Jim Lynch, after suffering from Parkinson’s disease for several
years, died June 11, 2007, in Denville, N.J. He was 94.
Jim was vice president and treasurer of New York News Inc., when, in
1971, he joined Tribune Co., publishers of the Chicago Tribune, as director
of accounting and finance. A Chicago native, he had worked for Arthur
Andersen & Co., accountants, from 1934 to 1941, when he joined the
Chicago Tribune as an auditor. During World War II he served with an armored
division in France, Germany, and Austria, earning a Bronze Star. After
the war and another stint at the Chicago Tribune, he moved to The Daily
News in New York, where he became auditor and controller and, later, treasurer.
Jim was married in 1938 to Alene “Lolly” Krell and they
had three sons, only one of whom, Terence (“Terry”), survives.
Also surviving are seven grandchildren. Lolly Lynch died in 1991, and
Jim wrote, “My greatest satisfaction and principal enjoyment was
my life with my wife, Lolly.”
The Class of 1934
George Elias Alter Jr. ’38
George Elias Alter Jr. died May 10, 2007, in Shepherdstown, W.Va.
Born Feb. 9, 1916, in Springdale, Pa., he spent his childhood in Pittsburgh,
where he attended Arnold School (now Shady Side Academy). George earned
a bachelor’s in chemistry from Princeton.
For 10 years he was involved in chemical research at the Mellon Institute
in Pittsburgh. Thereafter he worked for Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp.,
rising to superintendent of the Blair Limestone division before his retirement
in 1976. For many years he was also a board member of the Old National
Bank of Martinsburg, W.Va. (now BB&T Corp.).
In 1949 George married Patricia Kent White, the widow of George’s
classmate Kimble White. They were happily married until her death in 2005.
During the many years that they lived in the Martinsburg area, George
compiled a remarkable record of community service. In addition to serving
on the Trinity Episcopal Church vestry, he was a director or officer of
the Rotary Club, chamber of commerce, Boy Scouts, Berkeley County Planning
Commission, and the board of education.
George is survived by two sons, one stepson, two grandchildren, and
three great-grandchildren. The class extends its sincere condolences to
each of them.
The Class of 1938
William Thomas Galey III ’38
William Thomas Galey III died Jan. 30, 2007, in Portland, Maine, following
brain surgery.
Bill was born in Philadelphia Nov. 21, 1916. He attended Hotchkiss School
and graduated from Princeton with a bachelor’s in history. At Princeton
he was manager of football and active in class affairs. As an alumnus
he served in almost every class office. Bill married Anne Knight, also
of Philadelphia, in 1939.
During World War II, Bill was a naval officer in the South Pacific,
stationed with a land-based outfit charged with air warning and fighter
control. He participated in the invasions of Bougainville, Emirau, and
Ulithi.
Bill spent his business life in the textile industry, rising to treasurer
of Aberfoyle Manufacturing Co.
In the 1950s, the family began summering on Chebeague Island, Maine,
for golf and sailing. After Bill’s retirement in 1983, the couple
moved to Southern Pines, N.C., where they enjoyed golf. In 1998 they moved
year-round to Falmouth, Maine, where Bill, a devout Catholic, served on
the board of the Maine Right to Life Committee.
Bill is survived by his wife, four children, seven grandchildren, and
five great-grandchildren. We extend heartfelt condolences to them all.
The Class of 1938
LeGrand Adams Gould ’38
LeGrand Adams Gould died of pneumonia May 12, 2007, in Community Hospital
of the Monterey Peninsula, Calif.
Lee was born and raised in New York City. He was highly educated at
Riverdale Country Day School; at Princeton, where he earned a bachelor’s
in history; at Harvard’s graduate school; at the Army War College;
and at Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he received an MBA
in 1954. In 1945, Lee married Barbara Greenlee of Los Angeles.
Lee served in the Army in the Pacific Area Headquarters during World
War II, achieving the rank of captain and receiving a Bronze Star.
After Lee’s military discharge, the Goulds lived in the eastern
United States for six years before moving west to Palo Alto, Menlo Park,
and eventually Pebble Beach, Calif. For 25 years Lee was a stockbroker
with Kidder Peabody and its offspring in the San Francisco area.
Lee was an enthusiastic golfer at the Monterey Peninsula Country Club.
He and his sons raced Mercury-class sailboats at Stillwater Yacht Club,
where Lee was a commodore in the 1980s. He also developed a passion for
genealogy and served our class as historian and regional vice president.
Lee leaves Barbara, their two sons, and five grandchildren, to all of
whom the class sends its sincere condolences.
The Class of 1938
Laidler Bowie Mackall ’38
Laidler Bowie Mackall died of congestive heart failure June 6, 2007,
in Chevy Chase, Md.
A native of Washington, D.C., Mac attended St. Alban’s School
and graduated from Princeton with a bachelor’s in history. He served
in the Army Air Force as a bomber pilot in the Pacific and the China-Burma-India
theater, and he flew 17 missions “over the hump” of the Himalayas.
His military awards included the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver
Star, and the Air Medal. He rose to the rank of colonel.
After earning a law degree from Georgetown University in 1947, Mac joined
the Washington law firm of Steptoe & Johnson, becoming a partner in
1952. He was a litigator specializing in railroad law. Mac was a fellow
in the American College of Trial Lawyers. He retired in 1999.
Mac was a member of the Chevy Chase Club, the Metropolitan Club, and
the Moorings Club of Vero Beach, Fla., his winter home. His first marriage
to Nancy Taylor ended in divorce. Later, he was happily married for 29
years to Prudence Colbert of Chevy Chase.
Survivors include his wife, three daughters by his first wife, three
stepchildren, eight grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. To each,
the class extends its sincere condolences.
The Class of 1938
George Orlando Morgan III ’38
George Orlando Morgan III died of Alzheimer’s disease on his 91st
birthday, June 11, 2007, in LaNucia, Spain.
He grew up in Sewickley, Pa., and came to Princeton from The Hill School.
George graduated with a bachelor’s in geology and began a lifelong
musical career while a Triangle Club member.
During World War War II George served as an intelligence officer in
the North African and Italian campaigns, rose to the rank of major, and
later was military attaché in the U.S. embassy in Rome.
George’s business career was with the Aluminum Co. of Canada (Alcan)
in the United States, Canada, Spain, and Switzerland. He held the positions
of director and vice president in various Alcan subsidiaries. After his
retirement, George and his wife, Marinka, moved to their home on Spain’s
Mediterranean coast.
George immersed himself in Dixieland jazz and organized bands wherever
he lived. His band of classmates, “The Eight Balls,” played
at reunions for 33 years. While he could play many instruments, he chose
the trombone and played with many jazz greats, including Jack Teagarden
and Louis Armstrong. George was a class officer for many years.
