Warren J Smith Jr., an advertising executive with Tribune Co. in Chicago and New York for nearly 40 years, died Monday, March 20, in Greenwich, Conn., of complications from pneumonia. Mr. Smith, 89, was born in Waterloo, Iowa, and was raised in Chicago. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in English and psychology from Brown University, he started selling classified ads for the Chicago Tribune. While an employee of the company, Mr. Smith joined the Navy during World War II and served in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters. After the war, he continued to serve in the Naval Reserve, retiring in 1970 as a captain. He later took graduate courses in business and psychology at Northwestern University. Mr. Smith moved to Connecticut in 1960 to become an advertising executive on the East Coast for Tribune Co. He worked in New York as an advertising manager for First 3 Markets Group, which handled the advertising for the magazine sections of the Chicago Tribune, the New York Daily News and the Philadelphia Inquirer. He retired in 1974, and moved to Vero Beach, Fla. His wife of 32 years, Merry Louise, died in 1988. Mr. Smith enjoyed listening to jazz music and collecting jazz memorabilia, such as recordings and brass instruments. He is survived by his son, Warren J III and his grandson, Warren J IV. Services will be private.
