Memorials - July 5, 2000
Joel Jenkins Berrall '27
Joe Berrall died on Mar. 17, 1991.
Joe was born in Montclair, N.J., and came to Princeton from Western H.S. in Washington, DC, where he was a member of the cadet corps, newspaper, yearbook, and track squad. At Princeton he was active in lacrosse, track, and Glee Club and was a member of Cloister Inn. His roommates included Monty Berg and Bill Hitschler.
His multifaceted career after graduation included earning a master's in economics from Columbia, and holding a number of positions related to the food industry, notably in federal programs for managing domestic food supplies during WWII, and advertising and publicity in Wisconsin after the war.
The class extends its sympathy to his surviving son, William, and a daughter, Nancy.
The Class of 1927
John B. Corser Jr. '27 *30
Jack was born in Scranton, Pa., the son of John Bliss Corser 1896. He died in his sleep on Mar. 19, 2000. Jack prepared at Scranton Central High, where he was a member of the swimming team. At Princeton he played water polo and was on the varsity swimming squad. He was also on the 150-pound crew and active on the art board of Tiger and in Whig Hall. He was a member of Cloister Inn. He roomed with Chaunce Keller for four years.
Jack earned his MFA in architecture from Princeton, and his early career involved the design of prefabricated houses. After service in the armed forces in both the European and Asian Pacific theaters during WWII, he returned to the architecture firm of Holden, Egan, Wilson and Corser (later Holden, Yang, Rarmsch, and Corser), with which he had been associated since 1931. He retired in 1972, and he and his wife, Maude, retired to New Hampshire, where Jack served three two-year terms in the state legislature and continued to pursue his interests in obedience training of dogs, hiking, and extensive travel.
The class extends its deepest sympathy to Maude, Jack's wife of 62 years.
The Class of 1927
George Burton Pearson Jr. '27
Burt Pearson died on Dec. 7, 1999, in Wilmington, Del. Born in Middletown, Del., he entered Princeton from Wilmington Friends School, where he was active in dramatics and in the Officer Athletic Assn., and in later years served as pres. of its alumni association.
At Princeton he was a member of Gateway Club and roomed with Fred Wardenburg. He earned his LLB from Penn law school in 1931 and had a distinguished career in the Delaware state courts system until 1949, when he joined the Wilmington Trust Co., from which he retired in 1970. He provided volunteer services for numerous organizations, including the Delaware Assn. of Police, Memorial Hospital, and a number of historical societies, including the Historical Society of Delaware, and the Society of Colonial Wars.
Burt's first wife, Isabella Turner Pearson, died in 1962. His survivors include his second wife, Edith duPont Pearson, two daughters, Isabella P. Ryan and Margaret C., a granddaughter, five stepchildren, 14 grandchildren, and 16 great-grandchildren, to whom the class extends its condolences.
The Class of 1927
William Kingsbury Wight '27
Bill Wight was born in Hastings, Nebr., the son of E. Van Dyke Wight 1892. He prepared at Blair Academy, where he managed track and was involved in publications and dramatics. At Princeton he was a member of the Press Club, the band, and Whig Hall.
His career was in journalism and public relations, first with the Associated Press, then with the public relations firm of Byoir and Associates. During WWII he handled government relations for 13 industrial firms engaged in war production. He later worked for the Republican Natl. Committee, the Philco Corp., and Warner-Lambert Pharmaceutical Co., in addition to doing private consulting.
Bill is survived by a daughter, Kathleen W. Heaney, and a son, Byron, to whom the class extends its sympathy.
The Class of 1927
Warren Franklin Beasley '29
Warren F. "Sam" Beasley died on May 12, 2000, after a short illness. He was 92.
He prepared at Roxbury H.S. At Princeton he was on the water polo team, the tennis team, associate photographic editor of the Bric-A-Brac, and a member of Dial Lodge.
After graduation he was employed by Hercules Inc., where he worked for 42 years until he retired in 1971.
He remained active in retirement and was with the U. of Delaware technical services division, where he headed a task force to determine the feasibility of creating a chemical science center for the American Chemical Society of Delaware.
In 1976 he was appointed to the New Castle Board of Water and Light, where he served first as pres. and then as commissioner for 23 years. He helped form the Delaware Municipal Electric Corp. and was a trustee of the Historical Society of Delaware for six years and an elder and trustee of the New Castle Presbyterian Church. He served as class pres., and, until his death, as class agent for AG.
His wife for 55 years, Matilda Van Trump Beasley, predeceased him in 1991. He is survived by daughters Matilda B. Bixby and Alison B. Hupfel, five grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. To all of them the class extends its sincere sympathy.
The Class of 1929
Donald K. McAllen '31
Born in Glencoe, Ill., Don lived the greater part of his life in Lancaster, Pa.
He prepared at the New Trier H.S. At Princeton he was a member of the Pistol Team, the Band, and a member of Key and Seal. After graduation he joined the accounting firm of Arthur Young, where he remained until 1939. His knowledge in mathematics (his major as an undergraduate) and what he learned at the firm enabled him to get a crash-course CPA degree from the U. of Illinois. In 1939 he left to join Anchor Hocking Glass Corp., but from 1942-46 his career was interrupted by WWII when he activated his reserve commission and joined the field artillery. He spent two years as an executive transportation officer in Upper Assam in India and was discharged as a lt.-col. in 1946. He returned to Anchor Hocking until he retired as a v.p. in 1975.
In Lancaster Don was a trustee of the Community Chest, the Fairfield Hospital, and the YMCA. He was also a v.p. of the Princeton Club of Central Ohio, and a member of the Lancaster Country Club.
He is survived by his wife, Mary Louise, a son, Henry R. '60, a daughter, Louise B., and a granddaughter, Lilly. The class extends its deepest sympathy to the entire family.
The Class of 1931
Robert D. Mitchell '31
Bob prepped at Erasmus Hall and at Princeton was a member of the Radio Club. He graduated with a BSE in mechanical engineering and began work with the Whelan Studios as a studio manager and photographer.
In 1939 he left for the War Department to work in the research and development division of the Bureau of Ordnance. From 1941-43 he was in the Department of the Army, but, at this point, he switched services and applied to the navy for a commission and was accepted as a lt. junior grade. In 1945 he was promoted to full lt. and became liaison officer with the air force in the Pentagon, where he remained until 1946, when he went back into civil service with the Department of the Army. From 1960-69 he was technical director for the project manager for the army's helicopter armament program. In 1969 Bob left the civil service and moved to Rome, where he worked as managing director of the Rome office of Aeromaritime, an overseas marketing business. In 1975 he retired and eventually settled in the Norfolk area for the remainder of his days.
Predeceasing Bob was his first wife, Marie Ballis, and his sister, Kay Mohle, and surviving are his present wife, Anita Newman, and one sister, Caroline Woodward, one son, Robert D., and three grandchildren. The class extends its deepest sympathy to the entire family.
The Class of 1931
Charles W. L. Summerill '32
Charles W. L. Summerill, a distinguished judge, died on May 16, 2000, in the Hunterdon Care Center, Raritan Township, N.J.
Chick prepared at Penn Charter and Exeter before coming to Princeton. At Princeton he was a member of Elm Club. He was on the track team and also the Princeton-Cornell combined track team.
After college and graduating from the U. of Pennsylvania law school, he practiced law for many years in New Jersey and was a judge in 11 municipalities of that state. He was admitted to practice before the US Supreme Court.
Chick served in the ROTC at Princeton, and during WWII he served on active duty as a major of field artillery.
Chick is survived by his wife, Theresa, to whom the class sends it condolences.
The Class of 1932
Millard Farrar West Jr. '32
Millard West died on Mar. 18, 2000, at his home in Chevy Chase, Md.