Marinka survives George as do his three children and nine grandchildren,
with whom the class shares the sorrow of his death.
The Class of 1938
Stephen Whitcomb ’38
Stephen Whitcomb died of heart failure Jan. 22, 2007, in South Yarmouth,
Mass.
He was born Dec. 10, 1916, in New York City. He graduated from the Taft
School and at Princeton received a bachelor’s with honors in economics.
He earned an MBA from Harvard in 1941 and, soon thereafter, was commissioned
as an ensign in the Navy. For four years, Steve served in both the Atlantic
and Pacific theaters of World War II, rising to lieutenant commander.
After military duty, Steve worked as an officer of several firms including
Princeton Bank and Trust Co. In 1954, he married Suzanne Dick, a lovely
English girl. In 1977, he became a self-employed investment counselor
and estate manager in the United States and the United Kingdom. He retired
in 1985.
Steve often was active in Princeton class affairs in the New England
region. In retirement, he and Sue spent eight months each year on Cape
Cod and four in their London apartment until her death.
Steve is survived by two daughters, seven grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren
— all offspring from Steve’s earlier wartime marriage to Dorothy
Dunklin. To all of Steve’s family, the class sends its sincere condolences.
The Class of 1938
Robert Maddock Backes ’39
Bob died at a hospital near his home in Sanibel, Fla., April 30, 2007.
A native of Trenton, he became a partner there in the family law firm
of Backes & Backes. His outside activities included being of counsel
to the Medical Society of New Jersey, president of Mercer Medical Center,
and president of Mercer County Bar Association, as well as helping numerous
key business and civic causes.
At the same time Bob served 25 years in the Army, retiring as a brigadier
general in the Army National Guard. During World War II he was an artillery
battalion commander in Germany and served again in Korea during the Korean
War. He was awarded five Battle Stars, a Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Clusters,
the French Croix de Guerre, the U.N. Service Medal, New Jersey Medal of
Honor, and the Armed Forces Reserve Medal.
Bob is survived by his second wife, Mona Bloomberg, and by his four
children with his late wife, Sara Curran, who died in 1980. He also leaves
six grandchildren, one great-grandchild, and two stepchildren. We salute
the distinguished life of our classmate and offer our sincere sympathy
to all his family.
The Class of 1939
George Ernest Dale Jr. ’39
Ernie died at his home in Princeton on April 20, 2007, after a long
struggle with pulmonary fibrosis.
Following graduation, his business career began at W.R. Grace Co. exporting
industrial equipment to South America. Subsequently he moved to Princeton
and worked as an assistant to the director of Project Matter-
horn, an atomic-energy research program administered by Princeton University.
He later joined the George H. Fuller Co. as construction manager before
becoming a project manager for Rockefeller Center Inc. during the center’s
expansion along Avenue of the Americas.
An enthusiastic sportsman, Ernie was happiest in the great outdoors
— skiing, hunting, shooting, playing tennis, and riding. He was
a member of the Nassau Club, Pretty Brook Tennis Club, Nassau Gun Club,
and the Princeton Club of New York. He was vice president of our class
from1949 to 1954. He also served as a member of the Princeton Borough
Historic Preservation Review Committee and as a longtime board member
of the Historical Society of Princeton.
Ernie is survived by his wife, the former Ann “Polly” Dickinson,
and numerous cousins. We offer our sincere sympathy to all.
The Class of 1939
Dawson Lycurgus Farber Jr. ’39
Lefty died peacefully in his sleep April 11, 2007, at his Brewster,
Mass., home.
In our senior year he pitched for Princeton against Columbia at Baker
Field in a game broadcast by NBC-TV, an event that was called the first
televised baseball game.
Lefty entered the Army in 1941 and spent four years in the field artillery,
becoming a captain. He saw action in the North African and Italian campaigns
and was awarded both the Bronze and Silver Stars. He went on to a job
at the National Brewery in Baltimore, his hometown, and was vice president
of marketing from 1950 to 1975. He pushed for beer in metal cans instead
of bottles and backed a new product, Colt 45 malt liquor. When National
was sold to Carling in 1973, he became board chairman of Carling National,
retiring in 1982. He served on the board of the Gilman School (his alma
mater) for years and was named a lifetime trustee in 1981.
Lefty and his wife, Patty, were married in 1946 and had a daughter and
five sons, one of whom is Peter ’70. They all shared his interest
in Baltimore home teams and in sailing from their summer home in Brewster.
In addition to his wife and children, Lefty leaves 15 grandchildren and
four great-grandchildren. We offer them our sincere sympathy.
The Class of 1939
William Wheeler Robinson ’39
Bill died in his sleep at Navesink Harbor, Red Bank, N.J., April 3,
2007.
Editor of Yachting magazine and author of 27 sailing books and one novel,
Bill was a lifelong sailor. He wrote his autobiography, A Sailor’s
Tales, “to save my grandchildren from having to listen to me in
my old age.”
After graduating from Pingry, he played freshman football and lacrosse
at Princeton, where he was an English major. In World War II he commanded
a 110-foot Navy sub-chaser during three South Pacific invasions and earned
the Bronze Star for valor.
As a sportswriter in Newark after the war, Bill wrote on boating as
well as Princeton football. (He covered home games into his ’80s.)
Bill joined Yachting in 1957 and was editor-in-chief from1967 to 1978.
He also played squash (once reaching the National Senior Doubles finals),
coached youth sports, promoted junior sailing, and served on his local
school board. He belonged to the New York and Royal Bermuda yacht clubs
and the Shrewsbury Sailing and Yacht Club. He also served as president
of the Princeton Club of New York.
Bill’s wife, Jane, and daughter Alice predeceased him. William
Jr. ’65, daughter Martha, seven grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren
survive. We offer Bill’s family our sincere sympathy.
The Class of 1939
Wilbur Coe Stoll ’39
Bill died May 28, 2007, at Virtua Memorial Hospital in Mount Holly,
N.J.
He had lived most of his life in Plainfield, N.J., where he was an officer
in the Crescent Avenue Presbyterian Church and served on the boards of
the Visiting Nurse Association, the United Way, the Grant Avenue Community
Center, and with the Boy Scouts.
After graduation from Princeton, Bill joined Merck & Co. in Rahway,
starting in research, where he helped to produce some of the first penicillin
and streptomycin, then becoming supervisor of the plant that produced
penicillin for U.S. troops during World War II. Later, he joined Merck’s
international division, traveling extensively and spending a year in Hong
Kong. After his retirement in 1982, he volunteered for several years with
the National Executive Service Corps.
