COOPERSTOWN - Robert Mills Crampton, a long-time teacher and avid sportsman, died at his home, "Maple Shade", early Monday morning, October 21, 2013. A loving husband and father, he was 69.
A native of New Jersey, Bob was born May 1, 1944, in Rahway, a son of the late Charles Ward Crampton, Jr. and Marion Elizabeth née Mills Crampton. He grew up in Westfield, where he enjoyed playing on little league and pony league baseball teams.
Throughout his youth, Bob enjoyed visiting the Cooperstown area, and with his family were regular summer residents of the Otsego Colony.
After graduating from high school, Bob attended Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, where he earned a bachelor of science degree in economics in 1966. While a student at Lafayette, Bob excelled in sports and other extracurricular activities. During his freshman year he played on the baseball team, and for the next three years was on the golf team, ultimately being named MVP in his senior year. Bob was also a member of the Bridge team and was a social member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
Bob later attended Montclair State College where he earned a Master's degree in education. He began his teaching career in 1969 with the Binghamton School District, and taught at the Alexander Hamilton Elementary School until 1973. Bob and his family then moved to Cooperstown and in September of 1974 he began teaching third grade at the Schuyler Lake School, which was a part of Richfield Springs Central School, where he taught until 2004 when he retired.
Throughout his life, Bob enjoyed playing all kinds of sports. He played squash, and as a member of the Clark Sports Center Squash Team, played in many tournaments at the Fort Orange Club in Albany. He also played tennis, which he coached, along with golf, at Richfield Springs; racquetball, table tennis and basketball at the Clark Sports Center.
Golf, though, was his main passion - the sport at which he truly excelled. As a high school student, he got his first hole-in-one while playing at the Otsego Golf Club in Springfield Center. In the early 70s he was a member of the En-Joie Golf Club in Endicott where he was club champion and played in the first BC Open, a PGA tour golf tournament. A long-time subscriber at The Leatherstocking Golf Course in Cooperstown, Bob was club champion there multiple times, as well as being champion at the Otsego Golf Club.
In addition to teaching and playing sports, Bob enjoyed owning and operating the bed and breakfast he and his wife, Linda established in 1986, named "Maple Shade".
Bob is survived by his loving wife of 47 years, the former Linda Lee Stiles, whom he married on June 18, 1966, in a ceremony at the First Baptist Church of Cooperstown. Bob is further survived by their children and their families: Robert Stiles Crampton of Seattle, Washington, Michael Ward Crampton and Lisa Smith and their son, Julian Robert Smith Crampton, all of Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey, and Nancy Lynn Crampton and Felix Abreu, and their daughter, Emilia Mae Abreu of the Bronx.
Bob is also survived by his brother, William Scott Crampton, of Colorado; two nieces, Mary Beth Crampton of Boston, Massachusetts, and Lindsay Crampton of Rochester; and two nephews, Matthew Reid Crampton of Rochester, and William Scott Crampton, Jr., of Colorado.
Family and friends may call from 4-7 p.m. on Sunday, October 27, 2013, at the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.
The family will be having a memorial for him next Spring at their home.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a memorial donation to the American Heart Association, P. O. Box 3049, Syracuse, NY 13220-3049.
Arrangements are under the care and guidance of the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.
If you would like to send condolences to the family, send an email to Connell, Dow & Deysenroth. We will forward your comments to the family. If you would like to send flowers in memory of the deceased, contact Mohican Flowers at (607) 547-8822, or A Rose is a Rose at (607) 264-3100.
