Robert Edward (Smokey) Snover, Jr., was a Mechanic- Owner S&S Automotive. US Navy- Vietnam- 1959.
1 He was awarded a Doctorate of Automotive.
1 Robert Edmund "Smokey" Snover, Jr., 77, of Princeton KS passed away Sunday, July 16, 2017.
He was born June 15, 1940 in Somerville, NJ, the son of Robert E. Snover, Sr. and Mildred Snover.
In 1951 Smokey moved with his family to Kansas. He attended Clay Center High School until joining the Navy in 1959.
During his service in the Navy he attained the rank of Seaman as an Assault Boat Engineer and proudly served his country during the Vietnam War.
He then moved in Topeka, KS and then to Beaumont, TX where he worked as a mechanic at Speedwell Motor Company during that time he was the only American cittizen to travel to Germany for Hoflinger Vehicles School for import cars.
He then opened his own business S&S Automotive. He also worked for Ford Motor Company, Motor Car LTD and ran the Milford Lake Marina for many years once back in Kansas. He ran and managed several other buinesses after this time. During all of his years of work in the automotive engineering industry, Smokey earned a Doctorate of Automotive. Almost every mechanic in Franklin County, Kansas learned their mechanic skills from Smokey.
While cars were his professional life, they dominated his personal life as well. Smokey loved to drag race and was a very successful dirt track racer, racing against many famous race car drivers during his years. He had a Chevy Soul, always ready to work on another Chevy car or get another one up and running right.
He also loved his family dearly as well as his farm. He would on occasion fire his canon just to remind the neigbors he was there. But most of the time if you wanted to find Smokey he was under a hood of a Hot Rod with a wrench in one hand and a beer in the other.
In 1967 Charlotte Christenson and Smokey met and eventually married. They later divorced but remained good friends.
Smokey is survived by six children: Robert E. Snover, III and his wife Jennider, Guam, Coralynn Wormell and her husband Doran, Pomona, Robin Phillips and her husband, Steve, Olathe, Dustin Snover and his wife Kathyn, Ottawa, Bobby Snover and his fiance Nicole, Ottawa, Amber Snover-Dryden and Jeff James, Ottawa; two sisters Kathleen Dionee, Richmond, Barbara Abadalla, Palm Bay, FL; biological mother, Joan Chapman Snover; ten grandchildren, Nicole Shirk, Jenaya Snover, Harley Snover, Jeremy Snover, Austin Snover, Brandon Phillips, Brooke Martinez, Mallory Philips, Doran Ray Wormell, Tyler Wormell; eleven great-grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews.
Smokey was preceded in death by his father, Robert W. Snover, Sr.; mother Mildred Snover, sister, Bonnnie L. Donowal, grandson, Trevor Wormell, great- granddaughter, Zailin Wormell, and son-in-law Derck Dryden.
The family will greet friends for a Visitation Friday, July 21, 2017 from 6:00- 9:00 p.m. at Lamb-Roberts Funeral Home, 325 S. Hickory St., Ottawa, KS. A celbration of Life will be held at a later date. The family suggests memorial contributions be made to the Robert Edmund Snover, Jr. Memorial Fund c/o Lamb-Roberts Funeral Home, P.O. Box 14, Ottawa, KS 66067. Condolences may be sent to the family through www.lamb-roberts.com.