Bill’s wife, the former Frances Ferrier, survives him, as do their
five children, seven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. We offer
them all our sincere sympathy.
The Class of 1939
William Morris Meredith ’40 *47
Bill’s death May 30, 2007, inspired headlines and four-column
obituaries, including “Poet Who Wed Depth to Form” [The New
York Times], and “Poet and friend of poets whose work combines a
haunting ruminative quality with gentle sweetness” [The Independent,
London]. Bill earned national recognition as a Pulitzer Prize winner,
National Book Award winner, and United States poet laureate from 1978
to 1980.
Bill prepared at St. Luke’s School and Lenox School, then followed
his father, William Morris Meredith ’11, his grand-
father, W.M. Meredith 1877, and his cousin, W.F. Meredith 1894, to Princeton.
He majored in English, graduating with high honors. He was on the cross-country
team and was associate editor of the Nassau Lit, a Daily Princetonian
columnist, and a member of Colonial Club.
Bill served in the Army Air Force from 1941 to 1942. In 1943, he enlisted
in the Navy and was discharged in 1946 as a lieutenant. He returned to
active duty during the Korean War as a lieutenant commander. He held two
air medals.
He taught at Princeton, where he took graduate-level English courses,
and other universities until 1955, when he joined the Connecticut College
faculty. He retired in 1983. He authored a dozen books of poetry and was
chancellor of the Academy of American Poets. He was unmarried.
The Class of 1940
Hugh McKelvey Tomb ’41
Hugh died April 27, 2007, in Newton, Mass., where he had lived his entire
life.
A graduate of Newton High School, he majored in SPIA at Princeton and
graduated with high honors. He was a member of Whig-Clio and Campus Club.
For the early years after college, Hugh worked in the plastics division
of Monsanto Chemical Co. He next established his own company, Laminated
Sheet Products Co., and focused on the architectural applications being
developed by such visionaries as Buckminster Fuller, who commissioned
Hugh’s company to build the geodesic dome for the American pavilion
at the 1969 international exhibition in Montreal.
Having retired from the field of industrial plastics, Hugh established
a new enterprise to respond to the growing demand for solar heating applications
in the private sector, both for domestic hot water and space heating.
Through the Elbart Manufacturing Co., Hugh encouraged many students in
the alternative-energy fields of wind and solar power, providing space
and tools for their experiments in the former textile mill that housed
his own projects during the 1980s.
Hugh is survived by his wife, Lavina Chase Tomb; two sons, William and
Douglas; and two grandchildren, Meghan and Jonathan. He was predeceased
by his eldest son, John.
The Class of 1941
HERBERT VAN SANT BREWER ’42
Van Brewer died peacefully March 5, 2007, at home in Brewster, Mass.
A graduate of Choate School, Van was captain of the championship wrestling
team at Princeton and received the Treide Cup. A member of Dial Lodge,
Van roomed with Howie White, who became a lifelong friend. He graduated
Phi Beta Kappa with high honors in mechanical engineering.
Van installed and repaired shipboard Sperry gyroscope compasses to support
the war effort. In 1945 he voluntarily served two years in the Army Corps
of Engineers to train bomber crews at Sandia Base in Albuquerque, N.M.
He received an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1950. After retiring
from Polaroid in 1980 he moved from Wayland, Mass., to Brewster.
Van loved fishing for striped bass and sailing a variety of boats. He
painted watercolors and wrote stories for many years. He was an avid golfer
and designed a backyard golf course. Limited by macular degeneration and
Parkinson’s disease, in later years he created collages and continued
writing stories by dictation. His art and writing express his abiding
love for the Brewster shoreline.
Van is survived by his wife of 53 years, the former Barbara Clement;
a son, Philip, and Philip’s wife, Patricia; a daughter, Judith ’78;
and his grandchildren, Abigail and Caleb.
The Class of 1942
RALPH EDWIN CHURCH JR. ’42
Ralph died June 5, 2007, at home in Vero Beach, Fla. He was 86.
A graduate of St. Alban’s in Washington, D.C., he majored in mechanical
engineering at Princeton. He was a member of Whig-Clio and Key and Seal
Club.
Commissioned as an engineering officer and trained in naval architecture,
he supervised submarine construction at Portsmouth (N.H.) Navy Yard during
World War II. In 1943 he married Janet Richardson, but they later divorced.
They had five children, Deborah, David, John, Austin, and Sara.
After the war he was commander of the American Legion Evanston Post
42.
Ralph pursued two careers with distinction — patent law and politics.
After graduation from Northwestern Law School in 1948, he combined his
law and engineering backgrounds in patent law and joined Neuman, Williams,
Anderson & Olson. He became a partner in 1956 and retired in 1984.
As a member of the Chicago Patent Law Association he made significant
contributions to patent law reform.
Leading up to election as a state central committeeman, Ralph held prominent
positions in Republican organizations. His dedication and experience prompted
the Chicago Daily News to call him “one of the outstanding Republican
leaders in the state . . .”
To Ralph’s third wife, Marion; his five children; 10 grandchildren;
and 11 great-grandchildren, the class extends deepest
condolences.
The Class of 1942
Robert Mason Thomas ’42
A former class president and one of Princeton’s most loyal sons,
Robert Mason Thomas died May 15, 2007, following a stroke.
Born and raised in Baltimore, he graduated from Gilman School, where
he received the highest honor for overall excellence. He was on the football
and lacrosse teams and was editor of his class yearbook, managing editor
of the school paper, and president of the debating club.
At Princeton, Bob was on the championship lacrosse team of 1942 and
a member of Cap and Gown. He graduated with highest honors in the School of
Public and International Affairs.
After Pearl Harbor, Bob served three years as an officer on a destroyer
in the South Pacific, then studied law at Harvard. He began his legal
career in Baltimore, where he became a partner in the firm of Venable,
Baetjer & Howard and specialized in trusts and estates.
Bob served as president of the Baltimore Museum of Art and was a founder
of the Citizens’ Planning and Housing Association and vestryman
at his church.
Bob is survived by his wife of 56 years, the former Helen Whitridge
Bruce; two daughters, Helen and Elizabeth; a son, Robert Jr. ’80;
and six grandchildren. To them all, we extend our deepest sympathy.
The Class of 1942
WILLIAM M. SLOANE ’43
Bill, who was Mr. Everything in the Class of 1943, died of multiple
causes Feb. 28, 2007, at Stonebridge, a senior living community in Montgomery
Township, N.J. He was 86.
Bill served as class president from 1993 to 1998, class agent from 1998
to 2003, and planned giving chairman from 1991 to 2004. He was a longtime
Annual Giving volunteer who helped the class top 80 percent in AG participation.
