Henry Marshall

Proud veteran of the US Navy in World War II, Henry Channing Marshall, 86,

died Jan. 4, 2012, at Gilchrist Hospice in Columbia, Md., of congestive heart failure. Henry grew up in Dayton, Md., and after college went on to work as an executive at General Motors before realizing his true independent, entrepreneurial nature as an auto dealer in Reading, Pa.

Henry was born in South Chicago, Ill., on April 4, 1925. In 1936 the family moved to Dayton, Md., where his parents purchased an historic farm property, originally known as Gaithers Chance. His patriotism surfaced early when he joined the Maryland Minutemen at age 15 during WWII and, when 17, joined the US Navy. In 1943, he was assigned to the Naval Aviation Cadet V-5A program, attending Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. He served in the South Pacific on the USS Independence Aircraft Carrier as an Aviation Radioman 3/c and was in Tokyo Bay when the peace treaty was signed. He felt strongly that his Navy service was a great privilege, crediting it with teaching him responsibility and enabling his later business success.

A 1951 graduate of the University of Maryland, he was a lifelong member of Sigma Chi Fraternity. After graduating from college, he worked 13 years for the Chevrolet Division of General Motors as a District Manager, leaving in 1967 to purchase the Chevrolet dealership in Reading, Pa. He later added Honda and Volvo, making him the largest franchise in the area.

Henry was an active, lifelong Republican. His determination in voter registration activities enabled him to turn 22 precincts Republican, for which he received the Charles Miller Award as Republican of the Year in 1990.

His civic activities included serving as vice chair of the Reading Airport Authority, Pennsylvania; board member of the Waverly historic house, Howard County; lifetime member of the Howard County Historical Society; member of the Society of the Sons of the American Revolution and Veterans of Foreign Wars. He was a member of various business organizations.

He is survived by his loving wife, Janet Monroe Schumann; his beloved children Christina Channing Simpson, Baltimore, Md., and Mark Hayward Marshall, Jupiter, Fla.; his loving stepchildren Patricia Carr, Dublin, Ireland, Paula G. Schumann, Washington, D.C., and Peter F. Schumann, Reading, Pa.; and his devoted step grandchildren James Carr and Sophia Carr of Dublin, Ireland. His marriage to Elizabeth Ann Marshall ended in divorce.

Memorial service will be held Feb. 15, 2012, at 11 a.m. at Sandy Spring Friends Meeting, 17715 Meeting House Rd., Sandy Spring, MD 20860. If so inclined, donations to Sandy Spring Meeting, 17715 Meeting House Rd., Sandy Spring, MD 20860 or Gilchrist Hospice, 11311 McCormick Rd., Ste 350, Hunt Valley, MD 21033.