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February 15, 2006: Memorials
THOMAS STANLEY WATSON ’34
T. Stanley Watson, known to friends as Stan, died peacefully Sept. 22, 2005, at his home in Palm Beach, Fla.
His career included owning and operating automobile dealerships in Connecticut and Florida and working for Florida offices of the national real-estate firms Previews Inc. and Sotheby’s. An avid automobile buff, he collected and restored vintage Rolls Royce cars.
Until recently Stan was a member of the Everglades Club and the Four Arts Society in Palm Beach, and of Rotary clubs in Connecticut and Florida.
Married in 1934 to Nancy Evans, who died after 61 years of marriage, Stan is survived by daughters Nancy King, Faith Watson, and Lisa Watson; a son, Ralph; nine grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
The Class of 1934
ROBERT KING WILLETT ’34
Bob “Red” Willett, who retired from Sperry Gyroscope Co. in 1977 after more than 20 years, died of pneumonia Jan. 1, 2005, at an assisted-living facility in California near one of his two nieces, his only surviving relatives.
At Sperry he worked on gyrocompasses, gunsights, LORAN navigation systems,
missile-guidance systems, and early-warning radar installations.
Some years after he had retired, Red, who never married, wrote, “I have no special interests at this point, but my time is pretty full. I walk four miles a day, do my own housework, read the newspaper thoroughly. And watch television! I never had a set till my mother died. Now I enjoy old movies, ball games, and even some of the skits. Retirement could be a lot worse.”
Red’s surviving nieces are Pat Tomlinson and Kathy Kyte.
The Class of 1934
BRONSON TWEEDY ’37
Born in London, England, of American parents, Brons died Oct. 5, 2004, at his home in Chevy Chase, Md. He was 90.
He prepared for Princeton at the Stowe School in Britain, where he played cricket and rugby along with golf. He majored in history, won letters in soccer, and was a member of Colonial Club. Following graduation Brons went to work for the advertising firm of Benton & Bowles in New York City. During World War II he entered the Navy as an ensign working in intelligence, and served in the Mediterranean and European theaters as well as in Tunisia and Algiers. He was discharged after more than three years of duty as a lieutenant. He returned to Benton & Bowles, but shortly moved to the Central Intelligence Agency in Washington, where he worked for 26 years, retiring in 1973.
Brons was active in the Audubon Society and became national president of Recording for the Blind. His wife, Mary Louise, pre-deceased him. He is survived by two children, two grandchildren, and two brothers, including Malcolm Tweedy ’44. Brons was a highly respected member of the class, a loyal Princetonian, and an important public servant. He will be greatly missed, and the class extends its sympathy to all the members of his family.
The Class of 1937
Robert Forsyth Little III ’39
Bob died Aug. 29, 2005, in Oyster Bay, N.Y.
Bob received a law degree from Columbia Law School in 1942, then began a tour of military service that lasted until 1950, during which he divided his time between the New York National Guard and the Field Artillery, where he was a captain. His subsequent law career was with White & Case in New York until 1958, when he left to open his own business, Coastal Millwork Co., a wholesaler and manufacturer of wood millwork in the metropolitan area. On the side he was a real-estate investor and developer right up until our 50th reunion.
Bob was a maverick, a rugged individualist, who was ever in search of new interests and new challenges. He was largely successful in everything he undertook. His interests included computers, classic and antique cars, and as he once wrote, “golf, golf, golf.”
Bob is survived by his wife, Susan; his children from his first marriage, Julia and Robert Jr.; four stepchildren; 14 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. We offer them all our sincere sympathy.
The Class of 1939
John Ogden Nelson ’39
John died June 24, 2005, at his home in Boulder, Colo., after a long illness. He was 88.
One of the large Lawrenceville contingent in our class, he graduated from Princeton magna cum laude with a degree in philosophy and won the McCosh Prize in his field.
After serving four years as a first lieutenant in military intelligence, largely in Europe, he received a master’s degree with distinction from Colgate in 1948 and a Ph.D. from Cornell in 1951. John went on to a career of teaching, research, and writing articles for publication. In 1950 he joined the philosophy department at the University of Colorado, where he was professor for the next 33 years. In his field, he was known and honored worldwide.
