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Johnathan A. Smith of Florida, formerly of Branford, died Sept. 11 at the age of 73 at the Backus Hospital in Norwich. He was the beloved husband of Debra Shusta Smith. Mr. Smith was born in New London, and was the son of the late Arthur C. and Suzanne Lunde Smith.

He was the founder and owner of the U.S.S. Chowder Pot III in Branford for 40 years, and the U.S.S. Chowder Pot IV of Hartford for 19 years. His restaurant career began in 1977 when he was laid off from the Armstrong Rubber Company and he purchased a small drive-in in Madison, where he sold clam chowder, fried seafood, hot dogs, hamburgers, and ice cream. Chowder Pot I became an instant success and soon after three other locations followed.

Besides his wife he is survived by his daughters Mary-Ellen Swift of Branford, Angela Smith of Clinton, Chrissy-Lynn Maddox of Bozrah, Sherry Smith of North Branford, and Danielle Smith of Bozrah; his sisters Pamela Oswald of Clinton, Elizabeth Premo of Hampton, New Hampshire, and Kelli Johnson of Wallingford; his brother Richard Smith of Cortez, Colorado; and nine grandchildren. He was predeceased by his sister Bonnie Lee Spencer.

Visiting hours were held Sept. 18 at the W.S. Clancy Memorial Funeral Home, 244 N. Main St., Branford. A Mass of Christian burial was celebrated Sept. 19 in St. Therese Church. Burial followed in Evergreen Cemetery, Killingworth. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to the Stony Creek Fife and Drum Corps, P.O. Box 1886, Stony Creek, CT 06405. For an online memorial, visit www.wsclancy.com.