Robert "Babe" Suddith
2011 Hall Of Fame Inductee
MADA is proud to recognize Robert B. Suddith (1932-2004) as our second inductee into the Maryland Automobile Dealers Association Hall of Fame. Bob began his automotive career as the Used Car Manager at Chevy Chase Chevrolet in Bethesda, MD. He enlisted in the United States Army, serving in the Army Corps of Engineers during the Korean War, and returned to Chevy Chase Chevrolet following the war. He purchased the Executive Pontiac dealership in Baltimore in 1968, but had to close it the day it opened as a result of riots in the wake of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. He reopened the business and moved it to Randallstown, MD. He purchased Hoffman Chevrolet in Hagerstown, MD in 1980 and expanded the business in the years that followed.
Throughout his career, Bob was the recipient of numerous awards and distinctions in the industry. He served as Chairman of the Board for MADA; served as the Maryland Director on the National Automobile Dealers Association; and was the 1997 Maryland nominee for the TIME Magazine Quality Dealer of the Year Award.
Bob was also known for his extreme generosity and his philanthropic passions. He and Shelly founded the Suddith Charitable Foundation which gives annually to local schools, Boys & Girls Clubs, and also contributes to international needs. In 2003, the Foundation donated funds which went towards building a school for girls in India. Following September 11, 2001, Bob and Shelly opened Uncle Sam’s Workshop. They made and sold beaded flag pins, ultimately donating over $200,000 in funds to the families of 9/11 victims.