Born in Paris, he lived in Princeton most of his life. He was a Marine
aviator in World War II, flying a bomber in the Pacific theater and winning
the Distinguished Flying Cross with two clusters. He prepped at Exeter
and graduated from Princeton after the war. He co-captained the freshman
hockey team, was on the varsity championship hockey and varsity soccer
teams, and served as vice president of Cottage Club. He graduated from
New York Law School and practiced corporate law in New York City and Greenwich,
Conn.
Bill was an avid golfer. An art major in college, he frequented numerous
museums to study paintings and art history. He was married in 1945 to
Ward Chamberlin’s sister, Martha, who died in 1988. They raised
five children, Martha, Isabel, Alexander, William, Jr., and Ward, and
have two grandsons. Bill’s twin brother, James R. ’43, died
in 1972.
The Class of 1943
DONALD WALDO HIRSCHBERGER ’44
Don died April 14, 2007, after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer,
in Palm Desert, Calif., his and his wife Bobbie’s home since 1999.
He was 85.
Don was born in Portland, Ore. At Princeton, he was a member of the
Westminster Society and Tower Club, majored in economics, and roomed with
George Odland, Brooks Hall, and John Aalfs. He graduated magna cum laude
in 1943, married Mary Jane Tillman, and served as an officer in the Marine
Corps’ Pacific campaigns.
After earning an MBA from Harvard Business School, he began a long,
honored business career in Portland, including 23 years as founder and
chairman of Lincoln Savings & Loan Association. In retirement, he
accepted Executive Service Corps foreign assignments and co-founded an
Outward Bound school.
Don was active in regional Princeton affairs, a master ship-model builder,
and a golfer. After his wife died, he was reunited by Bob Sears with Barbara
“Bobbie” Roberts, whom he’d known since college. They
were married in 1999 (of which Don wrote warmly in our 60th-reunion book).
Don’s survivors also include four daughters, Holly Merrigan, Wendy
Weigman, Laurie Pink, and Emily Gordon; a son, Hans; four grandchildren;
and a stepdaughter, Holly Hopper Clifford. “He truly loved Princeton,”
Bobbie wrote. The love is returned. Our condolences go to them all.
The Class of 1944
JAMES N. BRAY ’46
Jim Bray died Feb. 11, 2007, in Pompton Plains, N.J.
At Princeton he majored in SPIA and roomed in Holder. After graduation
he was affiliated with an American cement manufacturer in Mexico for several
years. He moved to Dun & Bradstreet in 1948, working in Florida and
Tennessee. In 1967 he transferred to New York City, where he was involved
in national quality-control issues. Before moving to Pompton Plains he
lived in North Caldwell, N.J.
Jim is survived by his wife of 55 years, Sarah; two sons, Charles W.
and James G.; and four grandchildren. The class extends its sincere condolences
to each of them.
The Class of 1946
JOHN M.T. FINNEY III ’46
John Finney died March 18, 2007, at age 85, in Lutherville, Md. The
cause of his death was pneumonia.
He was at Princeton for part of 1943 before enlisting in the Marine
Corps and fighting in the invasion of Okinawa. In 1952 he went to work
with Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Maryland, from which he retired in
the mid-1990s as executive vice president. He then moved to Atlanta, where
he helped formulate an HMO program for the state of Georgia.
During the 1960s, John was very active with the Boy Scouts of America,
which earned him many honors. He was also an avid hunter and fisherman
and a member of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Surviving are his wife of 64 years, the former Corinna Crawford; two
sons, John M.T. Finney IV and William C. Finney; a daughter, Susan F.
McNeely; a brother, Alexander M. Finney; a sister, Virginia F. Rose; eight
grandchildren; and 10 great-great grandchildren.
John had many Princeton relatives — 13 of record. The class extends
its deepest sympathy to all.
The Class of 1946
WENDELL SMOOT HALL SR. ’46
Wendell died Sept. 30, 2006, in Wilmington, Del., after a yearlong battle
with pancreatic cancer. He was 82.
He attended the Friends School and Mercersburg Academy before graduating
from Princeton with a major in history. Afterward he worked in Providence,
Princeton, Wilmington, and the Washington, D.C., area before marrying
Patricia Ludwell Lee in 1965. They settled in Towson, Md., and had two
children, Wendell Jr. and Virginia Lee Clark.
In 1990, Wendell retired from Martin Marietta Corp. as chief of systems
and procedures with more than 28 years of tenure. His interests included
coin collecting, astronomy, classical music, and Civil War and naval history.
He and Pat raised several Boston terriers over the years.
He particularly enjoyed handgun target shooting as a 30-years-plus member
and onetime president of the Baltimore Handgunners Association. He was
also a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association.
The class extends deepest sympathy to his wife and family for their
great loss.
The Class of 1946
ROBERT G. O’BRIEN ’46
Bob O’Brien died Jan. 22, 2006, in Louisville, Ky.
Bob, who also was known as “Obie,” entered Princeton in
1942 and joined the Army Air Corps shortly thereafter. He was sent to
Michigan State University for the Army Specialized Training Program. After
19 months in Europe he returned in 1946 to Princeton, where he majored
in French literature, and graduated in 1948. He was a member of Ivy Club.
After graduation he moved into advertising, sales promotion, and sales
at a variety of locations. In 1957 he joined Brown-Forman International
in Pasadena, from which he retired as president in 1987. Bob was a dedicated
volunteer and churchman, and devoted his spare time to fishing, tennis,
and golf.
He is survived by his wife, Muriel; three sons, Larry, Robert, and John;
and his brother, Edward J. O’Brien ’42. Another brother, Alexander
G. O’Brien ’48, predeceased him. To all the family, the class
extends sincere sympathy.
The Class of 1946
David Angus Clark ’47
Dave joined our ranks in ’43 as part of a great Princeton family
tradition, following his father, John H. Jr. 1909, uncles William 1905
and Arthur ’18, and his brothers, John III ’39 and William
H. ’41.
During World War II he served in the Navy; during the Korean War he
served in the Army in counterintelligence. In 1952, while still in the
service, he met and married Angelina “Lina” Panella, and their
first child was born in 1953 in Fort Bragg Army Hospital.
The family moved to Pelham, N.Y., when Dave began a long professional
career as an account manager for various advertising firms in Manhattan.
Lina, too, pursued a rewarding career as a high school teacher in New
York City.
Dave’s business life was seasoned by recreational travel with
Lina and nicely complemented by his enjoyment of singing — notably
in barbershop quartets and choirs — and by his great love of Gilbert
and Sullivan. Above all, his life was especially enriched by his marriage
and by witnessing the maturation and the evolving bonds of affection with
his four children and three grandchildren.
He died Jan. 23, 2007. We send this celebration of our classmate and
our warm sympathy to Lina and the family.