He loved traveling with his wife, Edna, especially the days they spent in the Prado.
He listed as his greatest satisfactions his wife and children, getting a philosophy article published now and again, and once in a great, great while, making a birdie.
John is survived by Edna; their sons, James and Frederic; and two grandsons. We offer them our sincere sympathy.
The Class of 1939
Stephen Pierpont Jeffris Wood ’39
Woody, who lived in Highland Beach, Fla., died Sept. 22, 2005, in Cannes, France.
Also known to us as P.J., he came to Princeton from Exeter, but left college after our sophomore year. From 1941 to 1946 he served as a major in the Field Artillery of the 33rd Armored Division in France and Germany. He then joined the Warner Electric Brake and Clutch Co. in Beloit, Wis., where he remained for his entire working career. He was elected president in 1953, and then served as chairman until the company was sold in 1984.
Always an active member of the Republican party, Woody was invited to the White House by Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush. He was a philanthropist on the local and national levels and served on the board of Beloit College. His outside interests were golf, tennis, and boating. He owned a boat in the south of France.
Woody was predeceased by his wife, Colette. Surviving are two daughters by his first marriage, Paula Wood Loud and Susan Wood Bleier; five grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. We offer them our sincere sympathy.
The Class of 1939
JOSEPH DILL BAKER KING ’41
Joe died Oct. 15, 2005, after a long bout with cancer.
A graduate of Boys Latin School in Baltimore, he majored in biology at Princeton. He joined Charter Club and roomed with Naylor, Cleaver, and Arnzen. Joe played freshman and varsity lacrosse, and was a first-team All American attack-man junior year. After graduating from Johns Hopkins Medical School, he completed his internship and residency there.
Commissioned a captain in the Army Medical Corps, Joe served in Alaska and was discharged in April 1947. Returning to Baltimore, he first joined his father’s practice before starting his own in Roland Park. He later moved to Chevy Chase, working for the State Department to provide care for Foreign Service officers. He also was an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins and later at George Washington Medical School, and he served on the board of the Washington Visiting Nurse Association.
Joe and his wife, Maggie, enjoyed skiing in Europe and in the United States. After retirement, tennis became an important part of his life. Surviving are Margaret Hurd King, his wife of 32 years; daughters Charlotte Lilly, Clare King, Ann Marshall, and Julia Pryor; stepsons John and Charles Gray Hurd; a stepdaughter, Susan Hoff; eight grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
The Class of 1941
David Gordon McAneny ’41
Dave died peacefully Oct. 1, 2005, at home in Granada Hills, Calif.
A native New Yorker, he was the son of the late Marjorie and George McAneny. Dave’s father was president of the Borough of Manhattan from 1910 to 1913 and executive manager of The New York Times from 1916 to 1921. Dave prepared at Riverdale Country School, and at Princeton he majored in music, sang in the Glee Club, and joined Charter. Among his roommates were Walt Goudale, Bill Hamler, and his cherished friend, Irv Walsh.
After serving in the Army in World War II, Dave’s career was in advertising, where he wrote print, radio, and television commercials for national clients. His work won several awards, including a Cleo in 1963. An accomplished musician, he played piano for live radio and TV shows including Kukla, Fran, and Ollie. He played for the first television demonstration at the 1939 World’s Fair in New York. Dave and Larry Ackard were also the star piano duo at many a ’41 reunion!
Dave is survived by his children, Nancy Voll, Susan Joyce, and David J. McAneny; nine grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. His yearbook quote was: “My outlook on life? You look out on life, and there it is.”
The Class of 1941
WILLIAM OTIS ROCKWOOD ’41
We lost Rocky Oct. 23, 2005.
A native of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., he prepared at Hotchkiss. At Princeton, he majored in English and French. He played polo and golf, lettering in golf and becoming golf manager senior year. He was a member of Triangle and Cannon Club and participated in the Glee Club.
