Obituary: ​Johnathan A. Smith, 73, Founder Of U. S. S. Chowder Pot III Restaurant

Information via W.S. Clancy Memorial Funeral Home

Johnathan A. Smith, of Florida, formerly of Branford, died Monday September 11, 2017, at the age of 73, at the Backus Hospital in Norwich. He was the beloved husband of Debra Shusta Smith. Mr. Smith was born in New London, and was the son of the late Arthur C. and Suzanne Lunde Smith.

He was the founder and owner of the U. S. S. Chowder Pot III in Branford for 40 years, and the U. S. S. Chowder Pot IV of Hartford for 19 years. His restaurant career began in 1977 when he was laid off from the Armstrong Rubber Company and he purchased a small drive-in in Madison where he sold clam chowder, fried seafood, hot dogs, hamburgers and ice cream.

Chowder Pot I became an instant success and soon after three other locations followed. Besides his wife he is survived by his daughters, Mary-Ellen Swift of Branford, Angela Smith of Clinton, Chrissy-Lynn Maddox of Bozrah, Sherry Smith of North Branford and Danielle Smith of Bozrah; his sisters, Pamela Oswald of Clinton, Elizabeth Premo of Hampton, NH, Kelli Johnson of Wallingford, his brother Richard Smith of Cortez, CO; and nine grandchildren.

He was predeceased by his sister, Bonnie Lee Spencer.Visiting hours will be Monday evening from 4:00 -8:00 PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Tuesday morning at 10:00 in St. Therese Church. Burial will follow in Evergreen Cemetery, Killingworth.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to the Stony Creek Fife and Drum Corps, P. O. Box 1886, Stony Creek, CT 06405. To send flowers or a remembrance gift to the family of Johnathan Smith, please visit our Tribute Store.