He was married to Emily Stuart Maddox from 1935 until her death in 1967. Survivors include his wife of 31 years, Doris Thomas West, two daughters from his first marriage, Margot West Anderson and Janet West Garrett, two stepchildren, Grace Sullivan Bomar and James Fleming Bomar, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
Millard prepared at Western H.S. in Washington, DC. At Princeton he roomed with P. Myers. He rowed on the varsity crew and was a member of Quadrangle Club. He later graduated from George Washington law school.
He was on active duty with the Army Air Force during WWII and was awarded the Legion of Merit. His business life was spent in the investment field. He joined Prudential Securities, Inc., in 1945 and stayed with that firm and its successors until he retired as v.p. in 1995.
Millard was active in his community and a leader of it as pres. of the Washington Junior Chamber of Commerce; a gov. of the Assn. of Stock Exchange Firms; on the executive council of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington; and on the board of trustees of the Virginia Theological Seminary. Millard was a member of the Metropolitan Club, the Chevy Chase Club, and the Princeton Club of Washington.
The Class of 1932
Chauncey Prentiss Ward '33
"Doc" Ward died Apr. 14 in Belleville, N.J. He was 89. He had maintained a pediatric medical practice in Belleville until he retired six years ago. Before that he had offices in Newark and East Orange.
Doc served as physician to several organizations, including the Belleville and Bloomfield public schools, Newark YMCA Camp Kiamesha, Youth Consultation Service of New Jersey, and the Dr. William R. Ward Home, which bore his father's name.
Doc received the Golden Merit Award from the American Medical Assn. in 1987 for 50 years of distinguished service as a practicing physician.
While at Princeton, Doc was on the gym team and played in the orchestra. After graduating he attended Cornell medical school.
An Army Medical Corps capt. during WWII, he served in the Normandy, Rhineland, Ardennes, and central European campaigns.
He was active in church music and Christian education at the Vincent United Methodist Church, Old First Church in Newark, and the Wyoming Presbyterian Church in Milburn.
Doc was a trustee and a member of the board of directors of the Goodwill Mission in Newark and a volunteer pediatrician at the West Virginia Mountain Project and Presbyterian Child Welfare Agency in Buckhorn, Ky.
He is survived by Harriett, his wife of almost 60 years, two daughters, Patricia Snyder and Christine, and a son, Robert. The class extends its deepest sympathy to his family.
The Class 1933
Stanley George Ivins '34
Stan Ivins, a regular presence at class and many other Princeton events, died in the Princeton Hospital on Apr. 24. He suffered a debilitating stroke in the summer of 1998, and, since that autumn, had lived in the health-care unit of Meadow Lakes, a retirement community in Hightstown, N.J.
His generosity to so many Princeton causes, including a life-income gift, and his interest in virtually all athletic activities, make him a lifelong supporter of Princeton. He served as pres. of the alumni assn. of northern Monmouth County and was always ready to do his "bit more" for Princeton.
Stan was the son of George W. Ivins 1902 and nephew of John W. Ivins 1893. He was also an inveterate correspondent on Princeton matters to classmates and paw. He wrote the reports of our 61st and 62nd reunions.
Stan leaves his wife of nearly 60 years, Greta, the former Henrietta Dauer, longtime bridge partner and travel companion to distant places, to whom we offer our sincere sympathies.
The Class of 1934
Gordon Samson Craig '35
Gordy Craig died Mar. 11, 2000, in Lake Worth, Fla. He prepared at Lawrenceville, where he played on the golf and baseball teams. At Princeton he majored in geology, won second group honors junior year, played golf and hockey, and joined Tiger Inn. After graduation came a year of graduate work at NYU's school of business and commerce, which led him into sales management. Among the companies he worked for in the next few years was Keyes Fibre Co., in NYC. But his most remarkable achievement in that period, he told friends, was marriage to the former Jane Matthews in 1940. He served in the Army Anti-Aircraft Artillery during WWII. The Craigs then moved to Plainfield, N.J., not far from his beloved Princeton.
During the 1950s Gordy and Fred Pike formed GorJane Inc., a manufacturers' representative of fine foods and confections. Gordy became pres. and treas. but still found time to do volunteer work for many charities, including the American Red Cross and the United Fund. He also was pres. of the Princeton Club, Central New Jersey, and served on various key committees for 1935 in the next decades. Gordy and Jane moved to Lake Worth, Fla., in 1997 to live closer to their two sons and daughter. They, Jane, and four grandchildren survive him.
The Class of 1935
Robert Carpenter Lydecker '35
Bob died on Mar. 7 in Basking Ridge, N.J., at age 85. He prepared at Glen Ridge H.S., where he was on the track team, served on the yearbook and literary board, was a sports manager, and played in the orchestra. At Princeton he majored in economics, earned second group honors, went out for track, wrote editorials for the Princetonian, and belonged to the Triangle Club, orchestra, and Key and Seal.
In 1941 he married the former Laurie Bell Kerr. The next year he joined the navy and during WWII was involved in the management of various supply jobs for the Atlantic fleet. After the war he kept his commission as a navy commander and returned to work for Public Service Electric & Gas Co. until he retired as assistant to its board chair in 1979.
Over the years, he served on Millburn's township committee, its citizens' budget committee, its finance and welfare committee, and even on its shade tree advisory board. He also led a Boy Scout troop and took up playing tennis.
During the 1990s the class elected him its secy. Then, in 1996, the Lydeckers "retired" to Fellowship Village in Basking Ridge. In addition to Laurie and three daughters, he leaves a son, John C. '74, eight grandchildren, a great-grandchild, and a brother, Robert A. '38.
The Class of 1935
Carl Jacob Schmidlapp II '35
The third of four brothers to attend Princeton between 1932-38, Carl died Dec. 29, 1999, in Oyster Bay, N.Y., not far from his home on Centre Island. He was 87.
Carl prepared for Princeton at Gilman School, where he was on the football, track, soccer, and wrestling teams, and was a member of the Debating Club. At Princeton he majored in biology, winning second group honors, joined Tiger Inn, played football, and was on the lacrosse team that won the national championship in 1935.
After graduation he spent a year at the U. of Cincinnati, four years at Cornell medical school, and a year of internship and another of residency at New York Hospital. By this time WWII had started. Carl married Barbara McKissock in July 1942 and two months later joined the Army Medical Corps. He resigned from the army, returned to New York Hospital for three years of residency in urology, and was ready to enter private practice. Carl joined the North Shore Medical Group, taught at both Memorial and New York Hospitals, became chief of urology at Glen Cove Community Hospital, and ultimately director of urology or a consultant at four other Long Island hospitals.
He leaves Barbara, three sons, two daughters, and 11 grandchildren.
The Class of 1935
William F. Oechler '37
German professor, naval commander, and investment man Bill Oechler died Apr. 3, 2000. His wife, Helen, predeceased him, but he leaves a daughter, Susan Katherine Whitbeck, and grandchildren Caroline and Brainerd. He recently wrote "the University Club of New York listed me as having died. I am reasonably sure that is incorrect, but probably not by too much."
At Lawrenceville Bill was a sports manager and member of musical and literary clubs. At Princeton he majored in modern languages, won the second Humphreys Junior Gorman price, was Phi Beta Kappa and graduated with highest honors. After graduation he went to Harvard for his doctorate and taught German there for two years before WWII and two years after. He came out of the navy as a commander, having served first in the Atlantic and then in the Pacific as radar officer on a cruiser, taking part in the Philippine campaign, and the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. After Harvard he taught for six years at Cornell before becoming an investment counselor in 1954 with Scudder, Stevens & Clark in New York and Cincinnati, retiring in 1984 as a v.p. He since then spent his time in golf, travel, reading, and general puttering around the house and garden.