An ROTC graduate, Rocky served in Africa, Sicily, and France during World War II with the 60th Field Artillery, 9th Division. Awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart, he was honorably discharged as a major in 1946. Graduating from Columbia Law School in 1947, he joined the New York firm of O’Brien, Driscoll, Rafferty & Lawler. He established his own firm, Lawler & Rockwood, in 1951. In 1966, he moved his office to Briarcliff Manor, heading Rockwood, Edelstein & Duffy.
Rocky retired in 1981 and he and his wife, Pat, moved yearly between Mystic, Conn., and Florida until settling permanently in Delray Beach, Fla., in 1996. Rocky served on the board of Phelps Memorial Hospital and was a vestryman at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, among other activities.
Predeceased by Patricia White Rockwood, his wife of 59 years, he is survived by his son, William O. Rockwood Jr.; granddaughters Kathryn and Lindsay; and his daughter, Martha Hendrick.
The Class of 1941
WILLIAM EDWARD THOMPSON ’42
Bill, an expert in marketing and promotion whose avocations included entertaining international visitors and traveling, died Oct. 9, 2005, in New York.
He left us before graduation to join the Army Air Corps during World War II. After four years of service and discharge with the rank of captain, he returned to Princeton and graduated cum laude in economics.
Bill embarked on a career in marketing and promotion successively with corporate giants Seagram, Bigelow-Sanford, and B.F. Goodrich. On the way he worked as a self-employed research business writer and management consultant. Eventually, after a stint with Goodrich as marketing manager, having polished his management and promotion skills, he established William E. Thompson Inc. in River Vale, N.J., with extensive international connections that he had developed during his journeys throughout South America and Europe. Bill retired in 1976 after becoming visually disabled.
In 1958, Bill married Irene de Pfeiffer-Saenz from Buenos Aires, whom he met in New York while she was attending college there. They had Richard and Tracey. Sadly, Irene died of cancer in 1970. A couple of years later Bill married Anne Pahl.
To Richard and Tracey, and to Anne and Bill’s four grandchildren, the class extends its condolences.
The Class of 1942
HERBERT GALBRAITH WELLINGTON Jr. ’43
Herb died Aug. 15, 2005, in Locust Valley, N.Y. He was 85.
A native of Rye, N.Y., he attended St. Mark’s School in Southbury, Mass. After graduating from Princeton in 1943 with a degree in English, Herb joined the Army and served in World War II as a first lieutenant in the Signal Corps. He participated in the D-Day invasion of Normandy and also fought in France, Germany, and the Philippines.
At the time of his death, Herb was chairman of the Wall Street firm H.G. Wellington and Co. Herb enjoyed hunting, fishing, and conservation. He was a strong early supporter of the Atlantic Salmon Foundation, and was involved in the Montana Land Reliance.
Herb is survived by his wife, Patricia; three sons, Charles, James and William; and four grandchildren. To all the survivors, we offer our most heartfelt sympathies.
The Class of 1943
ROYAL COLEMAN ZUCKERMAN ’43
Roy died July 19, 2005, of pulmonary failure. He was 83.
He prepped for Princeton at Exeter. Following discharge from the armed forces in World War II, he attended the University of San Francisco Law School. Roy did not, however, practice law. Instead, most of his business experience was in sales, a milieu he began after military service so that he could go to law school at night. This resulted in Roy becoming a rep for a couple of fabric mills, and later opening his own wholesale home-furnishings showroom.
Roy’s basic hobbies and outside interests were sports and politics. As his wife, Cynthia, put it, “The kids kept him up to snuff on any generation gap out there.”
In addition to Cynthia, Roy is survived by two daughters, Edith Ann Keyes and Jill Benitez; and two sons, Philip Benjamin and David James. To the entire family, we extend our deepest and most sincere condolences.
The Class of 1943
CHARLES WOOD DITHRICH ’44
Charlie died Oct. 20, 2005, in Edgeworth, Pa., outside his native Pittsburgh.
