April 23, 2003: Memorials
William Brewster Mather ’33
Born to missionary parents in Baoding, China, Brew died in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Jan. 22, 2003, after a long illness. He was 92.
He was educated at home and in Tunchow at the North China American School. In 1927, when Chiang Kai-shek moved to eliminate the warlords, the US ordered women and children out of China. Brew continued his education in North Korea, after which his father took a sabbatical in Princeton, and Brew attended Princeton HS and then the university, where he majored in physics.
In 1934 he married Edith Reed. They returned to China, where Brew took two years of medical school, followed by two more years at Pennsylvania Medical School and an internship. He and Edith returned to Peking as missionaries. While at a language school in the Philippines, they were interned by the Japanese during the war. Their daughter was born in captivity. After the war, Brew returned to the US. He joined the staff of the McCosh Infirmary at Princeton, where he remained until he retired.
His long-term hobby was electronics. Brew is survived by his wife, sons William ’57 and Richard, daughter Sally, six grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. Brew led a wonderful life.
The Class of 1933
JAMES VICTOR GURGE ’35
Bill died May 7, 2001, in Irvine, Calif., a continent away from Staten Island, N.Y., where he was born, raised, and developed a lifelong love for surf swimming and the sea. At Princeton he majored in biology, joined Arbor Inn, and found time for varsity soccer, lacrosse, and even some basketball, as well as swimming. But his first job after graduation was in the freight end of the steamship industry. During WWII he spent four years in the Marine Corps, rising from private to captain and battalion commander before joining the US landing on Okinawa.
Back in civilian life in 1946, the sea still called. He first got a job with the Holland-America Line in NYC, where he rose to become freight manager. Then he moved to San Rafael, Calif., where he served as Pacific Coast manager for both Holland-America and Royal Mail Lines of London. He also was president of the San Francisco-based Foreign Ship Owners Assn. and director of the Pacific Maritime Assn. and the Netherlands American and British Chambers of Commerce.
Bill retired in 1970. He and his wife, Helen, “drifted” down the coast to Irvine, their perfect retirement spot. Helen survives him, as do sons James III and John, two grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
The Class of 1935
RICHARD HARTMAN HAIGH ’35
Dick died Sept. 15, 2001, in Falmouth, Mass. A graduate of Columbia [Maplewood, N.J.] HS, he majored in French with honors at Princeton and was a member of the Glee Club, Triangle Club, and Quadrangle. He graduated from Yale Law School in 1939, and that same year also received a certificate from Harvard’s Business School. Next he married for the first time, and joined the legal department of Allied Chemical & Dye. During WWII, Dick was assigned to counseling work in various military separation centers in the Army.
Divorced from his first wife, he married the former Isabel Emory, a union that lasted until her death, more than four decades later. At the time of ’35’s 25th reunion, Dick, Isabel, and their children were ensconced in St. Petersburg, Fla., where Dick had set up his own company, British & Continental Motors Inc. He also had joined two yacht clubs, and admitted that life was “just great.”
Isabel died in 1985. Dick moved to Falmouth, and in 1990 was married there to Cynthia Eldred. She survives him, as do all five of his children, five grandchildren, and his eldest daughter’s husband, Dr. Robert G. Dluhy, ’58.
The Class of 1935
Ansley Johnson Coale ’39 *47
Ansley died Nov. 5, 2002, at Newtown, Pa., from Parkinson’s disease. Born in Baltimore, Ansley followed a family tradition by attending Princeton, graduating with a degree in economics. He earned his master’s in 1941, and after Navy service, received his PhD in 1947, the year he joined the Princeton faculty. An internationally recognized expert on population trends, he directed the Office of Population Research of the Woodrow Wilson School from 1957 to 1976. He loved teaching, and many of his students went on to become leaders in the field. His research led to extensive world travels, much to his delight. His honors were many, but he was proudest of his membership in the American Philosophical Society. His long association with Princeton was recognized when he received an honorary degree in 1994.
An ardent tennis and squash player, Ansley was a familiar figure in town, commuting to his office by bike. Married in 1941, Ansley is survived by his wife, Sue (Sarah Campbell), and sons Ansley Jr. and Robert.
The Class of 1939
William Gordon Johnston ’39
After a brief illness, Pee Wee died Dec. 13, 2002, at his winter home in Delray Beach, Fla. After graduation, Pee Wee had a brief stint with NBC, but with the advent of war joined Pan Am, and from 1940 to 1945, he ferried planes to Africa and the Pacific theater. He then joined his stepfather, Robert Finney of Street and Finney Advertising, where in 1963 he was elected president. Through a series of mergers, that agency finally wound up as Darcy Masius Benton and Bowles. Pee Wee retired as chairman in 1980.
