John H. Small, 91, owned a sneaker store in Ardmore
As an Army sharpshooter, he survived the Battle of the Bulge
John Small didn't have it easy growing up in Delaware County during the Depression.
He endured a series of tough jobs, like hoisting 100-pound slabs of soap at a Fels Naptha plant in Darby Borough for skimpy wages, and scrounging elsewhere to make a buck to help his family.
The experiences hardened him physically and mentally, but nothing could really have prepared him for the horrors of war.
John became an Army sharpshooter in the European Theater in World War II, and survived the Battle of the Bulge, the bloodiest battle of a bloody war.
But his fortunes turned in peacetime, and he became a successful businessman, selling sneakers to what seemed like every kid and his parents in a wide region beyond the store in Ardmore.
John H. Small, who epitomized the men and women raised in the 1920s and '30s who became the stalwarts of the "Greatest Generation," and went on to help mold the future of the country, died Tuesday at Dunwoody Village in Newtown Square. He was 91 and lived in Broomall.
"I believe growing up in Darby during the Depression and performing strenuous labor at an early age aided my uncle in his physical and mental toughness," said his nephew John McLaughlin. "It very much aided him in getting through the war.
"He was one of the toughest guys I ever knew, but he was also mild-mannered and very kind."
Like many combat veterans, John Small was reluctant to talk about the war, but over the years, brief stories leaked out, like the time a buddy was killed in a foxhole they shared. He also talked about the pain of frostbitten feet, which bothered him the rest of his life.
The Battle of the Bulge, from December 1944 to January 1945, resulted when the German army made a desperate, final offensive through the Ardennes region of Belgium, France, and Luxembourg to try to turn the tide of the war.
It failed, but at the cost of 89,000 American casualties, killed, wounded and missing, and between 67,200 and 125,000 German casualties. The British suffered 1,408 casualties.
John Small always gave his best efforts to whatever he did, and that included his Army service.
"He was a Saving Private Ryan kind of guy," his nephew said. He quoted his uncle as saying, "You knew you were going to die, but you were not going to die that day."
John Small was born to Henry and Mary Agnes Small, who left Ireland during harsh economic times and settled first in Canada. They eventually slipped into the United States and lived in various places before settling in Darby.
Henry Small had been a farmer in Ireland, and one of his favorite jobs after arriving here was tending the horses used for milk delivery by a dairy in Darby.
John graduated from Blessed Virgin Mary grade school in Darby and took various jobs to help his family, which included five brothers and sisters.
He and a brother tried picking corn in a farm outside Darby, and had to duck a shot fired at them by the farmer. Later, the farmer relented and hired them to pick his corn.
Entering the Army was probably a relief from the harsh conditions of the soap factory, until he faced the reality of war.
After his discharge, he went to work at the former Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. in Chester. His job was to remove asbestos from ships.
"He used to say, 'Damn asbestos!' " his nephew said. And for good reason. The family believes that exposure to asbestos led to a lifetime of breathing problems and possibly his death.
John became an apprentice to a shoe repairman in the Kirklyn section of Upper Darby in the 1950s, and learned the trade.
He eventually opened his own shoe repair shop in Ardmore. It was there that he began selling discounted sneakers in the '70s. He gave up repairing shoes and concentrated on selling sneakers.
He bought out another store selling discounted sneakers in Broomall. He sold "bo-bo" sneakers for $3 or $4, and Keds for $6.
"It seemed like every kid in Delaware County had a pair of sneakers from John's Sneaks in Ardmore," said another nephew, Stephen Litzenberg, the current owner of the store.
"Many of his customers will recall him saying, 'Wear 'em around the house for a few days, and if you don't like 'em, bring 'em back for a different pair,'" John McLaughlin said.
"He was a very kind and mild-mannered individual," Litzenberg said. "My cousins will miss him dearly."
Besides nieces and nephews, he is survived by a sister, Theresa Litzenberg McGinty.
Services: Funeral Mass 12:30 p.m. tomorrow at St. Anastasia Church, 3301 West Chester Pike, Newtown Square. Friends may call at 11:45 a.m. Burial will be in Ss. Peter and Paul Cemetery, Marple.
Donations may be made to Little Sisters of the Poor, 5300 Chester Ave., Philadelphia 19143.
215-854-5573