A first-grade teacher couldn’t get him to write with his right hand instead of his left, but he made the first “A” honors list at Sewickley Academy, shone at Mercersburg Academy, and was a member of the soccer team and Cannon Club at Princeton. He joined the field artillery in 1943, serving as a first lieutenant in two European campaigns. He returned to complete his English degree in 1947, then earned a law degree from the University of Pittsburgh. He was a military lawyer in the Korean War.
Charlie became corporate counsel for Rockwell Standard and later vice president of corporate law for Fisher Scientific Co. He also served more than 20 years on the Borough of Edgeworth Council, including as council president. In his career and private life, he was hailed as “a softspoken man of humility who was trustworthy, dependable, and selfless.” He loved jazz and singing, and was a member of the Edgeworth Club, Harvard-Yale-Princeton Club, and St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church.
Charlie is survived by Anne, his wife of 54 years; sons Charles W. Jr., Brown, and William; a daughter, Elizabeth Halcomb; and seven grandchildren. We offer our sincere condolences.
The Class of 1944
CHARLES F. HAZELWOOD JR. ’44
“Pete” Hazelwood died Aug. 8, 2005, near his home and family cabin in Weyauwega, Wis. He had a love of life in everything he found.
Pete prepped at Scarsdale (N.Y.) High School. At Princeton, he played freshman golf and was manager of varsity track and a member of Tiger Inn. He won honors in his engineering courses all three years, graduating in 1943. He served 29 months as a Navy radar officer at MIT, before earning a master’s degree at Harvard Business School.
After 16 years with General Electric and International Paper, working with employees on problem-solving, Pete founded his own consulting firm, Concept Associates, which provided a number of Fortune 100 companies with seminars and courses. He loved to teach and help others, and worked with youth, local churches, and civic organizations such as the Wisconsin lake associations. He loved details and “rational planning,” and being “a consummate gentleman.”
Pete’s wife of 50 years, Marilyn, died in 1998, and their first son, Charles F. “Pete” Hazelwood III, died in July. Pete is survived by his second son, Harry W. “Hap” Hazel-wood; two brothers, Robert and John; 10 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. We extend our sincere condolences to all.
The Class of 1944
SELDEN SPAULDING ’44
Our quiet painter died Oct. 31, 2005, in San Francisco.
Denny, as he was known to most, was raised in Santa Barbara, Calif., and prepped at Laguna Blanca School and The Hill School. He earned his degree in art and archaeology in 1943, and was a member of Elm Club. He served two years as a general’s aide-de-camp in Europe.
Beginning his lifetime devotion to painting, Denny moved to southern France in 1950. He painted mostly abstracts in Cannes, La Ciotat, and Paris, and had a show in Venice. Denny sent postcards to our class secretaries, hoping classmates would stop by to say hello.
Starting to gain recognition in the United States, he returned to Santa Barbara, expanded into landscapes, and had many shows along the California coast. By the 1980s, he moved to San Francisco, where he painted in his Victorian house in the Castro District and — after his hands failed — would walk the old neighborhoods.
Never married, Denny is survived by his sister, Ruth Seaman, and 12 loving nieces and nephews, including Blair Edwards ’61 and Selden Edwards ’63. His paintings reside in several collections. If we never got to say “hello” in those painting years, we say a proud and warm “farewell.”
The Class of 1944
JOHN H. VAN NESS ’44
Jack died May 28, 2005, in Venice, Fla., where he and his wife had lived for more than 20 years. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery Oct. 19.
Jack came to Princeton from Maplewood (N.J.) High School, where he starred in football. His record for the longest punt there still stands after 65 years. At Princeton, he roomed with Wally Johnson, among others, in Blair Tower senior year. He majored in chemical engineering, played football, and was a member of the gymnastics team and of Tiger Inn. After getting his bachelor’s in 1943, he was commissioned a lieutenant in the Navy, and served as a communications and radar officer on a submarine, seeing extensive action in the Pacific and winning a Silver Star.
After the war, he earned a master’s at Northwestern University and joined Monsanto’s research department in St. Louis, where he spent 30 years developing new manufacturing processes for food flavorings. He continued his strong interest in sports, particularly golf.