The Class of 1937
Alfred M. Osgood '37
Law specialist in federal excise taxes, war department counterintelligence expert, and avid sailor Al Osgood died of congestive heart failure Apr. 29. His wife, Betty, and a son, Randall, predeceased him in 1992, but he left sons Alfred, Christopher, and Thomas, and five grandchildren.
At Exeter, Al was on the football and track teams and active in student government and dramatics. He majored in modern languages at Princeton, played freshman and 150-pound football, and was on the rugby team and a member of the Triangle Club, Yacht Club, ROTC, and Elm. He earned his law degree at Harvard, also being capt. of its rugby team.
The army sent him to London in 1944, and for almost five years he participated in campaigns through Normandy, northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland, and central Germany, earning him a bronze star. He was the first Princetonian into Berlin and ended up a lt.-col. He wrote a manual to train counterintelligence agents.
He practiced law in DC with Lee, Toomey & Kent for over 25 years and retired in 1980. He said, "My wife and four sons have been the greatest thing that has happened to me."
The Class of 1937
Robert G. Pagenkopf '37
Ponderosa pine and Douglas fir expert Peg Pagenkopf died Mar. 20. He leaves his wife of 53 years, Coletta, daughters Jane, Julie, and Nora Ann, and granddaughter Megan.
At Lake Forest Academy he was active in football, basketball, baseball, and track, and sang in the Glee Club. At Princeton he was on the track team but left at the end of sophomore year, finally settling down with the Edward Hines Lumber Co., where he worked in logging camps and mills all over Washington and Oregon before selling lumber wholesale for two years in Chicago.
He entered the navy as an apprentice seaman and was discharged two and a half years later as a chief warrant officer. By 1946 he was an assistant manager of a big pine lumber mill in Oregon and by 1950 mayor of Hines and treas. of the Harney County Chamber. Later he was with Fleck Controls, from which he retired in 1979 as senior v.p. He worked part-time until he was 83. Fishing the northern Wisconsin inland lakes became a hobby and his golf was near pro until his eyesight began to fail in 1982. He was an avid gardener and a serious fan of the Milwaukee Brewers and Green Bay Packers.
The Class of 1937
Augustus John Bender Jr. '39
Jack succumbed to congestive heart failure Jan. 18 at a hospital near his home in Scotch Plains, N.J. He had been enjoying retirement since closing up the real estate business he had operated following a long and varied career as director of sales and general manager of cosmetic companies.
During WWII he served as a capt. in the ETO, earning four battle stars, the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, and Croix de Guerre. Recalled for duty during the Korean War, he saw action in Okinawa.
Over the years Jack worked on his local United Fund and served as secy. of the Princeton Club of Plainfield and surrounding communities. His recreation was tennis and golf, although he had to give up tennis after a hip replacement a few years ago. He continued playing golf, though he confessed, not very well. That modesty may have been shaded by the fact that his son, Jim, is the head golf pro at Ardsley Golf Club.
Jack and Jane Cunningham were married in 1953. Jane, their son, Jim, and two daughters, Diane Wright and Lisa Descamps, all survive. We offer our sincere sympathy.
The Class of 1939
James William Boyd '39
Jim died Feb. 14, 2000, in his Addison, Ill., home. He was a surgeon at the Elmhurst Clinic, a suburban multispecialty medical group of which he was chair and cofounder, and with which he was associated for his entire active career. He earned his medical degree at Cornell U. medical school. He had no sooner taken the Hippocratic oath when two officers marched in and drafted half the class into the army and half into the navy. In 1943 he became an army lt. and was assigned to medical duties aboard troop trains. He joined the staff of Elmhurst Memorial Hospital in 1952, an association that lasted until he retired in 1986.
He and his family had a summer home on an island at Meredith, N.H. There, on Lake Winnipesaukee, he was happy to be a country doctor. At times he stitched up kids, and, once in a while, even someone's pet. He had a marked love of animals. He bred and raised Great Danes and kept a horse on his Addison property.
Jim is survived by his wife, Mary Elizabeth, their daughter, Elizabeth Neybert, their son, James, and two grandsons. We offer them our sincere sympathy.
The Class of 1939
Edward Evans Denniston Jr. '42
Ted died Mar. 22, 2000, in Steuben, Maine, his home since 1987. In engineering and sales for most of his career, Ted was retired at the time of his death.
Ted prepared for Princeton at Penn Charter School and majored in mechanical engineering. He left Princeton in Dec. 1941 to enlist in the Naval Air Corps. After flight school he served as a PB2Y pilot in the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Pacific theaters. He was also awarded a presidential citation during his four and a half years of service.
After WWII Ted worked for American Pulley Co. in Philadelphia, before joining Welding Engineers, Inc., a national steel engineering and fabricating business. In 1972 he entered the home improvement business on his own. He retired in 1987 to move permanently to the coast of Maine, where his family had summered for most of his life.
To his wife, Betty, his sons, Evans and Michael, his daughter, Barbara, his stepchildren, Charles and Robyn, and his nine grandchildren, the class extends its most sincere condolences.
The Class of 1942
Peter Frederick Rothermel '42
Pete died Feb. 5, 2000, in Charleston, S.C. He retired in 1980 after a distinguished career in private school education.
Preparing for Princeton at St. Paul's School, Pete majored in economics, graduating with honors. He played varsity 150-pound football, hockey, and squash, and was a member of Ivy Club. During WWII he was awarded the DFC while serving for five years as a major in the Marine Corps in the Pacific theater.
After receiving a master's in education from Johns Hopkins, he became headmaster at Princeton Country Day School, following several years at St. George's School in Rhode Island. Before returning to St. George's at the end of his career, he served as headmaster at Marin Country Day School in Corte Madera, Calif., where he received numerous citations for his civic contributions. He was also on the education board for the school at San Quentin prison. During his career in education, Pete coached in the sports in which he had excelled at Princeton.
To his wife, Bea, his son, Peter Jr., his daughters, Elsie and Louise, and his five grandchildren, the class extends its most profound sympathies.
The Class of 1942
Richard Lyon Salsbury '42
Dick died Nov. 26, 1999, at Oakmont Nursing Home in Oakmont, Pa., of a stroke. A stockbroker, he retired in 1996 from the companies that today make up Morgan Stanley Dean Witter. Descended from a long line of distinguished Pittsburgh businessmen, Dick returned there after WWII, following a brief stint in industrial sales in NYC.
Coming to Princeton from Shadyside Academy, Dick majored in basic engineering, graduating with honors, and was a member of Elm Club. During the war he served in the navy, supervising ship repairs at a floating dry-dock facility in Guam, with the rank of lt. He also studied naval architecture at the U. of Michigan in the V-12 program.
Back in Pittsburgh he was referred to as a "humble stockbroker, known for his kindness." He built a reputation in the business community of being kind to and taking an interest in others, according to longtime friends. He was a youthful individual who served as a role model for aspiring brokers. A member of the schools committee in the Pittsburgh area, he was also an avid tennis player.
To his widow, Ronnie, to his daughters, Pamela and Sara, and to his grandson the class extends its most sincere condolences.
The Class of 1942
Richard Fuller Peck '43
Rick died at his home in Gold Canyon, Ariz., on Feb. 6, 2000. He was 78.
He came to Princeton from Walnut Hills H.S., in Cincinnati, and Santa Monica Junior College. While on campus Rick majored in modern languages, belonged to Charter Club, and was active in boxing and 150-pound crew. His roommates included Earl Biscoe and Hase Griffin.
Following accelerated graduation Rick flew as an observation pilot with the Army Field Artillery Service with the rank of first lt.
