Front page of the Springfield Reporter, April 17, 1963

Springfield Mourns Deaths Of Robert Hodgkins Jeffrey Smith Drowned As Car Goes Into River 

SPRINGFIELD- A shroud of mourning was cast over Springfield early Easter Sunday by the tragic death in an automobile accident at North Clarendon of two well-known and well liked young men, Robert F Hodgkins and Jeffrey L Smith, both 22.

The two youths, friends since Springfield High school days, were drowned early Sunday morning after their car left US Route 7 and overturned in the Cold River.

Robert Hodgkins, familiarly known as "Bob", an aircraft maintenance technician in the testing department of Hamilton Standard company at Windsor Locks, Conn was the son of Mr and Mrs Stuart W Hodgkins of Reed Street Spring-field. His father is manager of the Springfield office of the Central Vermont Public Service corporation. He was in Vermont to spend the Easter week-end at the home of his parents. He was the operator of the 1962 sedan involved in the fatal crash.

Jeffrey L Smith, only son of Mr and Mrs Harold F Smith of East Lane, was the husband of the former Thelma Johnston, whose home was in Texarkana, Ark, and the father of two babies Shirley 14 months and Randy two and a half months old. A veteran of four years service with the U S Air Force, “Jeff” received his honorable discharge early this year and on February 12 went to work for the Lovejoy Tool company as relief grinder. His father is project engineer for the Jones 8- Lamson Machine company where his mother is a secretary.

Vermont State Police of Rutland District said the accident occurred at 3:17 a m Sunday when the sedan driven south by Robert Hodgkins missed a sharp left curve approaching an iron bridge and ran off the right side of the road. The car flew 100 feet through the air before the front bumper smashed into the edge of the river bed and the car flipped into the river on its top. Both men were pinned under water between the seat and the roof.

Search For Smiths

Largely attended funeral services were held yesterday afternoon at the Davis Memorial chapel for Robert Hodgkins. Cremation is to take place in Springfield, Mass. Plans for the funeral of Jeffrey Smith are pending, as police, relatives and friends continue efforts to locate his parents who left Springfield Friday for several days vacation in Florida. Mrs Smith, their daughter-in-law, said that their exact destination was unannounced. Efforts were hampered also because no one knew the registration number of their Cadillac purchased a year ago in which they are making the trip.

 May Have Dozed 

Relatives of both young victims said that the two friends left their homes Saturday night for Rutland where they had planned to bowl. It is believed that after leaving the bowling alleys they stopped off at a restaurant for a snack before returning home. Members of the Hodgkins family said that there is indication that Robert dozed off to sleep just before his car left the road. He worked nights for the Hamilton-Standard company and it was his usual time for going to sleep.

Meanwhile Springfield police under the direction of Chief Sherman A Martin have been engaged in extensive efforts to locate Mr and Mrs Smith. The officers have interviewed friends and co-workers of the couple as well as efforts to obtain information as to places they might stop on their way south.

Wide Search For Smiths

Police broadcasts are being issued all the way along the route from Vermont to Florida. A motel at Virginia Beach they had spoken of has been contacted, as have friends in Tallahassee. With the cooperation of newsmen and radio station operators Chief Martin has sent out news broadcasts through every state along the route asking that the Springfield couple, driving a Cadillac contact, Springfield as soon as possible.

Police Get Tragic News

News of the double tragedy was received from state police at Rutland by Springfield police about 3:45 o’clock Sunday morning. The investigating troopers wished to ascertain how many occupants were in the car and to notify the families of the two young victims.

 Police Captain Bernard L Lashua, Officer Francis Chadbourne with Dr Frederick Guillmette later went to both the Hodgkins and Smith homes.

Many At Hodgkins Services 

Tiie Rev Fred H Miller of Brattleboro, former pastor of the Universalist church of Springfield officiated at the funeral services at the Davis Memorial chapel yesterday afternoon at 2 o'clock for Robert Hodgkins. The auditorium was filled with mourners including many former classmates of the young man. There was a profusion of floral tributes.

The honorary bearers were David Whitney and Warren Mumford of Springfield, Calvin Lindsay of Wilbraham Mass, a college classmate ,and Gordon Sawyer of East Hartford, Conn, Robert's roommate in Connecticut 

Robert Freeman Hodgkins was born in Springfield September 21, 1940 son of Stewart W and Lucy Freeman Hodgkins He was graduated from Springfield High school in 1958 and from Wentworth institute in Boston in 1960.

Besides his parents he is survived by two brothers, Lieut. William S Hodgkins who is serving in an anti-submarine squadron in the air wing of the U S Navy at Quonset Point, R I and James W Hodgkins of Springfield; his sister Miss Janice L Hodgkins of Springfirid three little nieces, Jill, Wendy and Kathleen Hodgkins of Quonset Point and an aunt and uncle, Mr and Mrs Paul Freeman of Gloucester, Mass.

Jeffrey Leigh Smith

Jeffrey Leigh Smith was born August 29, 1940 in Windsor son of Harold F and Mildred Walker Smith. In addition to his parents, his young widow and two babies, he is survived by his paternal grandparents, Mr and Mrs Robert J Smith of Windsor and a maternal grandmother, Mrs Alice Walker of Riverside, Calif.

He was graduated from Springfield High school in the class of 1958. He attended the University of Vermont prior to his enlistment in the Air Force. He received his training at Lackland Air Force Base at San Antonio Tex and the last two years was stationed at Plattsburgh, N Y Air Force Base. He served with the Strategic Air Command as boom operator in the refuelling of large planes.

The young veteran’s widow, Thelma, has been joined by her mother, Mrs Grace Johnston, brought here by plane from Texarkana, Ark through the efforts of Springfield chapter, American Red Cross. She was flown to Logan airport and taken to Springfield from Boston on the Jones & Lamson company plane. 

Working in cooperation with Springfield police, Mrs Dorothy Durovich of the Red Cross office said that the registration number of Mr and Mrs Smith’s car was obtained yesterday morning from the State Motor Vehicle department and also from a cancelled check at the First National Bank. The number has been given to Red Cross chapters at Clearwater, Jacksonville and Virginia Beach, Fla and the representatives of these chapters are checking every motel in their respective areas. The registration number is Vermont 76920.

Mr and Mrs Robert J Smith of Windsor arrived early Sunday to be with the family of their grandson. Other relatives assisting are cousins Mr and Mrs John Smith of Morristown N J.