Thomas Vinson Blanton Jr.

Thomas Vinson Blanton, Jr., age 77, of Lookout Mountain, TN peacefully left this life in the arms of his beloved “Sweetpea” (Pamela), in their Charleston, SC home on February 13, 2023. Tom was born on July 9, 1945 in Augusta, GA to Thomas and Florence Blanton. He met the love of his life, Pamela Bowry, while they attended St. Andrew’s College in Laurinburg, NC. Married for 58 years, the couple lived in Richmond, VA, where they raised three children— Vinson, Havens, and Pamela “Lexie”— and then on Lookout Mountain where Tom flourished as an accomplished gardener, and together they opened their popular garden shop The Little Greenhouse. Passionate about native plants, they created a haven at their residence which was included in The Smithsonian Institution’s Archives of American Gardens in 2022.

Called “Papa” by his family, Tom was a master of nicknames and known for his quick wit, humor, love of numbers and strategic games, and devotion to family and friends. In Chattanooga, TN, he was a member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and volunteered at St. Matthews Emergency Shelter for the homeless. Tom and Pam enjoyed traveling together— including winters in Florida, summers in Maine, and visits with family in Charleston, SC, and Washington, DC.

Tom is survived by his wife, Pamela; his brother, Daniel Blanton of Augusta, GA; his children, Vinson, Havens, and Lexie Webb (Todd); and three grandchildren, Alex, Quinn, and Beckett. As Tom’s granddaughter Quinn said, “Papa, I hope heaven is everything you have ever wanted.”

A family funeral will be held at St. Paul’s Church.