After WWII ended Rick managed his family's citrus farm in Texas. Later, he worked in advertising with P&G as their manager of print media, before leaving to become pres. of Peck-Heeking Advertising.
Rick moved to Arizona in 1965, settling in Phoenix, where he resided for 23 years, later retiring to Fountain Hills and Gold Canyon. Most of his spare time was devoted to his hobby of searching for legendary lost mines; he was considered a leading authority on the Lost Dutchman Mine.
Survivors include his wife, Joan, sons Richard Jr. and Harlin, a daughter, Georgia, and two grandchildren. To the entire family we send our deepest sympathies.
The Class of 1943
John Bayard Tweedy '43
Jack died of stroke complications on Nov. 5, 1999, at the age of 78.
Born in Ecuador and raised partially in New Jersey and Texas, he was one of the original organizers of the Outward Bound School.
Jack prepped at St. Paul's. On campus he was a member of Ivy Club. During WWII he fought with the OSS, operating behind Japanese lines in Burma.
A graduate of Columbia law school, Jack practiced business law in Denver from 1950-71. He later became an executive with the Oil Shale Corp. He served as chief legal officer, acquired two of its major refineries, and ran its coal division.
Jack availed himself of the many friendships he had made while training with the 10th Mountain Division at Camp Hale, Colo., to bring into being the famed Vail Ski Resort.
In 1950 he married Helen B. Chenery, with whom he had four children. A divorce ended that union in 1973. In 1980 Jack married Marjorie Sargent, who survives him. Also surviving are two daughters, Sarah Manning and Katharine McGrath, two sons, Christopher and John Jr., his sister and her husband, Dr. and Mrs. Edwin M. Sykes Jr.
To the entire family we offer our deepest condolences.
The Class of 1943
H. Hunter Craig Jr. '44
Hunt died Apr. 18 in Orleans, Mass., his Cape Cod home since the early 1970s, where he had been involved in real estate and was very active in community affairs.
At Exeter he was active in soccer, baseball, and the Glee Club, and continued similar varsity sports at Princeton. He was a member of Tiger Inn and left in the spring of 1942 to become a marine fighter pilot, serving 33 and a half years. For 20 months he flew out of Guam and off the carrier Wasp. Returning to his hometown of Plainfield, N.J., in the furniture business, he married, had six children, and subsequently had a seventh with his second wife.
One of the most engaging of all classmates, most of his postwar life was bedeviled by bi-polar manic depressiveness, which caused "much suffering to me and all those close. Thank God for lithium."
The Cape Codder obituary called him "the watchdog of the board of selectmen, where at meetings, with his gravelly voice, he offered thoughts and ideas with respect to others' differing viewpoints, and always with humor. . . . He often cruised the town with his dog, Georgie, keeping an eye on things and visiting people who could use a visit."
To his children, Hollise, Lois, Pamela, Hunter III, Peter, Meredith, and Crystelle Lee, and many grandchildren, the class extends sympathy.
The Class of 1944
Robert R. Frei '44
Bob died Feb. 2 after battling Parkinson's and more recently dementia. He had been in a nursing home for the past year.
After New Trier High, at Princeton he was editorial chair of the Daily Princetonian, majored in politics, and was a member of Charter. At various times his roommates included Sid Howell, Brooks Gardner, Carl Duisberg, George Gibbs, and Bob Meese.
After serving 41 months in the army, he graduated from Harvard law school and returned to his hometown area to practice. He was active in the Princeton Schools Committee, the Chicago United Fund, and several professional law organizations. He retired after 41 years with Sidley and Austin, having specialized in federal tax and employee benefit laws.
He married Jean Albro in 1956, with whom he had Bob Jr. '82, Jennifer, Thomas, and Stephanie. Jean died in 1989 and in 1992 he married Betsy Mack, who, besides his children and five grandchildren, survives. The class extends sympathy to them all.
The Class of 1944
John Hamill Hendrickson '44
John died at his home in Swarthmore, Pa., on Mar. 13, 2000. He attended the Lawrenceville School, where his father, Robert S. Hendrickson '13, was a master of Latin. John's brother, Robert Jr. '39, also attended Princeton.
At Princeton he majored in humanities and classics, winning the Stinnecke Prize Scholarship during his sophomore year. He was a member of the Westminster Society, serving as its v.p., and of Cloister Inn. He left Princeton in Jan. 1943 to serve in the Ambulance Corps of the American Field Service during WWII.
John received a master's of divinity from Union Theological Seminary in 1948, and served United Presbyterian parishes in New Hampshire and New York until 1961, when he became director of continuing education for Auburn Seminary and taught practical theology at Union Seminary in NYC. In 1980 he became executive presbyter of the Great River Presbytery in West Central Illinois. He retired in 1989 and moved to Swarthmore, spending summers at a home on the shore of Lake Champlain, Vt. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Betty, and daughters, Mary and Nancy '82, as well as son Robert. He was predeceased by a son, Peter '74. We join the family in mourning his loss.
The Class of 1944
John C. Walker '44
Jack Walker died on Dec. 1, 1999, in Wilmette, Ill., an area where he had spent his entire life. He played football at New Trier High and football and rugby at Princeton. He was a member of Charter Club. He roomed with Ralph Starrett and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa in his junior year.
After 34 months in the Army Engineers, including 17 in Europe, he returned to finish at Princeton, rooming with Jim Thurston, Dey Watts, and Bob Frei. He then went to Michigan law school, graduating magna cum laude. Like his lifelong friends, Thurston and Watts, Jack practiced law in Chicago; he was with Sidley & Austin from 1950-56, then with Hopkins & Sutter, where he headed the corporate department until he retired as partner in 1987. For years his special relaxation site for friends and family was a home at Hilton Head.
A man with a great sense of humor, Jack is survived by Craig, Dave, Steve, and Katy, and eight grandchildren. His wife, Suzanne, predeceased him. The class extends deep sympathy to his family.
The Class of 1944
Michael Sherman '45
Michael died of prostate cancer at his home in Princeton on Dec. 6, 1999. Born and raised in Manhattan, Michael attended St. Bernard's School and entered Princeton from The Hill School, becoming a member of Quadrangle Club. His Princeton career was interrupted when he enlisted in the army and served with the 1267th Army Engineer Combat Battalion as an intelligence officer in the European and Asiatic theaters, separating from service as a capt. He returned to Princeton and received a degree in history in 1948.
Michael then received an MBA from Columbia in 1958, working for several businesses in New York and New Jersey, before returning to Columbia, where he ended his career as director of alumni placement for the business school. In 1951 he married the former Agnes Davis Bull.
Michael, an enthusiastic sailor, owned a succession of boats he named Widdershins. In 1975 he and his family crossed the Atlantic in his 43-foot yawl-a 23-day voyage. He then sailed in successive summers to Scotland, Norway, and Finland, also visiting ports in Denmark, Sweden, and Poland. Michael and Agnes also spent several summers on a house boat in Amsterdam.
In addition to Agnes, Michael is survived by sons Roger and Davis, daughter Caroline, and grandchildren Natalie and Stephen, to all of whom the class extends its deep sympathy.
The Class of 1945
Peter Biggs '47
Pete died on Mar. 24 after a brief illness. He was born in NYC but lived in Bennington, Vt., for most of his youth. Peter graduated from Lawrenceville in 1943.
After serving two years in the Army Air Force during WWII, he entered Princeton in 1946 and graduated in June 1949 with a major in history. From 1964-65 Pete took a leave of absence from work and acquired a master's in American civilization at the U. of Pennsylvania.
For 37 years he was associated with Germantown Academy in Pennsylvania. Peter served as chair of the history department, coached several sports, and, for 10 years, was the school's assistant headmaster. He worked for five headmasters and saw the school move from an urban setting to a campus of 110 acres in semirural surroundings.
