Roger Smith Obituary
Roger grew up in Medford Lakes and attended Moorestown Friends School. After graduating from Muhlenberg College with a degree in sociology, Roger dedicated his life to public service and community leadership. He began his career in law enforcement as a dispatcher with the Medford Township Police Department in 1968. He joined the Medford Lakes Police Department in 1969 and served the department faithfully for 27 years. He spent 20 of those years as Chief of Police. At the time of his appointment, he was the youngest police chief in Burlington County. His tenure was marked by integrity, professionalism, and a deep commitment to the safety and well-being of his community. He was instrumental in organizing a successful grass-roots campaign in the community to solicit support for switching police department employees to the more comprehensive Police and Fire Retirement System.
Roger was a lifelong sportsman who, with his beloved wife of 43 years, Nancy, found joy in the outdoors as an avid hunter and fisherman. Roger and Nancy pursued their love for outdoor adventure in places such as British Columbia, Maine, Michigan, Montana, upstate New York, and of course in the fields, woods, and waters of their home state of New Jersey. In retirement, he devoted himself to breeding Deutsch-Drahthaar dogs, a passion that brought him great pride and connection. He served as Vice Chairman, Director of Testing, Orthopedic Evaluation coordinator, and was a long time performance judge for the Deutsch-Drahthaar breed club in North America where he made lasting contributions to the organization and the breed he loved. He also served as Chairman of the club's local chapter for many years.
Roger is survived by his loving wife Nancy; his sisters-in-law, Susan Bohs and Judy Bohs; and his cousins, nieces, and nephews. He will be remembered for his dedication, his warmth, and the steadfast loyalty he showed to family, friends, and community.
Funeral Services are private at the request of the family. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Bradley & Stow Funeral Home of Medford, NJ. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in Roger's name be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, PO Box 758516, Topeka, KS 66675-8516. (BradleyStow.com)
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Roger Newell Smith, please visit our floral store.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Sean Derman
November 30, 2025
I'm so sorry to hear the passing of Roger. He was an amazing person. I've known him since I was a little boy. He gave me a lot of good guidance over the years. I haven't spoke with him and Nancy in a few years but he was a good friend. My condolences to Nancy and his family.
Sean Derman
Hans A Klein
November 30, 2025
I am sorry to hear about Roger´s passing.
His contribution to the Verein Deutsch Drahthaar Group North America was outstanding.
Kathy Neumann
November 30, 2025
We are so sorry to hear of Roger´s passing. We met Roger (and Nancy) about five years ago when looking for a hunting companion for my husband. After much research, we decided to go with the Deutsch Drahthaar. Roger was an incredible source of knowledge and was incredibly patient with us, as first time dog owners. When it came down to choosing a pup from the litter, Roger helped us with that, too. Kassi V vom Altmoor (a/k/a Jäger) has been an incredible gift to our family - she´s an amazing pet, as well as the perfect hunting companion. Our thoughts are with Nancy at this difficult time. We will always remember Roger and are grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from him, and own one of his pups.
The Neumann Family - Elkridge, MD
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Loewe
November 30, 2025
I have very fond memories of training dogs with Roger at the New Jersey training days. I send my biggest hugs to Nancy. Thank you Roger for all you have done for the community! We will miss you.
Carl and Debby Sturges
November 30, 2025
One of my first connections with the Drathaar.
A man who could be called upon to help and would take my call without fail.
He will be sorely missed.
My condolences to Nancy.
Rhonda and Neal Feazel
November 28, 2025
There are so many great memories that we have of Roger. We had the pleasure of knowing him for almost 4 decades through events held by the VDD-GNA. Roger was a very knowledgeable and generous person. One occasion stands out for us. We will never forget how Roger helped us when Neal´s mother passed away one day before Neal was hosting and serving as the test director for a VGP in Iowa. Roger took over Neal´s responsibilities as TD and the event went smoothly. Not many people would have done this, but Roger didn´t hesitate and told us not to worry. This exemplified Roger´s dedication and generosity, and we greatly appreciated his support.
We have had a lot of fun at many events with both Roger and Nancy. We are so grateful that we were able to become friends with Roger and Nancy.
Roger will be missed by us and many people whose lives he touched over the years. We send our condolences to Nancy and all of their family members.
Sherry and Ron Nichols
November 26, 2025
We have so many memories with Roger and Nancy over the last 40 +years. He was so loved and will certainly be missed. He was our very first connection with the drahtharrs.
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127 Medford-Mt. Holly Rd., Medford, NJ 08055
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