Berkley (Sonny) McFaden, Jr.

Berkley Francis McFaden, Jr. (Sonny), 86, died peacefully in his home on Thursday, January 15, 2026. He was the loving husband of Nancy Thomas McFaden for 67 years.

Sonny was born April 24, 1939, in Lynchburg, VA, son of the late Berkley Francis McFaden, Sr., and Gladys Nickerson McFaden. He proudly served as a Staff Sergeant in the US Marine Corp and in the reserves during peacetime. He began his career at Boonsboro Country Club in high school as a caddy moving up to course superintendent before retiring in 2009. He was a founding member of Bucks Unlimited and enjoyed over 50 years of hunting and fishing in the mountains of Goshen.

Sonny was a force of nature. When he decided that Boonsboro need a ballfield, he borrowed the equipment and built the field himself. He was a charter member, firefighter, and EMT with Boonsboro Vol. Fire & Rescue for over 50 years and was the main ambulance driver for 2 decades. Lord help if you were driving in front of him when he had a critical patient. You were going to not-so-lovingly be told to get out of his way.

Sonny was also a teddy bear. After the Boonsboro ballfield was built, he helped shape the lives of hundreds of youths as their coach in baseball, football, and basketball. When not yelling at people to get out of the ambulance’s way, he volunteered his veins to every EMS student that needed to learn how to start an IV. He was a great man with a big heart who loved deeply and was loved just as much. He lived to make other people’s lives better and to stand for what was right. He didn’t try to be remembered – he simply is and always will be.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his siblings, Mary Creasey, Jean Keys, Johnny McFaden and Jimmy McFaden.

He was the best dad that could be imagined to Sherri (Ken) Baile, Buzz (Jennifer) McFaden, and Cindy (Tom) Samartino; and Papa Bear extraordinaire to Delaney Crowley (and her father Doug).

Even after years of public service, he was an intensely private man and requested no services. We honor his request.

His legacy lives on in the people he loved, helped, and influenced. We will hold a “Sonny Day” at a later date and invite you to share your memories of him with us at that time.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Hunters for the Hungry, P.O. Box 304, Big Island, VA 24526, or  Boonsboro Vol. Fire & Rescue, 1065 Lee Jackson Hwy, Lynchburg, VA 24503.