Pete cherished his life as husband and parent. To Sally, his wife of 46 years, his daughters, Abby Smith and Mellen Robinson, his sons, Tom and Brooks, and six grandchildren, the class extends its deepest sympathy.
The Class of 1947
Thomas Bolling Robertson '47
After a prolonged battle with emphysema and coronary problems, Bolling died at his Baltimore home on Mar. 29.
Bolling was born in Haymarket, Va., and could trace his forebearers to Pocahontas and John Rolfe. He moved to Short Hills, N.J., in 1940 and graduated from Millburn H.S.
He entered Princeton as a member of the "Pyne Hall" Marine Corps V-12 unit. After completing the training program he was commissioned a second lt.
Bolling returned to Princeton in 1946 and graduated in Feb. 1948. He was a member of the varsity football team, and many will remember his outstanding performance as offensive guard when Princeton upset Penn in 1946. He was a member of Tiger Inn and an active participant in alumni affairs. Bolling was the primary organizer of the "Global" Marine Corps V-12 reunion at Princeton in 1993.
From 1948-66 he managed Candle Craft's candle-making plant in LA and retired in 1984 from Grempler Realty in Towson, Md.
The class extends its deepest sympathy to his wife of 50 years, the former Anne Cleveland, granddaughter of Pres. Grover Cleveland; his son, Tom IV '73; his daughters, Elizabeth R. Rowe and Ruth Robertson Abarbanel; his brothers, J. W. Peyton and Donald Bruce; his sister, Anne Butler; and two grandchildren.
The Class of 1947
Samuel F. Rulon-Miller '47
Sam died on Dec. 24, 1999, at his home in Haverford, Pa. Born and raised in Ardmore, Pa., he was one of 10 members of the Rulon-Miller family to have attended Princeton during the 20th century.
He went to Haverford School and graduated from St. Paul's in 1943. Before entering Princeton Sam joined the Marine Corps and fought in the Pacific with the sixth Marine Division during WWII. After the war Sam matriculated at Princeton and graduated in 1949 with a degree in psychology. He was a member of Ivy Club and played on the varsity football team.
Sam spent the bulk of his professional career with SmithKline Corp. (currently SmithKline Beecham). At the time of his retirement, in 1983, he was executive v.p. of Menley & James Laboratories, SmithKline's consumers products division.
For the next several years he worked for the Executive Service Corp., an organization of retired executives in the Philadelphia area doing consulting work for nonprofit organizations. From 1984-93 he was executive director.
Sam served with the First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry and was activated with the troop for 18 months during the Korean War.
The class extends its deepest sympathy to Patsy, his wife of 52 years, his sons, William *70, Samuel Jr., and Edgar, his daughter, Margaret, and eight grandchildren.
The Class of 1947
Morrison Stoddard Horton '48
Harry Horton died on Feb. 6. He was a resident of San Diego at the time of his death.
A native of Orange, N.J., he graduated from Choate. At Princeton he was in Cottage Club but left college in 1948 to join St. Regis Paper and then Mead Pulp Sales. When last heard from he was with Lake Superior Pulp and Paper. He advised us in 1988 that he was retired.
Though we heard little from Harry in recent years, his loyalty to Princeton was a constant.
To daughter Blair and son Morris Jr. the class extends its deepest sympathy.
The Class of 1948
Walter Jones Laird Jr. '48
Walt died on Mar. 15. He served on many boards including those of Tower Hill School, St. Andrew's School, Delaware Trust Co., and the Catholic Diocese of Delaware. He was chair of the board of the Winterthur Museum and presided over its expansion and revitalization. He was a senior v.p. of Morgan Stanley Dean Witter.
Walt was a graduate of Episcopal H.S. in Alexandria, Va. At Princeton he rowed 150-pound crew, was in Orange Key, the Flying Club, and was a member of Colonial Club. He was in the navy from 1944-46 and graduated with honors in chemical engineering.
Walt went on to MIT for two years for an MS and subsequent employment by duPont until 1968. At that point he entered the brokerage business and its free-wheeling environment with Laird, Bissell and Meads, which in 1973 merged with Dean Witter. He was active in business until the end of his life.
Walt served as pres. of the Wilmington Club and was a member of the Chevaliers du Tastevin. He always maintained that he did "the smartest thing in my life when I married Toni Bissell." This was in 1951.
Walt is survived by Toni, sons David, Ian, Philip, Jay, and Stephen, and daughter Emily. He was adored as "Big Bear" by his nine grandchildren.
The Class of 1948
Carmelo Anthony Parlato '48
A lifelong Buffalo resident, Carm Parlato died on Apr. 25.
Carm was a product of Canisius H.S. and the Navy V-12 program. He was in Key and Seal and played in the band. Graduating with a BA in biology, Carm went on to the U. of Buffalo law school for his JD in 1952.
In 1972 he was elected to a 10-year term as a city court judge. Earlier he served on the Buffalo board of education. He continued to practice law on a limited basis from 1982 until his death.
Carm was an accomplished amateur musician who mastered the violin, mandolin, and trumpet. He enjoyed foreign travel and photography.
Carm is survived by two sisters and three brothers. He was a bachelor.
The Class of 1948
James Rich Steers Jr. '48
Dick Steers was the most thoughtful and caring of classmates. He knew just about everyone in the class and extracted dollars even-handedly from affluent and less affluent. He was a class agent who won the respect and affection of all and achieved 98.2% participation along the way. He was as avid a Princetonian as his Class of '20 father.
Dick had more than his share of adversity but more than ample courage to meet the challenges. His physical health was a disaster; he lost both legs above the knees to diabetes and suffered countless other ailments. He had a serious financial reversal a few years ago. Through all the trials his enthusiasm for living and for Princeton lacrosse never missed a beat. He victimized his old friend, the late Dick Green, by cajoling him into relaying the local broadcasts of lacrosse by phone into the Steers's New York domicile.
Few knew of his devotion to Alcoholics Anonymous and the joy he experienced recently in marking his 40 years of continuous sobriety in AA and in the AA way of living.
A native New Yorker, Dick joined us along with the Exeter contingent. He graduated with a BS in civil engineering and survived Tiger Inn. Most of his career was in marine and foundation construction.
Dick is survived by his widow, PK, and sons, James Rich III, George, Philip, and Robert. To them the class expresses its heartfelt condolences.
The Class of 1948
Donald Justice Sterling Jr. '48
Former class secy. Don Sterling died on Mar. 27 of pancreatic cancer. He was the former editor of the Oregon Journal, renowned for his dedication to journalism and Portland's civic affairs. When the afternoon Oregon Journal ceased publication on being combined with the Oregonian, Don became assistant to the publisher for the final 10 years of his career. He retired in 1992 to pursue historical research on politics.
Don came to us from Andover and a freshman year at Cal Tech. In addition to being chair of the Daily Princetonian, he ran the mile in track, won the Pyne Prize, and graduated with high honors in history, Phi Beta Kappa. While pres. of the board of the Oregon Historical Society, he considered himself "one of Jinks Harbison's chickens come home to roost." He was in Dial and a chapel deacon.
Following graduation Don was a reporter at the Denver Post until 1952, when he returned to his native Portland to join the Oregon Journal. From 1955-56 he held a Nieman Fellowship in journalism at Harvard. In 1959 he spent three months in the British Isles on an English-Speaking Union fellowship. Among his many journalism awards was the Golden Beaver Award of the Isaak Walton League for conservation writing. He was pres. of the City Club of Portland and immersed in endless civic activities.
Don always maintained that "my best luck was finding Julie Courteol, a reporter on the Oregonian who had moved west, and marrying her in 1963."
To Julie and their three children, Sarah, William, and John, the class extends its deepest sympathy.
