Kendall C. “Ken” Smith on the Open Mike Show with Tim Coco last September.
The Best of Open Mike Show tonight features the last radio interview with Kendall C. “Ken” Smith, the longtime president of Pentucket Bank, who passed away Saturday, Feb. 11, just before his 78th birthday.
Smith, who had made numerous appearances over WHAV over the years, visited the Open Mike Sept. 20, to discuss the then-upcoming 14th Annual Pines Speedway Reunion in Groveland.
“I do think that if you were a young boy in Groveland, growing up in the 40s, or 50s, 60s or 70s, you couldn’t help but go to the Pines Speedway,” he said.
During a 2014 interview on WHAV’s Open Mike Show, Smith reflected on his career in banking.
“I stayed in banking my whole life. It was the best thing that ever happened to me. I worked 52 years as a banker and I enjoyed every minute of it, especially the time I spent at Pentucket Bank,” Smith said. He retired as president of Pentucket Bank in 2008 and remained chairman of the board until the end of 2015.
Smith grew up on School Street in Groveland and went to Perley High School, while many of his classmates went to Haverhill High School after Groveland closed its own high school. He did sell hot dogs though at Haverhill High School football games.
After working in Haverhill shoe shops for three years and upon graduating from Bentley College, Smith was hired in 1958 by Edward Ingalls, vice president of Merrimack Valley National Bank.
Smith passed away in Florida. A complete obituary is forthcoming.
Oh that’s interesting
ken smith was as good as one can be. he will be missed.
Ken was a great man. Quite the Haverhill, Groveland and Pines historian. A major loss for our community. I’m so sorry to read that he passed, but very glad that I knew him.