Jack is survived by his wife of 54 years, Kay; a daughter, Susan; a son, Doug ’75; and two grandsons, Nick ’08 and Leighton Van Ness. We extend our sympathy to all.
The Class of 1944
JOSEPH GLENN HALL ’45
Joe died May 17, 2005.
Joe entered Princeton from Walnut Hills High in Cincinnati, followed by his brother William B. Hall ’47. He joined Dial Lodge and was on the freshman cross-country team. His Princeton career was interrupted by service as an EMT with the Army Medical Corps. Returning to Princeton he received a degree in biology in 1948 and then earned a master’s degree in zoology from the University of Colorado.
Following six years of graduate studies in wildlife management at Berkeley and a year of teaching at Colorado State University, Joe joined the faculty of San Francisco State University as professor of biology in 1957 and remained there until taking early retirement to Grand Junction, Colo., in 1983. As he expressed it, he valued the slower pace of life, access to scenic wilderness, and less crowded living conditions. In 1950 he married the former Elizabeth Allen, a graduate of the University of Colorado, and they remained active in the Nature Conservancy and the Sierra Club and concerned with problems of wilderness preservation throughout their marriage.
In addition to Betty, Joe leaves his daughters, Sally, Connie, Peggy, and Lisa; 10 grandsons; and his brother, William. The class expresses its sympathy to all.
The Class of 1945
ROBERT GAIL MILLS ’45
Bob died Dec. 5, 2005, at Stony Brook Assisted Living in Pennington, N.J.
Although born in Illinois, he moved to Princeton in 1928 when his father, Gail, became controller of the University, and Bob entered the University from Princeton High School. He accelerated his studies during World War II and received a degree in electrical engineering summa cum laude in 1944. He also was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.
Bob served in the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C., and left Princeton long enough to obtain a master’s from Michigan in 1947 and a doctorate in physics from the University of California, Berkeley in 1952. In 1954 he became one of the initial scientists working on Project Matterhorn, which researched fusion power.
Bob returned to Princeton and founded what later became the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. After retirement, he became a lecturer in the University’s chemical engineering department with the rank of professor.
Bob’s interests were eclectic: flying airplanes and sailplanes, photography, bowling, hiking, and reading mysteries. In 1946, he married the former Mary Steer, who pre-deceased him.
He is survived by his daughter, Susan Mills Kifuthu; son Robert W.; and six grandchildren. The class expresses sympathy to all.
The Class of 1945
WILLIAM HOWARD WAINWRIGHT ’45
Bill died July 12, 2005.
He entered Princeton from the Browning School and spent his first year off campus at 24 Dickinson St. He joined Terrace Club and was a member of Theatre Intime.
After service in the Army Specialized Training Program, he earned a medical degree from Chicago in 1949. He served as a flight surgeon in Korea and returned home to Cornell University’s Payne Whitney Clinic in New York as a full-time teacher of psychiatry. He served for many years as head of the emergency psychiatric services at Roosevelt Hospital in New York. He was elected a fellow of the Psychiatric Association.
Bill, who never married, pursued many different interests, centering on music and New York theater. He remained in New York until his death. Bill left no survivors known to the class.
The Class of 1945
Arno Fischer ’47 *49
Arno’s long battle with cancer ended Feb. 2, 2005. He had endured 17 operations, including the loss of an arm. His courage, continuing enjoyment of life, and his grace served as an inspiration to all who knew him.
After earning undergraduate and graduate degrees in architecture from Princeton, Arno went on to a wonderful career in architecture characterized by many diverse projects for many satisfied clients. He designed facilities in Europe for the armed forces during the early years of NATO and then, at home, all kinds of projects for industries, theaters, the Boy Scouts, and many others.
In 1963 he married Peggy — an accomplished consultant in information services — who shared his love of travel. Recalling his earlier days in Europe, Arno wrote of his inspiring moonlit walks in Italy and his midnight strolls during a summer in Sweden. In 1996 he and Peggy enjoyed an unguided exploration of Singapore, Thailand, and Hong Kong, and then a final trek to the Hawaiian Islands.