The Class of 1948
John Baird Atwood '50
Baird Atwood died of congestive heart failure at his home in Englewood, Fla., on Jan. 25, 2000. He was 75.
Baird prepared at Sewickley Academy and then attended Lawrenceville School, from which he graduated in 1943. He joined the Army Air Corps and flew combat as a P-47 Thunderbolt pilot in the European theater from 1943-46.
At Princeton, Baird was a member of Quadrangle Club and graduated with a degree and honors in economics.
From a last-minute interview while working Reunions after graduation, he went on to a 36-year career in industrial relations with Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. As corporate manager of labor relations Baird was responsible for union contract negotiations. When he retired he was v.p. union relations.
Baird served on the Sewickley Council for 10 years and was a longtime member of the Sewickley Water Authority. He was also on the board of Verland Foundation from 1963-96, putting in 6,000 hours of volunteer work.
Baird is survived by his wife of 41 years, Mavis, two daughters, Sandra Vincent and Katherine Atwood, two sons, John Jr. and William, and seven grandchildren to whom the class offers its deepest sympathies.
The Class of 1950
Richard Dobbs Spaight Bryan '50
"Slim" Bryan died on Apr. 15, 2000, in Rumson, N.J. He was 72.
He prepared at Pomfret, where he was in the student government, was athletic store manager, and participated in crew and football.
At Princeton, Slim was on the freshman crew and was a member of the Film Club and Sons of '13. He left Princeton after the first semester of sophomore year.
Slim went right to work at L. Bamberger & Co. in Newark. After five years in sales and merchandising, he joined Chemical Bank in NYC. He remained there for the rest of his career, becoming executive v.p. before his retirement several years ago.
Slim came from a long continuous line of Princetonians beginning with a great-great-grandfather down through his father, Gray Mac W. Bryan '13.
His survivors include his wife of nearly 44 years, Betsey, and three daughters, Holly Hubbard, Martha, and Nancy Ketterer, to whom the class sends its deepest sympathies.
The Class of 1950
James Kuhn Buechner '50
Jamie Buechner died on July 25, 1998, after a bout with cancer. He was 69.
He prepared at Lawrenceville, where he participated in publishing the school newspaper. He was in the US Army Occupation Forces in 1947. A member of the Cap and Gown, Jamie graduated from Princeton with a degree in English in 1952.
We know very little about Jamie after graduation except that he worked in journalism. His friends describe him as being gifted with a wonderful sense of humor and a touch of whimsy. Even toward the end of his life, he never gave vent to anger or frustration for his cancer.
Jamie is survived by his wife, Jacqueline, to whom the class sends its most heartfelt sympathies.
The Class of 1950
Truman David Cameron Jr. '50
Dave died on Jan. 3, 2000, in Albany. He was 70.
Dave prepared at Albany Academy, where he was in the Gates Literary Society, the Glee Club, and graduated cum laude.
At Princeton, Dave was on the Undergraduate Schools Committee, was a member of Orange Key, and participated in the Advertising Forum. He is probably best remembered as one of the Tiger cheerleaders.
After graduation Dave went into the US Army Quartermaster Corps, where he was involved in research and development for two years. After mustering out late in 1952, he joined E. M. Cameron Lumber Co., the family business, where he became its pres. A lifelong resident of Albany, Dave had been on the boards of the Visiting Nurses Assn. and the Salvation Army. He was past pres. of the Optimists Club and was serving on the board of the Albany/Schenectady League of Arts when he died. Dave was also an active member of the First Presbyterian Church of Albany.
Dave is survived by his wife of 46 years, Rosemary, sons Paul D. and Kenneth V., and four grandchildren to whom the class offers its deepest sympathies.
The Class of 1950
Robert Charles Corson '50
Bob Corson died of a stroke on Oct. 9, 1999. He was 75.
After preparing for Princeton at Bigfork H.S. in Montana, where he was on the debating team and participated in basketball and track, Bob served in the Marine Corps for three years.
At Princeton he ran freshman cross country and track. He was Phi Beta Kappa and graduated with highest honors in S.P.I.A.
Bob went into the banking business after graduation, first in the consumer credit area with Philadelphia Natl. Bank. He rose to chief lending officer on the commercial credit side. In 1982 he went with the Bank of Delaware, in Wilmington, as corporate lending manager. From 1985 until he retired in 1990, Bob was senior v.p. and chief credit policy officer at PSFS/Meritor Financial Group in Philadelphia.
Throughout his working career he was a member of the First Baptist Church of Moorestown, N.J., where he was a trustee, Sunday school teacher, and diaconate chair. He was also treas. of the American Baptist Churches of New Jersey. His interest in education led him to the Moorestown board of education, where he was v.p. for many years.
Bob is survived by his wife of 50 years, Elizabeth, two daughters, Virginia L. '74 and Nancy C. Schetter, and two grandchildren, to whom the class offers its deepest sympathies.
The Class of 1950
William Kenneth Frizzell '50
Ken Frizzell died of a massive heart attack at his home in Santa Barbara on Mar. 20, 2000. He was 71.
Ken prepared in the Knox City, Tex., school system and spent his last two years at Lawrenceville. He participated in dramatics, was in the Glee Club, and played tennis.
At Princeton Ken was an arranger for the Tigertones and was in the Triangle Club. A talented musician, he often led sing-alongs as the accompanying pianist at Key and Seal.
Following graduation he worked briefly for LA architect Aaron Green and again, for a brief time, at John Lautner's office in Hollywood before enlisting in the navy. Ken was aboard the carrier Leyte for a couple of years.
He earned a master's in architecture from Oklahoma U. and taught at the U. of Arkansas. Ken joined the Edward Stone office in NYC in 1955 in time to be given the assignment to design and then to supervise the construction of the US Pavilion at the Brussels world's fair. There followed a number of projects worldwide. It was during this time that he was brutally attacked by a knife-wielding intruder at his Gramercy Park apartment in New York and nearly lost his life.
Ken spent the latter part of his career with the firm of Frizzell, Hill, Moorhouse, Beaubois in California.
He is survived by his son, John Callender, and his daughter, Jane Callender, to whom the class offers its deepest sympathies.
The Class of 1950
Hugh Calverley Noyes '50
Hugh died of a heart attack on Jan. 3, 2000, while working on an aviary at his beloved Rare Breeds and Waterfowl Park on the Isle of Wight, England. He was 71.
At Princeton, Hugh ran on the cross-country team and was on the intramural athletic assn. senior board.
After graduation he went to the 200-acre family farm on the Isle of Wight, where he "milked cows" for two years. He then entered the journalistic field, first at the Daily Express and finally at the Times, where he spent 24 years, five of which as parliamentary correspondent.
In 1982 Hugh retired, returning to the dairy farm inherited from his father, poet Alfred Noyes. After struggling with the E.E.C. regulations and restrictions on farming, he was forced to discontinue this venture. Hugh and his family created the Rare Breeds and Waterfowl Park on 30 acres of coastal farmland, which became a haven for more than 40 breeds of domestic animals and many wild species from all over the world.
His survivors include his wife of 40 years, Judy, a son, Robert, and four daughters, Clare, Penelope, Catherine, and Joanna, to whom the class offers its sincerest sympathies.
The Class of 1950
Samuel Willis Van Meter Jr. '50
Sam Van Meter died on May 3, 1999. He was 73.
He came to us after graduating from St. Andrews, where he was a member of the student government and participated in football, basketball, and baseball, and after a two-year stint in the Army Air Corps.
After Princeton Sam returned to Winchester, Ky., where he became a lifelong farmer of 800 acres. Following his death, his ashes were spread on the farm.