The Class of 1947
JOHN LARKINS BELL JR. ’51
John was born May 13, 1929, and came to us from Barrington (Ill.) High
School.
At Princeton he was a history major, and was active in WPRU, the Student
Christian Association, and Cannon Club. He roomed with Dave Lowry and
Bart Rea. After attending OCS he served in the Navy from 1952 to 1955.
John was well known for his commercial apple business. His father had
started the venture near Lake Zurich, Ill., calling it Bell’s Mossley
Hill Orchards. John joined his father in 1956. After a study trip to New
Zealand he replaced the original trees with dwarfing root stocks, concentrating
17,000 trees on 48 acres that produced 50,000 bushels a year using these
high-density planting methods.
In 1954 he and Louise Bragg were married, and they ran the business
together. Fire destroyed the orchard buildings in 1975, but they were
insured and rebuilt.
John retired after he and Louise were divorced in 1985. He moved to
Ohio and died in a nursing home in Stow Oct. 24, 2006. His father, John
L. Bell Sr., and his grandson, Kyle M. Siegel, predeceased him. He is
survived by his mother, Ruth; his children, Pat Siegel, John L. Bell III,
and Gay Burton; his brother, Bruce; his sister, Anne McCarty; seven grandchildren;
and three great-grandchildren.
The Class of 1951
PETER P. LABE ’51
Peter was born Nov. 7, 1929, and came to Princeton from South Side High
in Rockville Centre, N.Y.
An economics major, he was active in the pre-law society and a member
of Terrace. He roomed with Hume Wells and Al Beebe ’48. After earning
his law degree from Harvard, he was a destroyer officer for three years
on the USS Harwood.
He and Marilyn Brindley were married in 1953. Peter started his professional
life as a lawyer, but his love of finance soon took him into a successful
45-year career in investment banking. He was one of the first certified
financial analysts in the country, the gold standard of research analysts.
His career included serving at Faulkner, Dawkins & Sullivan, Smith
Barney, Drexel Burnham Lambert, Labe Simpson & Co. (subsequently acquired
by Crédit Lyonnais), and the investment boutiques of Buckingham
Research and Nutmeg Securities.
Peter and Marilyn lived in New London, N.H., and Vero Beach, Fla. He
died Aug. 29, 2006, at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Hospital following a stroke.
He is survived by Marilyn; their sons, James and Thomas (the concert pianist);
and two grandchildren, Alex and Courtney. Donations in his memory may
be made to the National Parkinson Foundation in Miami.
The Class of 1951
ALBERT GORDON PICKETT ’51
Al was born April 28, 1929, and came to us from South Pasadena (Calif.)
High School, as did his roommate, the late Don Dike.
He earned a bachelor’s in civil engineering; played in the University
Band, Tiger Orchestra, and the Triangle Club Orchestra; and was a member
of Dial Lodge. After graduation, Al went to work for Fluor Corp. designing
petroleum-refining units, and thereby commenced a 30-year career in project
management in the United States and abroad. He was assigned to plants
for chlorine/caustic production, polyethylene, ammonia fertilizer, and
pipelines — the last being the Valdez terminal in Alaska.
On Oct. 6, 1951, he married Barbara Ann Wilgus. They were married for
40 years and had three children. Barbara succumbed to cancer in 1991.
Al died Nov. 23, 2006, from Parkinson’s disease. He is survived
by his son, Gregg; his daughters, Kathleen Willman and Susan Makris; a
grandson, Michael Makris; his brothers, Byron and William; and his special
friend, Pearl Holmes. They have our sympathy.
The family requests that donations in Al’s memory be made to the
National Parkinson Foundation of Orange County, 355 Placentia Ave., Newport
Beach, CA 92663.
The Class of 1951
CHARLES WORTH ROCK ’51
Rocky was born in New Providence, N.J., Nov. 1, 1926, the son and grandson
of Presbyterian ministers.
A graduate of the Putney School, he served in the Navy before coming
to Princeton, where he was a geology major and active in cross-country,
Tower Club, and Print Club. After graduation he worked for ARAMCO in Saudi
Arabia for more than 10 years, and later taught geology at UC, Santa Barbara.
He became interested in the Vedanta
philosophy, and in 1965 entered the Ramakrishna monastery in Santa Barbara.
By 1971 he had taken his preliminary vows and, by 1979, his final vows
of sannyas. As Swami Ganeshananda, he served in Vedanta centers in Trabuco
Canyon and Sacramento, Calif., and in St. Louis. He was deeply influenced
by the time he spent in India.
Rocky spent his last years in Santa Barbara, where he died Dec. 18,
2006, after a brief illness. Fellow geology majors Jerry McHugh and Bart
Rea kept in touch and remember him with great affection and respect.
His brother, Robert Rock ’43, predeceased him. He is survived
by his sister, Mary Rock Simmons; his sister-in-law, Barbara Sue Rock;
nephew Jonathan Rock; niece Cecily Wyatt Rock ’75; and Cecily’s
children, David and Philip Nega.
The Class of 1951
ROBERT BARRIE SLAYMAKER ’51
Barrie was born April 29, 1929, the son of Samuel E. Slaymaker Jr. ’14
and Eugenia Barrie Slaymaker.
An alumnus of St. Paul’s School, he was a philosophy major at
Princeton and a member of the Nassau Herald committee and Colonial Club.
He roomed with Charlie Dodge and Jim Biddle.
Following graduation he attended OCS and served for four years as a
destroyer officer on the USS Lewis Hancock. After his discharge in 1955
he worked for N.W. Ayer & Son in its outdoor advertising department
before joining his father’s firm, Haines Gauge Co., as vice president
for new products. Barrie was an avid fly-fisherman and sailor. At the
time of his death, Oct. 28, 2006, he was the owner of Haines Gauge in
Phoenixville, Pa.
In 1963 he married Sandra McIlvain, who survives him together with their
son, Robert Jr., and his wife, Elizabeth; their daughter, Sandra Baird
Slaymaker; his sister, Eugenia Slaymaker; and three grandchildren, Sarah,
Isabel, and Katherine. His brother, Samuel E. Slaymaker III ’43,
predeceased him. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart
Association.
The Class of 1951
Bruce Berckmans Jr. ’52
Having survived a massive heart attack in 1987, and undertaken an astonishing
recovery that yielded 19 years of creative activity, Buzz Berckmans found
his heart weakened in mid-2006. Unable to sustain a hospital rehab program,
he and his wife, Shirley, established a de facto hospice unit in their
Coconut Grove, Fla., home. But a persistent infection further weakened
his heart, and he died at home Nov. 25, 2006.
