Howard Gotthardt was born in Jersey City, N.J. on Dec. 17, 1915 and died at St. Luke’s Hospital in Columbus on Feb. 22, 2012. He was predeceased by his wife, Margaret, after a marriage of 67 years. He is survived by his sister-in-law, Elizabeth Meyer of New Jersey; nieces and nephews and his faithful caregiver of many years, Teresa Pate of Landrum.
In his youth, Mr. Gotthardt was primarily interested in aviation. Prior to completing aeronautical engineering courses, he went to work as a draftsman for Chance Vought Aircraft, a manufacturer of naval aircraft. In 1938, he joined Stearman Aircraft, a division of Boeing Aircraft, in Wichita, Kansas.
In December 1938, he and Margaret were married. They began their married life in Baltimore, Md., where Mr. Gotthardt was employed by the Glenn L. Martin Aircraft Company. In 1940, the company subcontracted an aircraft design project to Otis Elevator Company in New York City. Mr. Gotthardt was transferred to New York City and worked there until the end of the war, at which time the Gotthardts moved back to Baltimore. Apartment rentals were hard to find and the Gotthardts decided to return to the New York City area to see what the future held.
A short time later, an Otis acquaintance heard of their return and offered Mr. Gotthardt a job with Otis. That was the beginning of a career that continued for 20 years. The Otis advertising department, dormant during the war years, was being recreated and Mr. Gotthardt was assigned to it. Upon leaving Otis, he had been advertising manager for six years.
The Gotthardts were living in rural northwestern New Jersey. Mr. Gotthardt found a position as draftsman for an architect. This reduced his commuting time from four hours a day to 20 minutes a day.
In 1972, the Gotthardts moved to Tryon, where he was employed as a draftsman by the local architectural firm of Brady & Brannon. Recalling his days working with Brady & Brannon, Mr. Gotthardt often said, “Those were the most rewarding experiences of my entire career.”
Mr. Gotthardt was a member of the Tryon Painters and Sculptors and exhibited some of his art works in their gallery. He also participated with the art group to help with the hanging of exhibits at the Tryon Fine Arts Center.
The Gotthardts retired in 1993. At the time of his death, Mr. Gotthardt resided at LaurelHurst Apartments in Columbus.
A memorial service will be held at the dining room at LaurelHurst on Monday, March 5 at 4 p.m.
Memorials may be sent to the charity of one’s choice.
McFarland Funeral Chapel, Tryon, is in charge of arrangements.