Nathaniel C Hampton

Live Streaming of the Service will be provided below.

Nathaniel Clem Hampton of Ewing, NJ departed this life on Friday, February 26, 2021 after a long illness.

Born on September 12, 1928 to Doris and Henry G. Hampton, he was the eldest of four sons, Henry, Edward and Eugene Hampton.  He grew up in Whalleyville, Maryland and later moved to Freehold, NJ where he attended grammar school at the West Freehold House and then he attended High School at the Manual Training and Industrial School( M.T.I.S)  in Bordentown, NJ.  M.T.I.S was a great institution that was for African-American men and women and many prestigious and successful African-Americans graduated from the school.  

Nathaniel learned two trades while attending M.T.I.S and he graduated with both a plumber and barber license.  He met and married Helen L. Martin on October 4, 1949 and they briefly lived on the school campus until they later moved to Farmingdale (West Farms), NJ where they raised five children, Brenda, Bruce, Nolan, Natalie and Hope.  Nathaniel and Helen were married for 44 years until her sudden death on March 5, 1994.

He was very active in the community of West Farms and he would cut hair, fix plumber issues and he coached the Little League team for many years.  He was loved by everyone that he met and you could often hear him telling stories about his days at Bordentown or telling jokes. He loved to fish and would often take the grandchildren fishing when they were younger.  He loved to watch old Western movies and he loved listening to jazz music.  

Nathaniel worked for the State of NJ at the E.R. Johnstone Training Center for 45 years as a plumber and he would also cut hair for the some of the students. During the weekends, he would cut hair at Mr. Henry’s Barbershop in Lawnside, NJ.  

In 2001, he married Anne Truehart and they lived in Ewing, NJ.  They enjoyed traveling to different places and spending time with our family and their friends.

“Hamp” as he was affectionately known by his friends was very active in keeping the history about M.T.I.S alive and he was instrumental in ensuring that M.T.I.S was deemed a historical site in Bordentown, NJ.  For many years, our family and friends would attend the Alumni Cookout on the school grounds and he was known for his famous fried fish and people would line up patiently waiting to get a piece of fish every year.  In 2010, he was a key contributor to the documentary, A Place Out of Time which aired on PBS and talked about the history of M.T.I.S, he thought he was a celebrity once it aired and he enjoyed talking to the community about the documentary and history of the school.           

Whether you called him Hamp, Nat, Dad or Poppy he was our family jewel and he was a great father, grandfather, husband and friend.  He was preceded in death by his parents, Doris and Henry Hampton, brother, Edward and his wives Helen and Anne.  He lived a fruitful and long life and he will be missed by all that knew and loved him.  

His legacy will live on through his  children, Brenda(Isaac), Bruce(Sylvia), Nolan(Aileen), Natalie and Hope.  His grandchildren, Nicole, Jerome, Katie, Ivy, Shontei, Alena, Albert and Hakeem and 12 great grandchildren.  His brothers, Henry G. Hampton and Preston(Jeanne) Hampton and their children.

His Uncle Elwood Armstrong, Sister-in-Law, Janet Burney, Godson, Kyle Daniels and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, family and friends from West Farms and abroad.

His M.T.I.S alumni friends, Russell Byrd, Betty Campbell, John Medley and Dr. Mildred Rice.

His neighbors, Bea and Ralph and good friends Bernice and Mary.

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