As a graduate of Choate, Buzz perceived the Cold War as the central
challenge for the country. He cited Frost’s “The Road Not
Taken” as a major influence in directing his adult life toward service.
After graduation from Princeton, Buzz joined the Marine Corps, was commissioned,
and served as a platoon leader in Korea. He moved into the field of military
intelligence and had tours with Army Airborne and Special Forces units.
After an injury in a 1961 parachute accident, he took inactive military
status and served undercover with the CIA in Latin America.
At the time of his heart attack, Bruce was managing his private security-consulting
firm. His recovery led him to found the Cardiac Rehabilitation Rowing
Project Inc., perhaps his most significant contribution.
Buzz is survived by his beloved Shirley, four children, three stepchildren,
and nine grandchildren, to whom our class offers its profound sympathy.
The Class of 1952
Gilchrist B. Stockton Jr. ’52
Gil died Dec. 28, 2006.
Born in Vienna, Austria, he entered Princeton from Exeter, majored in
history, and participated widely in interclub sports for Tower Club.
Following graduation, he earned a law degree from the University of
Florida in 1955 and served for two years as an Army officer, first in
Thule, Greenland, and later in the United States as an aide-de-camp.
For the next 50-plus years, as a resident of Jacksonville, Fla., and
a member of the Florida Bar Association, Gil enjoyed success mostly as
an attorney in private practice. Ever a sociable and athletic man, he
was a member of the Ponte Vedra, Selva Marina, and Florida yacht clubs,
as well as a member and sometime president of the Friars Club of Jacksonville
and the North Beaches Association. He was an avid tennis player, bird-hunter,
sailor, and traveler. In particular, he enjoyed his travels to Spain and
Austria.
Above all, though, Gil enjoyed his beloved family, the beach, and the
ocean. To the family — his first wife, Julia; their sons, Chris,
Stuart, and Kelley; his second wife, Shirley; their sons, John and Brian;
and two grandchildren, Katie and Sarah — the class extends deepest
condolences.
The Class of 1952
Frederick William Catterall III ’53
Fred, who never was too far from his native Texas except for a productive
four years at Princeton, died in Dallas April 26, 2007, of the effects
of Parkinson’s disease and post-polio syndrome.
Born in Austin, Texas, he graduated from Austin High School before entering
Princeton. He was a member of the Republican and bridge clubs and the
Advertising Forum. After receiving his degree in economics, he enrolled
at University of Texas Business School and pledged Kappa Alpha fraternity.
He obtained his MBA in 1956 and joined his father’s business, Austex
Foods, which processed popular products like canned chili and beef stew.
On June 22, 1957, he married Annabelle Williams, a Bryn Mawr graduate.
Austex merged with Frito-Lay Inc. in 1962, and the Catteralls relocated
to Dallas, Frito’s headquarters. Modestly, Fred said that he participated
in a small way in the formation of a great business entity that is now
PepsiCo’s “cash cow.”
Fred’s junior- and senior-year roommate and fellow Key and Seal
member, Ned White, remembers Fred as a “genial sort” with
“hilarious wit” who played a “mean classical piano.”
Our appreciation of Fred goes out to Annabelle; three sons, Robert F.,
Grady C., and Arthur T.; five grandchildren; and sister Jean Gillespie.
We celebrate Fred’s spirit as we mourn his loss.
The Class of 1953
Stuyvesant Bonsal Pell ’53
Stuyve, affectionately called the “Energizer Bunny” by daughter
Sara Pell-Stires for his stamina and consistency in rowing, running, and
bicycling, died June 3, 2007, of melanoma, at his Princeton home.
For more than three decades, he was a championship rower in masters
single-shell races. He ran eight marathons (his best time was 3.25) and
numerous half-marathons and 10K events. Three years ago, he bicycled some
2,500 miles from his older daughter Alison Pell Helms’ Seattle home
en route to Princeton, but was severely injured in an accident at the
Ohio/Pennsylvania border. After recovering, he resumed his vigorous regimen.
His father was Walden Pell ’24. Stuyve prepared at St. Mark’s,
rowed 150-pound crew, and belonged to Colonial Club. He served three years
in the Marines, was discharged as a first lieutenant, and married Patricia
Doom, who predeceased him in 2003.
Sara described his determination during his last days. He was confined
to a hospital bed on the first floor but one morning was found in his
own second-floor bed. “How did you get here?” Sara asked.
His reply: “I crawled up the stairs.”
Other survivors are Stuyve’s sister, Mary Whitmer, three grandsons,
and his companion, Louise Dunham. Jim Neff represented ’53 at the
funeral. As Princeton neighbor Fred Crispin said, “Stuyve was a
class act.”
The Class of 1953
William Dial Perry ’53
Bill, who contracted polio as a child but never let it affect his life,
died of pulmonary fibrosis April 24, 2007, on Dataw Island, S.C.
A Washington, D.C., native, “Ace” (as Dick Ellwood said
he was fondly called), prepared at St. Alban’s School, majored in
English, excelled at IAA football, was active with WPRU and Triangle,
and appeared in the Nassau Lit. He married his college sweetheart, Sondra
Verkerke.
After receiving his law degree from George Washington University he
was a trial attorney for the FTC. He later joined S.C. Johnson & Sons
— better known as Johnson Wax — and served as director of
government relations for 32 years. Sondra died in 1983, and in 1988 Bill
married Jan Thompson.
Besides Jan, he is survived by sons William D. Jr. and John H. ’86;
brothers Matthew W. Jr. ’56 and Robert H.; stepchildren Jennifer
Biggart and Allan Thompson; and five grandchildren. His sister, Louise,
who married Bob Stranahan ’51, predeceased him.
Dudley Smith, Bill’s senior-year roommate and fellow Tower Club
member, said, “Bill stood tall on my list of most-admired people.
With one leg shriveled by polio, he overcame it all. He was a determined
athlete, taking home numerous golf trophies. He had an engaging sense
of humor, was a roustabout, and a charmer. He was grace under fire and
an unrelenting force.”
The Class of 1953
Mortimer J. Matthews ’54
Mortimer “Tim” Matthews died June 8, 2007, at the Rose Garden
Convalescent Center in Pasadena after a long illness.
Born in Glendale, Ohio, Tim graduated from St. Paul’s School in
Concord, N.H. He majored in architecture and was married while at Princeton.
He initially worked for the firm of Welton Becket & Associates but
then formed his own firm, Pulliam, Zimmerman & Matthews. Tim was a
member of the American Institute of Architects and also served on Pasadena’s
city planning commission and city council, and became mayor. He was involved
in many land-use preservation issues.
He is survived by three daughters, Lisa Matthews ’76, Polly Evans,
and Amy Feins; a stepson, Kevin; his sister, Katherine; and nine grandchildren.
