Local Couple retires after 30 years of service

In 1988, Tom & Karen Wootton decided to trade their comfortable life in Grapevine, Texas for the busy, exciting and sometimes exhausting job of owning a marina. Buncombe Creek Marina was not much more than a fish camp at the time, but they loved the feel of the place, so they rolled up their sleeves and got to work.

Karen took on the responsibility of running the gift shop and ship store, and Tom began improving the outside. Tom has a background in Engineering and was familiar with autocad, so one of his first projects was to redesign the footprint of the marina, moving several docks back into their cove. Nobody believed that could possibly work, but it did.

Very shortly thereafter, their son, Wayne Van Buren, joined them, helping out wherever help was needed and eventually managing the Anchor ‘N for many years. Soon afterwards, their other son, Dace Van Buren, came on board as well. After years of managing the outdoor projects, he eventually transitioned into the office and has been handling the day-to-day management of the marina for several years.

Their daughter, Terri Weir, helped out off and on, and her husband, Skip Weir, worked outside for several years as well. Recently, Skip and Terri moved back to Buncombe Creek so Terri could take over the accounting and financial side of the house, making it possible for Tom to retire.

Tom and Karen intend to travel as much as they can and are hoping to make a trip to Alaska next summer. They love two-stepping and spending time in the Lake Buchanan area. However, they will still be around, so seeing them when they’re not off on an adventure is still a possibility.

Join us in congratulating Tom and Karen on their retirement! And let’s wish Wayne, Dace and Terri all the best as they take on their new responsibilities. And of course, Diana and D’Linda will still be there handling the front office!

They would love to hear from everybody, so anybody wishing to send a card can do so at the following address.

Tom & Karen Wootton, 14584 Arrowhead Point Road, Kingston, OK 73439.

A retirement party is being planned for when the weather warms up. There will be food, dancing and live music!.Follow the Buncombe Creek Marina Facebook page to stay in touch.