Sam is survived by his wife of nearly 50 years, Elizabeth, a son, Samuel W. III, and two daughters, Eleanor and Lucie, to whom the class offers its deepest sympathies.
The Class of 1950
Robertson Hadley Wendt '50
Bob died while taking a walk at his home in Blythewood, S.C., on Nov. 12, 1999. He was 74.
His preparation for Princeton began at Richmond Hill H.S. in New York. He spent the next three years in the Marine Corps.
At Princeton Bob was manager of the "Princeton in Portrait Calendar" agency and graduated with a degree in economics. Back in the Marines, at the outset of the Korean conflict, he taught English at the USMC Institute in Washington for a year.
Bob went to Columbia, S.C., where he married his fiancee and joined Merrill Lynch. He retired from the firm as a financial consultant in 1991.
A devoted Princeton alumnus, Bob served for many years on the schools committee and was one of the founders of the Princeton Club of South Carolina. Since moving to Columbia, he had been a member of the Eastminster Presbyterian Church, serving as deacon and elder. He was also a member of the Forest Lake Club.
Bob is survived by his wife of 47 years, Mary Frances, three sons, Robertson H. Jr., James M., and Edward K. '86, a daughter, Catherine M. Wendt, and a granddaughter, to whom the class offers its deepest sympathies.
The Class of 1950
Walter Harrison White '50
Walt died at his home in Cable, Wisc., on May 9, 2000. He was 73.
He prepared for Princeton first at the Hawken School in Ohio and graduated from Episcopal H.S., where he was a proctor and played squash. He served in the navy from 1941-46.
At Princeton Walt majored in economics and was on the freshman crew.
After graduation he spent the next 25 years as an executive of White Motor Co. in Chicago, where he lived in Lake Forest, Ill. He then moved on to Wayzata, Minn., with the Minnesota Truck Center and Wisconsin White Trucks, Inc.
Walt was a sportsman and conservationist.
He is survived by his daughter, Jennifer Young, and his son, Michael D., to whom the class sends its deepest sympathies.
The Class of 1950
John Giles Whittemore '50
John "Whit" Whittemore died Jan. 4, 2000, of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at his home in Endwell, N.Y. He was 73.
Born in Rome, N.Y., John graduated from Rome Free Academy. He served in the army Medical Corps in Italy from 1944-46.
A member of Terrace Club, he graduated as an engineer in 1950 and then from Syracuse U. in 1952. He was a second lt. in the Army Reserve, having received his commission from Princeton ROTC in 1950.
John worked at the Rome Cable Corp. for eight years as a systems analyst in the electronic data processing department. In 1962 he was employed by IBM Corporation in Endicott, N.Y., as an engineer until he retired in 1988. He was a member of the IBM Quarter Century Club and the Institute of Industrial Engineering.
He was an adjunct teacher at SUNY Binghamton and Broome Community College. In retirement he volunteered at the Anderson Center, First Presbyterian Church in Endicott, and the Tri-Cities Opera. John enjoyed photography, woodworking, trips to Florida in the winter, and to Canada in the summer.
He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Ethel Claus Whittemore, his sons, J. Bradford, David Giles, and Reid Brenden, his daughter, Diane Elsie Whittemore-Hill, and three grandchildren, to whom the class offers its deepest sympathies.
The Class of 1950
Charles Joel Winton '50
Chuck Winton died at his home in Tiburon, Calif., of a brain tumor on Jan. 2, 2000. He was 74.
Chuck prepared for Princeton at Blake School, where he played football, hockey, and baseball. He then spent three years in the army.
He followed his grandfather and father to Princeton, but stayed only a year. He graduated from Macalester College and subsequently received an MBA from Stanford.
Chuck joined the family business, Winton Lumber Company, in Minneapolis.
A champion sailor as a youth on the lakes of his native Minnesota, Chuck continued this interest after moving to California in 1977. He won several sailing championships for the San Francisco Yacht Club, becoming its commodore in 1983.
Survivors include his wife, Marie, two sons, Charles and Michael, and a daughter, Anne Marsh, to whom the class sends its deepest sympathies.
The Class of 1950
James Hill Leslie '52
Jim Leslie died at his home in Holmes Beach, Fla., on June 14, 1999, from complications following heart surgery. His memorial service was held at his beloved Minnetonka Yacht Club, Deephaven, Minn.
Jim's career at Princeton was truly astonishing. A classics major, he graduated magna cum laude and was awarded the Pyne Prize. He served on the senior council, the Committee of Fifty, and had two terms on the undergraduate council, the second as chair. He belonged to Quadrangle Club, was WPRU station manager, and Ivy Network chair.
Commissioned as ensign at graduation, Jim served two years on active duty in the navy followed by a year at the Sloan School of Industrial Management at MIT. He joined Leslie Paper Co. in 1955 and assumed complete ownership and control in 1972. Jim retired at the end of 1991, when the company was sold. Much of Jim's life revolved around the Lake Minnetonka Yacht Club and its sailing school. He was twice North American yngling champion, and he delighted in having his wife, Carol, and son Jim as crew.
Jim is survived by Carol, three children, Kate, Laura, and Jim, two stepchildren, and eight grandchildren. To them we offer our deepest sympathy.
The Class of 1952
Joel Charles Leuchter '52
Joel Leuchter died following a massive heart attack on Feb. 7, 1999, while visiting his brother, Ben Zion, in Key Biscayne, Fla. Joel had driven from his home in Bradenton, to bring Ben, who suffers from Lou Gehrig's disease, a new computer. Joel and Ben had worked closely on the family-owned newspaper, the Vineland Times-Journal, as publisher and editor respectively.
At Princeton he belonged to Campus Club, majored in economics, belonged to the Press Club, served as campus correspondent for the NY Herald-Tribune and the Newark Star Ledger, and played five club sports. He rhapsodized about his three years in the navy, divided between sea duty and the Philadelphia Navy Yard.
At the Times-Journal, Joel pioneered in the use of offset printing and computerized phototypesetting. He also developed a large commercial printing business, which included Women's Wear Daily. His longtime friend, David Rosenberg MD '54, said of Joel, "He was a brilliant businessman and the financial strength of Vineland Times."
Joel is survived by his widow, Hope, children Deborah, Max, Joshua, Rebecca, and Ruth, and stepchildren Summer and Daphne Parrish, and a grandson, Joseph. We offer them our deepest condolences.
The Class of 1952
Fowler Merle-Smith '52
Mike Merle-Smith died on Dec. 3, 1998, after battling Parkinson's disease for 22 years. A remembrance gathering was held at the Princeton Friends School, and later in Keene Valley, N.Y., where he was interred.
School pres. at the Brooks School in Andover, Mass., Mike was also a leader at Princeton. He was a member of the senior council and pres. of Cap and Gown, while majoring in modern languages. Mike had enlisted in the Marine Corps and served in Iwo Jima during WWII. Between sailing cruises around the world, he taught for two years at the Punahou School in Hawaii. His interest in teaching led him to the Buckley School in NYC, where he taught, served as administrator, and earned a master's in history from the Teachers College of Columbia U. Married in 1962, Mike and Annette moved to Princeton in 1964, where he was head of the middle school at the newly created Princeton Day School. He served there for 17 years as teacher and administrator, and retired in 1983 because of the progression of Parkinson's.
Mike is survived by Annette, his daughter, Margaret, and his brother, the Rev. Van Santvoord Merle-Smith '40. We extend to them our deepest sympathies.
The Class of 1952
Homer Root Phelps Jr. '52
Root Phelps died on Jan. 6, 1999, of complications from a head injury. His memorial service was held at All Saints Episcopal Church in Chevy Chase, Md., with interment in the Arlington Natl. Cemetery Columbarium.