He was divorced from his first wife, Lydia, and his second wife, Susan,
died last year. He also was predeceased by his brother, Stephen. The class
sends condolences to his family.
The Class of 1954
Gervais E. Reed ’54
Gervais Reed died unexpectedly June 20, 2007, following a bicycle accident
in Wisconsin’s Telulah Park.
Born in Greeley, Colo., Gerry prepared for Princeton at the Peddie School.
His college major was French and European civilization. After graduation,
he spent two years in the Army in Europe.
He subsequently taught at Brown University, where he earned a Ph.D.
He became the Marie Wollpert Professor of Modern Languages at Lawrence
University and remained active there until his retirement in 1996. He
also served as dean of students. He was a gregarious conversationalist
who enjoyed discussing everything and was loved by his students.
The class extends sympathy to Gerry’s wife, Mary Kay, and their
sons, Christopher and Geoffrey. The family suggests that donations in
Gerry’s memory be made to Lawrence University in Appleton, Wis.
The Class of 1954
Arthur William Thomas Jr. ’54
Arthur Thomas died June 7, 2007.
A graduate of the Milwaukee University School, he majored in history
at Princeton, was a member of Tower Club, and participated in many campus
committees and sports. He then served in the Army Field Artillery at Fort
Sill, Okla., and Augsburg, Germany.
After his discharge, he graduated from Northwestern University with
a master’s in journalism and moved to Meridian, Miss., where he
became managing editor of the Meridian Star. He later moved his family
to Glenview, Ill., in 1964 and commuted from there to his work in Mississippi
for 32 years.
The class extends its sympathy to his wife of 48 years, Suzanne, sons
Stephen and John; and six grandchildren. Memorial funds in his name have
been created at Midwest Palliative and Hospice CareCenter, 2050 Claire
Court, Glenview, IL 60025, and St. David’s Episcopal Church, 2410
Glenview Road, Glenview, IL 60025
The Class of 1954
GEORGE H. BROWN JR. ’55
George died Aug. 24, 2006, at the University Medical Center in Princeton.
George attended Princeton Country Day School and graduated from Lawrenceville.
George remained at Princeton only a short time and received degrees from
Ohio State, Michigan, and Cambridge. Following Army service he worked
for RCA Corp. He was active in Princeton community affairs.
To his twin brother, James W. Brown, and two nephews, the class extends
its deepest sympathy.
The Class of 1955
JOHN ROY DUFFORD JR. ’55
Jack died March 10, 2007, in Elizabeth, N.J., following a bout with
cancer.
Born in Paterson, N.J., and raised in Morrisville, Pa., he attended
the Peddie School. At Princeton he majored in English, was a member of
Cottage, and played freshman and JV football and rugby. Senior year he
roomed in Little with Bill Ames and John Bauhan.
Certainly the highlight of Jack’s Princeton athletic career was
the epic 9-0 rugby victory over Yale, played at Vassar junior year.
Following two years as a pilot in the Air Force, Jack spent his entire
career in education. After receiving a master’s in English literature
at NYU, he returned to Peddie to teach, coach, counsel, and mentor for
38 years. He was a most beloved member of the faculty. Additionally, Jack
made time to participate in volunteer activities involving the education
of underprivileged children. In later years Lakota Indian dancing became
an avocation that he very much enjoyed.
Jack will be truly missed by his friends and especially by Charlotte,
his wife of 51 years, and his three daughters and their families. To all
of them, the class extends deepest sympathy.
The Class of 1955
WINSTON SMITH T ’55
Winston died of leukemia June 5, 2007, in Opelika, Ala.
He came to us from Clift High School with the late Tom Samford, rooming
in Dod with Tom and Mac MacNichol. They were members of Campus Club.
Winston majored in politics, graduated with high honors, and was active
in Whig-Clio. After Princeton he served in Germany as a Field Artillery
first lieutenant, then returned to Opelika to the building-supply business
started by his father and now run by his son, Dozier.
His family, civic, church, and business activities in Opelika and more
widely in Alabama included, among others, the school board, Opelika Chamber
of Commerce, and the Salvation Army. He was an elder in the Presbyterian
Church and a leader of the Alabama Republican Party.
Opelika’s mayor described Winston as an outstanding citizen whose
understated manner led to many acts of kindness and generosity that were
only known to the recipient. He was certainly a true gentleman, the mayor
said.
Winston will be truly missed by his many friends, family, and especially
by Vera, his wife of 48 years; their five children; and 13 grandchildren.
To all of them, the class extends deepest sympathy.
The Class of 1955
EUGENE NUMA LANE ’58
Gene Lane died Jan. 1, 2007, after a long battle with Parkinson’s
disease.
He came to Princeton from Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Va. At
Princeton, he majored in classics, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa after
three years, and was our class salutatorian. He also was chairman of the
Nassau Lit.
His whole career was spent in academia. After earning a master’s
and doctorate at Yale, Gene spent four years at the University of Virginia
before moving to the University of Missouri. During his career he was
chairman of the classics department as well as director of graduate studies.
Gene taught a variety of courses in ancient and modern Greek, a few in
Latin, and other classes, taught in English, covering classical civilization.
In 2000 he became professor emeritus.
Gene made very significant contributions to the study of ancient religion,
especially in cults of the Roman imperial period. His many scholastic
works advanced the knowledge and understanding of the ancient world and
will continue to provide assistance to scholars of the future.
To his wife, Carol, whom he married in 1964; his children, Michael and
Helen; and his grandchild; the class extends its deepest sympathy.
The Class of 1958
RICHARD FELDER JACOB ’60
Dick died Sept. 26, 2005, from complications of stroke.
He spent his childhood in Montgomery, Ala., where he attended Sidney
Lanier High School. At Princeton he majored in physics, but one of his
favorite classes was Alfred Alvarez’s poetry writing seminar. He
was a member of Key and Seal Club, where his friends appreciated his sense
of humor and good nature and feared his formidable skills in pool, pingpong,
and bridge. He was prominent in bridge on campus, which gave rise to his
nickname “Oz,” from the famous bridge columnist of the day,
Oswald Jacoby.
After graduating from Princeton, Dick earned a Ph.D. in physics from
the University of Alabama. He worked in the defense industry for many
years, in Huntsville, Ala., and briefly in Ridgecrest, Calif. He worked
hard but always made time for travel and play with his family. Some favorite
activities included rockhounding, lathe-working, hiking in the Smokies
on family vacations, watching classic movies, attending University of
Alabama football games, and scouting junkyards in Huntsville for NASA
castoff optics that he used to build homemade telescopes.