For our 50th yearbook, after he had lost his arm, Arno wrote: “I have not yet put retirement in focus,” an observation that reflected his courage and continuing ability to enjoy the gifts of life.
To Peggy; his son, Arno Bryant; his daughter, Sabrina; and the grandchildren, the class gives this heartfelt tribute with love.
The Class of 1947
Fred Wehr ’47
Fred died July 4, 2005. He was a guy of diverse talents and experiences who loved and served his native Baltimore in many ways.
After the V-12 program at Princeton, he went on to destroyer duty in the Pacific. After V-J Day he was one of the first to enter Japan, where his ship was charged with disarming returning enemy vessels.
Graduating in 1948, Fred returned to Baltimore and to TV sportscasting — at a time when TV was just beginning to enter our lives. Later Fred became director of fund raising at Goucher College, and he led an effort to bring hospice care (then in its early days) to Baltimore.
Fred’s lifelong interest in aviation is reflected in part by his authorship of a children’s book called Amelia, and recalling his own daring flight upside down under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Marylanders will testify that this was an awesome feat.
Sadly, Fred’s first two beloved wives died of cancer. Happily, his third marriage to Silvia, the associate dean of public health at Johns Hopkins, amply filled these voids and sustained his passion for life.
The Class of 1947
Richard B. Windsor ’47
Dick’s sudden death March 8, 2005, leaves an enormous gap in our diminishing ranks and a deep sense of loss.
Upon graduating from St. Louis Country Day, he was swept into the Army, where he served in the European theater and received three battle stars. Entering Princeton in 1946 he excelled academically while singing in the Nassoons and, as he put it, enjoying “parties with girls.”
Dick’s marriage to Mary Ann in 1952 marked the beginning of a lifelong love affair. They moved to Sheboygan, Wis., in 1957, where Dick became a first-class surgeon, an enthusiastic civic activist, and over time, the happy patriarch of a loving family of three children and four grandchildren.
“Every time of life has seemed the best time,” he wrote for our 50th, a sentiment reflected in his “retirement” business card advertising newly acquired skills, such as “castrating alligators,” “emptying bars,” “starting revolutions,” and “quelling uprisings.”
He served us in many ways and carried our banner in countless parades, most always in the company of his wife, Mary Ann. They would perform an awesome dance — something like a pas de deux combined with an Indian war chant. He was larger than life.
To his “sweetheart of 53 years” and his family, we offer this modest, loving tribute to a great guy.
The Class of 1947
Frank McCord Eccles ’48
Skip Eccles died Nov. 1, 2005.
He graduated from Phillips Andover Academy, where he returned to teach mathematics, become a housemaster, and coach lacrosse, as well as being a dean. In summers he frequently taught in Dartmouth’s A Better Chance program.
Skip graduated from Princeton with high honors in mechanical engineering. He was a major force on the lacrosse team, served on the editorial board of the Tiger, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He attended the Naval Academy from 1945 to 1947.
On graduation he moved to Schenectady, N.Y., as an engineer at GE. He and Helen were married in 1951. In 1956 they returned to Andover. Helen, too, was known as Skip; to avoid confusion they became Mrs. Skip and Mr. Skip.
Skip had a passion for teaching and for social justice. He wrote a report on the composition of the student body that became the blueprint for Andover’s multicultural,
multiracial, multiclass community. He was a tireless volunteer and advocate for less advantaged children. On his retirement from Andover in 1990, Skip and Mrs. Skip were called “the conscience of the academy.”
Skip is survived by Helen; his son, Charles; daughters Lydia, Isabel, and Betsy; four grandchildren; and a great-grandson. The class extends condolences and affection to the entire family.
The Class of 1948
Francis Pearre Fretwell ’48
Frank, a lifelong resident of Moore, S.C., died Oct. 28, 2005.
It was in Moore that he established the world-renowned Monfret Kennels and early on bred Ch Colonial Mint Julep of the Nass. The dog was known as “Nassau” and enabled Frank to get to know pretty much every Princetonian involved with dog shows.
