Howard Hampton Smith was born on June 6, 1907, to Jacob Grayson Smith and Louise A. Boettner Smith, the oldest of three children. His siblings were Paul and Alice.
Sometime after the three children were born, Jacob Grayson Smith (who later changed his name to Grayson W. Smith) left his wife and children, though he and Louise were never divorced. Louise raised the children on her own, living in a big old white house in Haddon Heights, NJ. The original part of the old house predated the Revolutionary War, and the house was later designated an historical building; various wings and additions were made to the house over the centuries. (Louise lived in the house with her married daughter, Alice, until her death, and Alice and her married daughter, Tina, occupied this historic house until Tina's death.)
During his teen years, Howard, along with his siblings, helped his mother to run a restaurant at the house, and he became an accomplished cook.
He attended the University of Miami in Florida for two years, and was on their Varsity football team in 1930.
He married Elizabeth Wood Hunt at Grace Episcopal Church, Haddonfield, New Jersey, on October 9, 1935. He and Elizabeth made their first home in an apartment on King's Highway in Haddonfield, next to the Haddon Fortnightly Building.
He and Liz had three children; the first was stillborn in January, 1943. The second was called "Hamp," and a third son was called "Jim."
The family moved to a house in the woods on Gibbsboro-Kresson Road, Voorhees Township, in 1953.
Howard held several different positions during his lifetime, including driving a bus and selling cars. During the Second World War, he worked for the New York Shipbuilding Company. He was an acclaimed car salesman with Turney Ford, Turnersville, NJ, for many years, not retiring until he was 70 years old.
Following his retirement, he enjoyed travel and sightseeing. He drove from New Jersey to Kansas many times to visit his son Hamp and wife Saralyn, and visited them with great joy when his two grandchildren were born: Laura Elizabeth, and Robert Hampton Smith on September 8, 1983.
He had just returned home to New Jersey from a visit to Kansas and also to California in December, 1984, when he became ill. He died on January 9, 1985, and was buried next to his wife, Elizabeth, at Colestown Cemetery, Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
I want to thank Georgia Lass for finding, clearing, and photographing my father-in-law's marker!
Howard Hampton Smith was born on June 6, 1907, to Jacob Grayson Smith and Louise A. Boettner Smith, the oldest of three children. His siblings were Paul and Alice.
Sometime after the three children were born, Jacob Grayson Smith (who later changed his name to Grayson W. Smith) left his wife and children, though he and Louise were never divorced. Louise raised the children on her own, living in a big old white house in Haddon Heights, NJ. The original part of the old house predated the Revolutionary War, and the house was later designated an historical building; various wings and additions were made to the house over the centuries. (Louise lived in the house with her married daughter, Alice, until her death, and Alice and her married daughter, Tina, occupied this historic house until Tina's death.)
During his teen years, Howard, along with his siblings, helped his mother to run a restaurant at the house, and he became an accomplished cook.
He attended the University of Miami in Florida for two years, and was on their Varsity football team in 1930.
He married Elizabeth Wood Hunt at Grace Episcopal Church, Haddonfield, New Jersey, on October 9, 1935. He and Elizabeth made their first home in an apartment on King's Highway in Haddonfield, next to the Haddon Fortnightly Building.
He and Liz had three children; the first was stillborn in January, 1943. The second was called "Hamp," and a third son was called "Jim."
The family moved to a house in the woods on Gibbsboro-Kresson Road, Voorhees Township, in 1953.
Howard held several different positions during his lifetime, including driving a bus and selling cars. During the Second World War, he worked for the New York Shipbuilding Company. He was an acclaimed car salesman with Turney Ford, Turnersville, NJ, for many years, not retiring until he was 70 years old.
Following his retirement, he enjoyed travel and sightseeing. He drove from New Jersey to Kansas many times to visit his son Hamp and wife Saralyn, and visited them with great joy when his two grandchildren were born: Laura Elizabeth, and Robert Hampton Smith on September 8, 1983.
He had just returned home to New Jersey from a visit to Kansas and also to California in December, 1984, when he became ill. He died on January 9, 1985, and was buried next to his wife, Elizabeth, at Colestown Cemetery, Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
I want to thank Georgia Lass for finding, clearing, and photographing my father-in-law's marker!