Root had been memorialized by two former ambassadors as "one of that unique, now threatened, breed of Foreign Service officers known as the Old German Hands," and an "unabashed and passionate cold warrior," who "didn't live in Berlin, but breathed Berlin." Root joined the army in 1953, married Sally Hurl in 1954, and then served two years at the Rhein Main military base in Germany He completed his degree thereafter at Syracuse.
Joining the Foreign Service in 1958, Root served in Stuttgart, Warsaw, Washington, DC, Berlin, and Bonn, specializing as military-political officer. He also worked for seven years in the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, sharing in negotiations in Vienna and Geneva. He was twice awarded the Department of State Meritorious Award; in addition, he received the US Baltic Foundation's Public Service Leadership Award (1998) and Germany's Verdienstkreuz (1987), that country's highest civilian award. He retired in 1985.
Root is survived by his wife, Sally, children Mark, Dana, Aaron, Ann, and Sarah, and grandchildren Danille, Colette, and Rebecca. We extend to them our deep condolences.
The Class of 1952
Charles Gray Watson '57
We regret to report the death of Chuck Watson. Like his great-grandfather, father, and uncle, Chuck was an extraordinarily respected and beloved Pittsburgh surgeon.
Chuck came to Princeton from Andover. At Princeton he played varsity soccer and served as a chapel deacon. Chuck joined Tiger and roomed in senior year with Tom Clarke, Fred Gregory, Todd Bebe, and Cleve Benedict. After graduation he attended Columbia U. College of Physicians and Surgeons. He joined the staff at the U. of Pittsburgh, where he became a practicing surgeon, researcher (he was a major contributor to the new specialty of endocrine surgery), teacher, and mentor.
Chuck's favorite pastime was deepwater sailing, with his family as crew, to Maine and Bermuda.
We extend our deepest sympathy to Chuck's widow, Nancy, their two sons, Gray and Andrew, and grandson. We have lost a wonderful friend and colleague, someone who has enriched the lives of all whom he touched, especially the surgical residents with whom he worked.
The Class of 1957
Robert Ervin Zimmerman '57
It is with regret that we report the death of Robert Ervin "Zim" Zimmerman. Bob grew up in Akron, Ohio, where he attended Garfield H.S. and came to Princeton in 1953. During his senior year he roomed with Hugh Cannon, Don McElwee, and Dave Savage at Cannon Club, where he had been elected pres. He was among the most respected and best liked members of our class.
Bob graduated from the Harvard business school, married, and served in the army as an artillery officer. He began his business career with IBM, later joined Goodyear, and subsequently served as a senior corporate officer and pres. of several companies in the furniture industry.
Bob is survived by his former wife, Lynne Zimmerman Tate, a daughter, Laura, three sons, Mark, Scott, and Richard. Nine grandchildren survive as well.
We have lost a valued friend and classmate, a man who saw things and "told it as it was." Our class extends its deepest sympathy to Bob's family.
The Class of 1957
Edward M. Shimamoto '59
Ed died of lung cancer on Feb. 21, 2000, at Johns Hopkins Medical Center in Baltimore. He was buried with full military honors in Arlington Natl. Cemetery.
Ed was born and raised in Honolulu, where he attended the Punahou School before coming to Princeton. While many of us best remember Ed scurrying on and off the football field as the team's "water boy," his undergraduate days included several other activities: Orange Key, Hawaiian Club pres., Bric-a-Brac, junior prom committee, and Air Force ROTC squadron commander. Ed majored in architecture and ate at Cannon Club.
Following graduation Ed embarked on an air force career. At Goose Air Base in Labrador he met and married Elizabeth Dempsey in 1966; while at Ramey Air Force Base in Puerto Rico he earned his MBA from Inter-American U. Ed retired from the air force in 1980 and went to work for the facilities management division of the Delaware Department of Education. He retired from that position in 1998.
Ed's community activities included Rotary Club, the Dover Stamp Club, and Sam's Club.
Ed is survived by his wife, Betty, his son, Brian, his daughter, Ann, his brother, Denis, and his mother, Irene. To all of them the class extends its sincere condolences.
The Class of 1959
Joseph A. Sullivan '59
"Bo" Sullivan, business executive, gregarious politician, and community leader, died in Morristown, N.J., on Mar. 13, 2000, following a stroke.
Bo came to Princeton from Newark Academy, where he captained the football team and excelled in other student activities. At Princeton he played JV football and majored in sociology. Married in his junior year, Bo nevertheless managed to make regular weekend appearances at Cannon Club.
Following graduation Bo joined his father in business at Bomont Industries, while earning a law degree from Seton Hall in 1964. As pres. and CEO, Bo brought Bomont, initially a typewriter-ribbon company, into the computer age, manufacturing industrial fabrics and expanding into an international corporation.
In 1981 he staged a vigorous though unsuccessful race for the Republican nomination for governor of New Jersey, following which, he was appointed chair of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. He served also as finance chair of the New Jersey Republican Party, and vice-chair of the 1984 Reagan/Bush campaign, all the while tutoring countless young little league football hopefuls. Wrestling calves on his Montana ranch provided still another interest.
Bo is survived by Eileen, his wife of over 40 years, his sons Joseph III, Michael, James, and Edward, and 10 grandchildren. The class extends its deepest sympathies.
The Class of 1959
Garrick P. Grobler '86
Garrick Grobler died in Washington, DC, on Nov. 3, 1999.
Garrick came to Princeton from Maryland's Eastern Shore, where he grew up sailing and hunting on the Miles River. He was a member of Cottage Club, Amnesty International, and the sailing and rugby teams. After graduating with honors from the Wilson School, Garrick attended the U. of Virginia school of law. He and his wife, Anne Margaret, were classmates there, and when she turned from the law to pursue a PhD in English at Princeton, Garrick supported her in every way and was delighted that a "former" Cliffie was now a Tiger.
Garrick spent his legal career at Ross, Dixon, and Bell, in DC, where he was a trial attorney of the first water.
In his sailboat, Kerstin, heading up a trail in Virginia's Blue Ridges, and running around the rocky perimeter of Monhegan Island, Maine, he was happy. His love for Italian art and Roman history was a constant.
Garrick is survived by Anne Margaret, his parents, Drs. C. Van Eyk and Judith Grobler, and his sister, Karen. Contributions to the Garrick Grobler '86 scholarship in classics, initiated by his roommates and classmates, may be sent to the attention of the recording secy.'s office at Nassau Hall.
To Anne Margaret and to his family, the class extends deepest sympathy.
The Class of 1986
Spyros Papadopoulos '90
An automobile accident near his home in Athens, Greece, on Sept. 25, 1999, cut short the life of Spyros Papadopoulos at the age of 32.
Spyros came to Princeton after being educated at Athens College. He lived in Rockefeller College during his first two years at Princeton and then joined Colonial Club. An aerospace engineer, Spyros joined Princeton's rifle team, played intramural soccer and basketball, and-as an indication of his interest in computers-noted that he enjoyed e-mail in our yearbook long before electronic communication was as widespread as it is today.
After graduation Spyros continued his education at Stanford, where he received a master's in industrial engineering in 1991. He then returned to Greece for compulsory military service, spending 18 months in a unit offering ground support to the Greek army's helicopters. Spyros then joined the Kantor consulting firm in Athens. In 1997 he joined a mining company where he worked as a quality manager until his death.
Spyros is survived by his wife, Christina, who joined us at our fifth reunion, as part of the couple's honeymoon, and by his parents, Pandelis and Danai-Christina, and his younger brother, Stefanos. To Spyros's family and friends the class extends its deepest sympathy. Spyros's family would appreciate hearing from any classmates who knew him. They can be reached at 38 Fillidos Street, GR-14562 Kifissia, Greece.
The Class of 1990
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