumane.org/donate/.

William Thomas Fountain

July 13, 1939 - November 21, 2022