Roosevelt Adolphus Hampton, 93, of East Hartford passed away peacefully on March 31, 2023. He was born on November 24, 1929, in Hartford to the late Roosevelt Hampton Sr. and Viola (Irving) Rogers.
A product of East Hartford schools, he graduated from East Hartford High School where he lettered in football, and then attended Claflin University in South Carolina on a four-year football scholarship playing in the position of tackle. While attending Claflin in the off-season, he met his beloved wife, Mattie, at South Carolina State College.
In 1948, he answered a call to service and enlisted in the Marine Corps where he did his boot camp training with the notable “Montford Point Marines” in Jacksonville, NC. He had active service throughout the Korean War with the 1st Marine Division and participated in the Inchon landing, the Battle of the Pusan Perimeter and the epic withdrawal from the Chosin Reservoir, and was honorably discharged as a Sergeant when his tour ended.
He later married Mattie (Chaplin) Hampton and they made their residence in East Hartford in the home that he built. He was a dedicated and devoted husband and father who loved his family and together with his wife Mattie, raised three beautiful children. In his early years, he worked at Gray Manufacturing and Pratt & Whitney. Later he was hired by Colts Manufacturing Co. (Colts Firearms) where he worked for almost 30 years and was promoted to the position of Metrology Supervisor in 1966 in charge of the Gauge Control department, one of the first black men in the history of that venerable company to achieve supervisory rank.
Roosevelt was a member of Metropolitan A.M.E. Zion Church in Hartford, and loved attending the worship services until he was physically not able to do so. He especially appreciated the members and music performed by the Worship Choir each week. He loved football and enjoyed watching sports all year long, and was a devotee of jazz music.
He is predeceased by his late wife of 62 years, Mattie (Chaplin) Hampton, and survived by his son and daughter in law Kenneth and Brenda (Nurse) Hampton of Berlin, and daughters Phyllis and Christina Hampton both of East Hartford; cousins Nancy Raye and Michael Raye, Cousin Joe Young and the Rev. Robert Young and his wife Roberta Young, as well as cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.
The family would like to thank the medical team and staff at both Hartford Hospital and Riverside Healthcare, and doctors Jarrod Post and Robert Sasse, and APRN Yan Yan Beach. Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to those who took the time to visit, call, and pray for Roosevelt through his time of illness.
There will be a private funeral service held on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, followed by a private interment service at Silver Lane Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Holy Temple Church of God in Christ, 691 Windsor Ave, Windsor, CT 06095, or Metropolitan AME Zion Church, P.O Box 571, Hartford, CT 06120.
Thank you to Newkirk & Whitney, 318 Burnside Avenue in East Hartford, for providing funeral arrangements.