Dick’s two children, Sally Jacob ’88 and Christopher Jacob;
his former wife, Linda Jacob; and his grandchildren, Miranda Lorsbach
and Clayton Jacob, survive him. The class extends deepest sympathy to
them.
The Class of 1960
William N. Panzer ’64
Bill Panzer died suddenly March 18, 2007. While his death initially
was attributed to a fall in Sun Valley, Idaho, his wife, Priscilla, advised
that the cause was an aneurysm.
Bill grew up in Flushing, N.Y., and graduated from Lawrenceville. Bill
lost his father when he was very young. His eighth-grade principal saw
his promise, knew the Lawrenceville headmaster, and convinced him to admit
Bill on a scholarship. At Princeton, he was involved with WPRB, Theatre
Intime, and Key and Seal.
Friends will never forget going to Panzer’s casino in Holder Hall.
Word spread quietly across campus. Arrive late in the evening and give
a special knock on the door. The living room was set up with a craps table,
a roulette table, and a blackjack table. Bill presided, dressed in black
tie. It was Casino Royale.
Bill attended NYU’s film school and was a movie producer in Hollywood,
best known for the Highlander fantasy films. The original 1986 Highlander,
about an immortal Scottish warrior, starred Christopher Lambert and Sean
Connery. Highlander conventions are now held around the world.
Bill’s wife, Priscilla, is his only survivor. She has asked that
donations be made to a scholarship fund in Bill’s name at the Lawrenceville
School. The class extends deepest sympathy to Priscilla.
The Class of 1964
Harold William Pote ’68
Hal died June 26, 2007, while sailing off the coast of Turkey. He was
60.
Hal was born in Philadelphia and prepared at Penn’s Grove High
School. At Princeton, he majored in economics and ate at Quadrangle. He
received an MBA from Harvard in 1972.
After years of executive roles at First Fidelity, the Beacon Group,
and JPMorgan Chase, Hal returned to Philadelphia in 2006 as CEO of American
Financial Realty Trust. Hal was a tremendous supporter of charity and
the arts, and co-founded the Spina Bifida Foundation, which he served
as president. Pennsylvania Gov. Edward G. Rendell characterized Hal as
“a civic leader who stepped up to the plate and never waited to
be asked,” and also said, “Generations of Philadelphians are
in his debt.”
Hal was happiest when sailing his boat in Barnegat Bay or rooting for
the Phillies. Though viewed as a gourmet, Hal celebrated his 60th last
September with a picnic of mashed potatoes, scallops, and potato chips
— his real favorites.
The banking world and Philadelphia will miss the many contributions
of this unique man. He is survived by his wife, Linda E. Johnson; his
mother, Lucille Bock Pote; and his brothers, Frank and Corey. To all of
them, the class sends profound sympathy.
The Class of 1968
JOHN E. DANIEL ’70
John died suddenly of heart failure April 25, 2007, in New York City.
At Princeton John majored in history and graduated cum laude. He earned
his law degree from Stanford University in 1973, then moved to Manhattan
and joined the firm of Donovan Leisure, followed by Anderson Kill &
Olick. John was a partner at Shea & Gould and Rogers & Wells.
Since 1998 he was a senior partner of Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel,
where he specialized in patent litigation.
John was a true scholar and expert in his field, writing numerous articles
and being quoted extensively by trade publications on case decisions and
business trends. He was the recent treasurer and former director of the
New York Intellectual Property Law Association and was active in numerous
other professional organizations, including the New York State Bar Association
and the Association of the Bar of the City of New York. He traveled internationally
for business including more than 20 trips to Japan, where he explored
the country and embraced its culture.
John will be remembered as a gifted lawyer, a spirited adviser, and
a talented golfer whose humor and friendship will be sorely missed. He
is survived by his wife, Janet Nolan. He made her laugh every day.
The Class of 1970
Janene M. Murray ’82
Janene Murray died May 14, 2007, after nearly a decade of battling end-stage
renal disease.
A graduate of Willingboro (N.J.) High School, Janene proved herself
a gifted athlete in softball and field hockey at Princeton. She was featured
in The Daily Princetonian after pitching a no-hitter on the varsity women’s
team. Graduating with a major in politics, Janene moved to New York City,
where she worked for a number of reinsurance companies in the Wall Street
area, including Cigna and AIG.
In the late 1990s, she became ill and eventually received a kidney transplant
in an attempt to overcome her disease. But her health began to fail again,
and in November 2006 Janene entered the nursing home where she died.
Janene will be remembered as the life of the party, a beach lover, and
a good cook. She is survived by her father, James, her siblings, a nephew,
and a companion. The class extends its deepest sympathy to them and to
Janene’s many friends.
The Class of 1982
Henry L. Terrie Jr. *55
Henry L. Terrie Jr., emeritus professor of English at Dartmouth College,
died Nov. 1, 2006, in Charleston, S.C. He was 85.
A graduate of Andover and Yale, he earned a doctorate in English at
Princeton. In World War II, he was a Navy lieutenant on a sub-chaser in
the Mediterranean.
After Princeton, he taught English at Dartmouth, where he rose to department
chair and dean of humanities. He was regarded as an authority on Henry
James. In retirement, he continued to teach informally and mentor former
students.
Terrie was very interested in golf-course architecture, and as a member
of Yeamans Hall Club in Charleston, S.C., he was actively involved in
its restoration and updating. He researched and wrote a history of the
club. An avid golfer, he played the great courses in the British Isles
and the Eastern Seaboard.
Cal Winton *55, who was a fellow Princeton graduate student and a three-year
colleague on the Dartmouth faculty, described Terrie “with his polished
Yale manners as a congenial colleague and a friend.”
Terrie’s wife, Jeanne, whom he married in 1948, died in 2001.
He is survived by two sons and two grandsons.
Herbert Gursky *59
Herbert Gursky, who had been superintendent of the Naval Research Laboratory’s
space science division and chief scientist of its Hulburt Center for Space
Research, died Dec. 1, 2006, of cancer. He was 76.
Gursky received a Ph.D. in physics from Princeton in 1959, taught at
Columbia, and in 1961 moved to American Science and Engineering Inc. of
Cambridge, Mass. By 1970, he had risen to vice president and director
of its space-research division.
In the early 1960s, he was part of the team that discovered the sources
of X-rays arriving from outside the solar system, through detectors placed
on an experimental rocket that was launched and then monitored. In 1971,
he and others first recorded an example of a black hole, which occurs
when stars collapse.
Moving to Harvard in 1973 as an astronomy professor, Gursky was also
supervisory astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.
In 1981, he joined the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C.,
where he most recently oversaw both experiments in solar physics and sophisticated
instruments launched into space.
He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Flora, two sons, and three grandchildren.
This issue has an undergraduate memorial for William Morris Meredith
’40 *47.