At Princeton, Frank majored in politics and was a member of Campus Club. He graduated in February 1948 and soon returned to Moore, where he became an expert in the manufacturing of flour as well as feed for livestock, poultry, and dogs. He was a vice president of Spartan Grain and Mill Co. until his retirement in 1966.
As he put it: “I have devoted most of my time to breeding and showing black Standard Poodles and Italian Greyhounds, having bred probably more champion
poodles than any other man.” He researched and edited four volumes of Poodles in America and was active as a dog-show judge worldwide.
Not surprisingly, Frank developed perhaps the world’s largest private library of books about dogs, with more than 8,000 titles dating from the 16th century to the present.
Frank never married. He is survived by two nieces and two nephews.
The Class of 1948
Charles Henry Atherton ’54 *57
Charlie died Dec. 3, 2005, from injuries he suffered after being struck by a car in Washington, D.C., two days earlier.
Born in Kingston, Pa., Charlie prepared for college at Wyoming Seminary. At Princeton he earned a bachelor’s in architecture and an MFA in 1957. He served in the Naval Reserve from 1957 to 1960.
His Washington professional career spanned 39 years of work in the Commission of Fine Arts, where he was its secretary and chief administrative officer until his retirement in 2004. Charlie was involved in all major federal architectural projects in Washington and was a guiding force in the development of its design infrastructure, from the Metro system to the redevelopment of Pennsylvania Avenue and the design features of the city’s monumental core.
Charlie was inducted into the College of the American Institute of Architects in 1984, and in 2005, he received its Thomas Jefferson Award for his career in public architecture. His professional awards include the Martin Luther King Jr. award for community service, a lifetime achievement award from the Committee of 100 on the Federal City, and induction into the District of Columbia Hall of Fame.
The class sends condolences to his sons, Charles and Thomas, and his daughter, Sarah.
The Class of 1954
EDWARD M. NORTON ’55
Mickey died Feb. 14, 2005, in Florida.
As a young athlete in Brooklyn, N.Y., he showed great promise, but at 13 he was stricken with polio, requiring use of a wheelchair for his last 33 years.
At Huntington High School and during his two years at Princeton, Mickey immersed himself in sports. He could not play, but became involved in every other way possible. He kept stats, broadcasted games for WPRU, and assisted coaches Caldwell and Cappon.
Mickey left Princeton to coach boys’ programs for the YMCA. He completed his degree at Hofstra University. He then established the Norton Athletic Club, and formed women’s teams long before Title IX. He relocated to Orlando in 1978.
Mickey’s influence and enormous contributions were recognized by his admission into four halls of fame. He left a legacy of coaches, teachers, professionals, and professional athletes who were products of his teaching and coaching for 50 years.
Mickey was also a journalist and sportswriter. Shortly before he died, he published his autobiography, Mickey Norton: A Memoir of the Early Years.
He is survived by his son, Eddie; his sister, Ella Beck; and his good friends from his time at Princeton, John Paul, Mike Loprete ’54, and Ted Miller. To them, the class extends its deepest sympathy.
The Class of 1955
Hirsh Eli Barmatz ’59
Hirsh died Oct. 11, 2004. He was living in Denver, Colo., at the time of his death, and had been battling cancer for several years.
Hirsh was born in Denver and attended East High School there. At Princeton he majored in biology, was on the varsity track team, sang in the Glee Club and choir, and took his meals at Terrace Club.
Following graduation Hirsh earned a medical degree from the University of Colorado. He interned for a year at the University of California hospitals in San Francisco, then spent two years as a captain in the Army at Fort Dix, N.J., where he began training in ophthalmology. He returned to Denver in 1966, where he completed his residency in ophthalmology.
Hirsh began his practice with two other ophthalmologists in Denver in 1969, and later established his own practice. In 1997 he joined a multispecialty group as the designated ophthalmologist, but retired from active practice after three years and split his time between Denver and Palm Desert, Calif. He served Princeton as a Schools Committee member.
Hirsh is survived by Alice, his wife of 45 years; three daughters, Heidi, Stacy, and Mitzi; and five grandchildren, to all of whom the class extends its sympathy.