Golf was his game, and he excelled at it. He was a member of Baltusrol Golf Club, where he was club champion in the 1950s. But a few years ago, severe arthritis led to wrist surgery, and he finally had to give up his golf. By the time of our 60th reunion, he and his wife, Nancy, were living at the Windrows in Princeton, when not at their winter home in Florida.
Predeceased by Nancy, he is survived by his daughters Deborah, Cynthia, and Martha, and by two stepsons, Robert and John Gefaell. We offer them our sincere sympathy.
The Class of 1939
John Milton Tassie ’39
John died Nov. 25, 2002, at the Medical Center at Princeton, following a brief illness. He lived most of his adult life in Princeton, having joined the nearby Lenox Corp. in 1942, when Lenox was producing wartime commodities for the military. He became general manager of the company in 1943, executive vice president in 1948, president in 1959, and was elected chairman and chief executive officer in 1974, a position he held until he retired in 1977.
His leadership was marked by marketing innovations that transformed Lenox from a small, family-owned craft operation into a leader of the American fine china industry. He served as founding president of the American Fine China Guild, was a former director of the National Assn. of Manufacturers, and held various corporate directorships. In spite of the demands of his successful career, he made sure to find time for golf, big game fishing, and thoroughbred racing.
Predeceased by one son, John is survived by his wife, Ellen, seven children from a previous marriage, 17 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. With them, we give thanks for the spirited and energetic life he shared with us all.
The Class of 1939
David Arthur Campbell ’41
Dave died Nov. 25, 2002, in Glen Cove, N.Y.
A graduate of Lawrenceville, Dave majored with honors in the School of Public and International Affairs. He was sports editor of the Bric-a-Brac, a member of Tower Club, and roomed with Tom Hustead all four years.
Commissioned an ensign in May 1942, he served on the USS Kankakee and then became commanding officer of the USS Anacapa, doing antisubmarine patrol in the Alaska-Pearl Harbor area. He then worked on a cargo-supply ship in the western Pacific. He was discharged as a lieutenant commander, after serving as executive officer on the USS Neches.
Dave graduated from Columbia Law School in 1945, and joined Gwinn & Pell in NYC. After becoming partner, he started his own firm, Campbell & Watson, with offices in Manhasset and Port Washington, N.Y. Later he became counsel to Farrell & Fritz, in Uniondale, N.Y.
He was president of the Family Service Assn. of Nassau County; treasurer of Episcopal Health Services of Long Island; senior warden of Christ Episcopal Church in Manhasset, N.Y.; and president of Buckley Country Day School.
Dave is survived by his wife of 60 years, Virginia Warren Campbell, son David Jr., two daughters, Jeanne Sedgwick and Carol, and two grandsons.
The Class of 1941
William Snyder Sherman ’41
Bill died Sept.12, 2002, after a long illness. A native of Albany, N.Y., he attended the Albany Academy and graduated from Andover in 1937.
Freshman year he roomed with Al Van Court but left Princeton after that one year. He served with distinction during WWII, from 1940 to 1945, in Australia and New Guinea as a captain in the Army Trans-
portation Corps, Marine Maintenance and Repair.
After the service, he attended the Newark College of Engineering, and received his degree in 1949. He joined Gray Manu-
facturing in Pittsburgh as director of sales from 1953 to 1957. In 1957 he began his long and distinguished career with Ensign Bickford in Simsbury, Conn., retiring as vice president of corporate research and development in 1973.
In 1989, Bill moved to Hobe Sound, where he was living when he died.
He is survived by his wife, Joyce Kroening Sherman, daughter Pamela Binder, son Thomas, and 13 grandchildren.
The Class of 1941
Alfred J. Lacazette ’43
Al died Dec. 11, 2002. He was 82.
Born in Havana, Cuba, Al devoted his business career to the petrochemical industry. He retired from Conoco Chemicals in Houston many years ago.
During WWII, Al served in the Army as executive officer in the 517th Field Artillery. His fellow ’43ers esteemed him to the extent that they elected him class president to a five-year term.
Al affected the life of almost everyone he met. A friend summed up this propensity when he wrote, “Alfred was one of the most urbane, socially adept persons in Cap and Gown. He enjoyed himself, and because he was so bright, could make his way easily through the academic thickets. I’m certain he was equally successful in the business world.”
Al is survived by his wife of 57 years, the former Mary Louise McCown, affectionately known to all as “Bit”; son Alfred; and two grandchildren, Mirabai Rive and Nikolas Lacazette.
To the family, the class extends its deepest condolences.
The Class of 1943
JAMES B. DAWSON ’49
Jim died Nov. 12, 2002. He was 76. He is identified in our Freshman Herald as Bernard Kazlauskas but changed his name shortly after graduation. He came to Princeton from the service as a Navy seabee. He was a member of Terrace Club.
