Howard T. Small, 96, of South Yarmouth passed away on January 1, 2022, following a brief battle with multiple myeloma. He was the devoted husband of Lorraine Small (Johnson). The couple celebrated 73 years of marriage in June. Lorraine remembers her husband as a true gentleman with honesty being one of his strongest qualities. He never went to bed without kissing his wife goodnight.

Born in Arlington, MA in 1925 to the late Clarence A. Small and Olive M. Small (Tarbell), Howard later graduated from Lexington High School. He went on to serve in the United States Navy during World War II as an aircraft mechanic, before returning to Massachusetts and capturing the heart of his future wife on the back of a motorcycle. The couple honeymooned on Drake’s Island, Maine where Howard happily spent much of his childhood and where he would later vacation with his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

Howard and Lorraine were the heart and soul of Camp Massapoag in Dunstable, Massachusetts for almost twenty-five years. Howard kept the camp running and Lorraine kept the camp fed. They saw several thousand campers come through its doors during their tenure. Howard also worked for Hudson Bus Lines in Nashua, New Hampshire where he supervised maintenance of the company’s fleet limousines. Those who knew Howard remember him as a hard-working man who never complained. Even in “retirement” Howard worked part-time as a mechanic at Lesco in Mashpee, where he was recognized as a top performer well into his eighties.

Howard was an active member of the Rotary Club of Tyngsboro/Dunstable, studied engineering at the Wentworth Institute, and helped build the First Congregational Church in Chelmsford, MA. He loved working with his hands, appreciated old tools, and found pleasure in fixing things or “reinventing” something to make it work better. Howard also enjoyed the beach and being on the water, learning to sail in Boston Harbor. Howard and Lorraine moved to South Yarmouth in 1998, where they happily spent their retirement. On a warm summer day, odds were you’d find the loving couple at Smuggler’s Beach.

Howard is survived by his wife Lorraine, daughter Victoria A. Small of South Yarmouth and son, Peter T. Small of Nashua, New Hampshire. He also leaves behind four grandchildren and their families: Marlena A. Liimatainen (Small) and her husband William (parents of Annika and Anders); Samantha Dullea (Small) and her husband Jeremy (parents of Makenna, Madeleine and Brantley); Nicole Powers (Small) and her husband Dan (parents of Jack and Mason); and Alex Small. Howard was predeceased by a sister, Hilde Woodward (Small) of Wells, Maine.

Fair winds and following seas, Howard. Your memory lives on through all who were fortunate enough to know you.

A memorial service will be held at a later date.