The Class of 1959
Carl Henry Kappes III ’59
The class lost one of its most exuberant members when Carl lost his tenacious battle with prostate cancer July 13, 2005. He had fought the disease with courage and grace for 14 years.
Born in New York City, Carl came to Princeton via Phillips Exeter. He joined Colonial Club, achieved honors in history, and drilled with Navy ROTC, selecting the Marine option. Following service as an artillery officer in Okinawa, he entered the business world, working initially in the sugar industry. By the 1990s he found commodities and futures too hectic, and he became a financial adviser. He left that field in 2003 and retired to Sun Valley to enjoy, as he put it, “the beautiful surroundings and relaxed lifestyle.”
Carl enjoyed skiing, golf, squash and, most of all, his family and friends. He was an active fund-raiser for Exeter, and received a standing ovation from his classmates when he returned there for his 50th reunion shortly before his death. He had attended his 45th reunion at Princeton the year before.
Carl cherished his stepdaughter, Christina, from a marriage in 1985. In 2001 he met Claudia Casey, whom he described as his wonderful, beautiful friend. He also is survived by his sisters, Ellen and Karen, and several nephews and cousins.
The Class of 1959
Michael Patrick McCarthy ’59
Mike died unexpectedly July 3, 2005, when a blood clot formed following cardiac catheterization. Mike stopped breathing, and efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.
Mike came to Princeton from Rye (N.Y.) High School, where he captained the baseball and basketball teams. He played freshman basketball at Princeton, served as a keyceptor and a dormitory captain for the Campus Fund Drive, and joined Cap and Gown.
After a six-month tour as an Army ROTC graduate, Mike, who majored in history, chose journalism as his career. But after six months on The New York Times’ city desk, and a semester at Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism, he sensed that his calling was in education. Under the guidance of Eric Goldman, Mike earned a master’s in teaching at Johns Hopkins and embarked on his life’s career.
In 1970 he completed a Ph.D. program in history at Northwestern, merging his two greatest interests: teaching and history. Mike spent the rest of his life researching, writing, and teaching. In 2002 he published The Living City, an account of Baltimore’s mid-20th-century downtown revitalization.
Mike is survived by his wife, Carol, and daughters Claire ’84 and Catherine ’90, to whom the class expresses heartfelt sympathy.
The Class of 1959
JEFFREY ALBERT NEWFIELD ’64
Jeff lost a long battle with cancer Sept. 5, 2005, in West Hartford, Conn.
A native of Hartford, Jeff graduated from Loomis-Chaffee School. At Princeton, Jeff studied civil engineering, served on the UGC staff, the Orange Key Committee and the Campus Fund Drive, and was a member of the soccer team and Quadrangle Club. After Princeton, Jeff went on to the University of Michigan Business School, where he was student body president. Jeff maintained close ties with all three schools throughout his life.
A former alumni association president and trustee at Loomis, he established the J. Newfield Prize for Excellence in Chemistry. Jeff’s loyalty to the Class of 1964 was continuous, and he most recently served on the 35th- and 40th-reunion committees.
The Hartford community was the beneficiary of Jeff’s tireless and selfless dedication to community service. Jeff was on the board of the Easter Seals Rehabilitation Center, Habitat for Humanity, and the Rotary Club of Hartford, among other organizations. Last year, the Rotary Club honored him with the Paul Harris Fellow Award for distinguished service.
Jeff was devoted to skiing, tennis, and convertibles. But his true devotion was to his beloved wife, Patricia, and their daughter, Alexandra. With them, we join in mourning his untimely death, but also in celebrating his life.
The Class of 1964
THOMAS RICHARD SHOAFF *34
Thomas Richard Shoaff, Fort Wayne, Ind., architect, died May 13, 2005. He was 96.
Well before the age of motorized travel, Shoaff was born in a horse-drawn carriage en route to the hospital in Fort Wayne. Except for brief forays away to gain an education — an undergraduate degree from Williams College and a graduate degree in architecture from Princeton — and to serve in the navy in World War II, he devoted his life to the architectural, civic, and artistic growth of his hometown.
Shoaff is survived by his wife, Phyllis; five children; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