After graduation he became a self-employed stockbroker and spent his entire career in Montgomery County, N.J. He was president and a member of Montgomery Township Volunteer Fire Co. 2 and also served as a fundraising volunteer for the Medical Center at Princeton.
The Class of 1949
ROGER H. MAREN ’49
Roger died on Nov. 29, 2002, of Pick’s Disease, a form of progressive dementia; he was 74. He prepared for Princeton at Lawrence-ville School. Roger majored in music, graduating with honors. He was a member of Theatre Intime and director of the Modern Music Concert Series.
After graduation he spent several years writing about music for the Reporter and other magazines. He then switched to cabinetmaking and became a master cabinetmaker. He also was editor of the antiwar newsletter, Peace Action. He continued his love of music as a piano player, and in 1983 and 1984, he toured the US, singing and playing folk songs. He had been living in a nursing home since 1995
He is survived by his wife, Priscilla, son Sam, and three grandchildren. He was predeceased by his daughter, Rachel, at the age of 21. The class extends its deepest sympathy to his family on their loss.
The Class of 1949
BENJAMIN E. LUM ’50
Ben died at the Medical College of Virginia, Nov. 5, 2002.
A lifelong resident of Petersburg, Va., he graduated from high school there. Ben served in the Navy from 1943 to 1945, started college at Randolph-Macon, and transferred to Princeton in 1947 to study chemical engineering. He was a member of Tiger Inn. He left the university in 1948 to join the family firm, retailing photographic supplies. In 1963 he became a financial adviser with a service that later became part of American Express. A chartered life underwriter and certified financial planner, he continued working until his death.
Ben was a lifelong member of the First Baptist Church, serving as a deacon and Sunday school teacher. He was a member of the Petersburg Lions Club for more than 50 years. The class extends its sympathy to Jean, his wife of 51 years, his two daughters, and five grandchildren.
The Class of 1950
EDWARD K. POOR III ’50
Ted died at his home in Winnetka, Ill., of lung cancer, Nov. 6, 2002.
Ted came to Princeton from Walnut Hills HS in his hometown of Cincinnati, where his family had lived for four generations. Overcoming a hip condition in his early teens by spending almost two years in bed in a body cast, he enlisted in the Army on his 18th birthday. He served in the Philippines, remapping the islands from 1946 to 1947. He then entered Princeton, where he was president of Charter Club and majored in religion.
He had a 45-year career in business, the first half in sales and marketing. In 1972, after nine corporate moves, Ted joined Heidrick & Struggles, a small executive search firm in Chicago. Over the next 24 years he contributed to its growth into one of the world’s largest. He retired as a partner in 1995.
Ted took pleasure in playing golf, especially in Vero Beach in the winter. He was a member of the Winnetka Caucus, president of the Indian Hill Club, and active in the Night Ministry, an outreach program for homeless teens. The class extends its sympathy to Janet, his wife of 51 years, his two sons, and four grandchildren.
The Class of 1950
WILLIAM M. SPENCER JR. ’50
Bill died at home in Nicasio, Calif., Jan. 24, 2003, after a long illness and five weeks before his 74th birthday.
Born in Chicago, Bill entered Princeton from Deerfield. His outgoing personality and leadership qualities were manifested in many ways: running a weekly Student Christian Assn. Boys Club group, chairing ’50’s Memorial Insurance Fund, serving as Colonial Club president, and lettering in soccer. A history major, he graduated with honors.
Bill’s career after army duty in Korea reflected his imagination and eagerness to broaden his horizons: salt-factory trainee; Latin teacher; uranium miner in Colorado; stockbroker; McKinsey consultant (including two years in Australia, where he became involved in cattle ranching); advanced management degree from Harvard; and Kilmer & Spencer consulting and George Printing, both in San Francisco.
He found time to run our fourth mini in San Francisco in 1986, to rescue the 1915 Model T Ford at our 25th — which his father’s class (’15) had given us 10 years earlier — and to stay involved with California politics in a variety of ways.
In 1956 Bill married Peggy Donner, who predeceased him. To their three sons, Bill, Bob, and Hunter, brother Edson ’47, sister Suzanne, and six grandchildren, the class extends its sympathy.
The Class of 1950
John William Herndon Jr. ’52
John died March 13, 2000, from complications of coronary bypass surgery performed a week earlier. His memorial service was held in Sun Lakes, Ariz., his home following his retirement in 1997, and attended by his freshman roommates, Paul Koontz and Bill Shackelford. A graduate of Lawrenceville, John belonged to Tower Club and majored in economics. He was circulation manager of the Daily Princetonian and a junior manager of the I.A.A.
Commissioned second lieutenant at graduation, John served two years in the Army, including five months each in Korea and Okinawa. Upon returning home to Spring-field, Ill., he assumed the management of Herndon’s, the family department store, a position he held until he retired.
He and Nancy Aldus were married Feb. 23, 1957. Throughout his career, John was active in civic affairs: he was disaster chair of the Red Cross in Springfield and its president in Sun Lakes; and chair of fundraising for a new library in Sun Lakes.
John is survived by his wife, Nancy, daughter Cynthia, sons George and John III, and two grandchildren. His daughter, Kate, and brother Noah ’54 predeceased him. The class offers his family its condolences.
The Class of 1952
PETER B. HOWELL ’56
Peter died Nov. 21, 2002. A resident of New Paltz, N.Y., he was a retired 30-year mathematics and computer science professor at Orange County Community College in Middletown. Earlier he taught at Salisbury School. He was a Shell Merit fellow at Cornell and an NSF scholar at Brown.
A member of the Adirondack Mountain Club and an avid hiker, he was a “46er,” meaning he climbed the 46 highest peaks of the Adirondacks. In addition to being a teacher and mentor, he was a gardener, beekeeper, woodworker, handyman, and sailor.
In the midst of his Princeton career, Pete joined the Army and was stationed in Korea. In 1959 he received his degree in religion. A member of Campus Club, he rowed on the varsity crew, was a member of the fencing team, and worked on the Bric-a-Brac advertising staff.
Survivors include his wife, Theresa; daughter Katherine Mary Howell; sons Peter Jr. and John; brothers Arthur, William, and David; sister Sally Matz; and one grandson. To all his family, we extend deep sympathy.
The Class of 1956
JOHN W. LINKHAUER ’56
John died Aug. 14, 2002, in McKeesport, Pa. A retired attorney, he practiced in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and DC, specializing in patent law. A former employee of US Steel, Pittsburgh Plate Glass, and BASF Wyandotte, he was in private practice with the late Tom Murray.
He was a member of St. Pius V Church in McKeesport and former member of Mount Lebanon Council of Knights of Columbus. Valedictorian of his Mount Lebanon HS class, he received his degree at Princeton in chemical engineering and then graduated from Duquesne U. Law School.
At Princeton, he was a member of Terrace Club and had a particular interest in playing bridge. Even as an undergraduate, he intended to become a patent lawyer.
In our 25th-reunion yearbook, he wrote of the blessing of having two sons, George and James. His wife, Winifred Kelly, died in 1970, and in 1972, John married Donna Considine.
In addition to his two sons, he is survived by two grandchildren, and by his sisters Katherine Sepan and Sister Vivien of the Sisters of Charity. The class extends its deepest sympathy to all his family.
The Class of 1956
Thomas Woodward Houghton ’65
Tom died of pancreatic cancer May 27, 2002, in Houston. A native of Dallas, his forebears included two of the “Old Three Hundred” Anglo-Americans who colonized Texas with Stephen F. Austin. He was an Eagle Scout.
At Princeton, Tom was a University Scholar, majoring in mathematics. In 1968 he graduated first in his class from UT Law School, where he was articles editor of the Texas Law Review. After clerking for a district judge, he joined Butler, Binion, Rice, Cook and Knapp. In 1982 he was a founding partner of Mayor, Day and Caldwell, which he left in 1992 to practice alone. He was a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, a life member of the American Law Institute, and active in the American Bar Assn. He was clerk of the vestry, president of the endowment fund of Christ Church Cathedral, and president of the Princeton Alumni Assn. of Houston. He was active in historic preservation and the arts.
He is survived by his wife, Dorothy Knox; his mother; his daughters, Adele ’99 and Rowena ’97; and his son-in-law, Kevin Dasch ’97. The class extends its sympathy on the loss of this fine man.
The Class of 1965
J. Jeffrey Gribb ’84
Jeff died May 25, 2002, from injuries sustained in a cycling accident. He was 39.
Jeff graduated from Central Bucks East HS. At Princeton he received a degree in biology, was a member of the Ivy Club, and met his wife, Jill Moeller ’84. He received his MD from the U. of Pittsburgh Medical School and performed his residency and a fellowship in anesthesiology at Harvard Medical School hospitals. He went on to become the chairman of the anesthesia department at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara.
He was famous in the hospital and community for his quick and quirky wit and for treating every individual with respect and dignity. In 1996, Jeff volunteered on a medical mission in El Salvador, treating children with cleft palates.
Jeff balanced his professional life with a family life full of fun and adventure. He was an avid golfer and cyclist, an expert skier, and loved to play and travel with his children, so much so that he became affectionately known as “Dr. Vacation” among his friends.
He is survived by his wife, Jill, daughter Paige, son Parker, sister Stephanie Siddons, brother David, and parents John and Mary Ann. The class extends its deepest sympathy to them all.
The Class of 1984
