September 12, 2001: Memorials
Donald Dodge Johnson '33
Don Johnson died in Wilmington, Del., Apr. 21, 2001. He was 91. He was formerly of Alapocas and Upper Montclair, N.J.
Don was always an energetic, vigorous, active doer. He attended Moses Brown School and Gunnery. At Princeton he was captain of the 1933 undefeated track team and he was a quarterfinalist in the 1933 U.S. Olympic track competition. He lettered in baseball and lightweight football, of which he was captain.
On graduating from Princeton, Don joined the plastics department of DuPont Co. in Arlington, N.J., and subsequently served in the company's polychemicals planning and legal departments in Wilmington. He retired in 1971. Don served as chair of the board of the textile converter company Arthur R. Johnson Co. in New York, which had been founded by his father.
Don blossomed into an active artist whose oil paintings are in a wide variety of public institutions and many private homes. He was a member of the Delaware Art Museum, the Greenville Country Club, and the Retired DuPont Managers Club.
Don is survived by his wife of 65 years, Lillian Gilbreth, a daughter, Julia Lindquist, a son, Donald Dodge Jr., four grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. We will all miss Don very much. He was a good, stimulating friend.
The Class of 1933
Stanley Wheeler Midgley Jr. '36
Stan died Aug. 10, 2000. He prepared at Phillips Exeter. After Princeton, where he majored in chemistry, he was associated as a research chemist for eight years with Abbott Laboratories.
His hobbies were mountaineering, bicycle riding, and photography. He spent vacations climbing mountains and taking photos, during which time he made 11 first ascents, five of which were achieved alone in the Gore Range in Colorado.
While at Abbott, he showed his slides to his colleagues and many community groups. His side-cracking humor kept the attention of the audiences. In 1946 he entered a national contest and won the first prize of $1,000, featuring his bicycle trip through the Bryce, Zion, and Grand Canyon regions. That did it! His hobby became his vocation. He became a full-time successful travelogue lecturer, traveling in all 50 states and in Canada. He made over 4,000 appearances and showed his films more than 400 times on television.
Stan received many awards for his work. He retired in 1992 following 50 years of convincing his audiences that the U.S. and Canada had the most beautiful mountains and scenery in the world.
He is survived by his wife, Constance Lax Midgley. He was proud to be a Princeton alumnus.
The Class of 1936
Edward Thomson Powell Watson '36
Ed died Mar. 21, 2001; he was 87. His father, Dr. Charles R. Watson, was founder and president of the American U. in Cairo, Egypt.
Ed prepared at Hotchkiss. At Princeton he was captain of the varsity soccer team. He majored in history and was elected to Phi Kappa Beta. In 1954, he received his PhD from Harvard.
Before WWII, he studied two years at Harvard's graduate school and taught briefly at Worcester Polytech and the U. of Massachusetts. He served three years in the war in the U.S. Navy Supply Corps. After training, he was assigned to the Southwest Pacific theater as a disbursement officer with the rank of lieutenant. (j.g.). He was awarded a Battle Star and the Navy secretary's commendation.
In 1948 he joined the faculty of North-western U. and retired after 40 years as a professor in its graduate school's Department of Management.
Ed is survived by his wife, Barbara Quimby, whom he married in 1946, son Thomas, daughters Pauline Reeder and Althea Rowe, sister Margaret Sanderson, and two grandchildren. He lived a very productive life and will be remembered by his friends in the class.
The Class of 1936
Francis E. Bell '37
An ardent Princetonian from New Mexico and son of Harold Bell '11, Frank Bell died May 20, 2001, of cerebral ataxia. Recently his wife of 54 years, Nancy, had written: "He is unable to write letters anymore, in a wheelchair, but enjoys my reading parts of PAW to him, especially the class news." He is also survived by daughters Susan Bell and Katherine Bell Kloster, and two grandsons.
Frank edited the Summit [N.J.] H.S. yearbook and was active in student government. At Princeton he majored in international affairs, chaired the undergraduate dance committee and was a member of Cloister.
Frank entered the Navy in 1940. He survived the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor, taking his destroyer to safety while under fire. His destroyer travels took in all of the Pacific, the Aleutians, and the Philippines, and he retired after five and a half years as a full commander with the Navy Commendation Ribbon. He and Nancy moved to New Mexico in 1951 where he joined the Sandia National Laboratory. In 1958 he began work at the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. He retired in 1981 and traveled extensively.
He actively recruited local high school students for Princeton and worked tirelessly to raise money for the $53-million special gifts committee.
The Class of 1937
Charles A. Dana Jr. '37
Entrepreneur and modest achiever Charlie Dana, trout fisherman and ardent Princetonian, died May 9, 2001, in an auto accident while crossing the street in NYC.
He divorced his first two wives, Marion "Bunny" Turrell and Eleanor Waters Langhorne. In 1966 he married Norma Kendall. He had three children, seven grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
At St. Paul's, Charlie was into golf, club football, music, and baseball. He majored in economics at Princeton and was on the freshman football and squash squads and a member of Cloister, but left in Feb. 1936. He then traveled extensively and was in the brokerage business, with Jesup & Lamont. He also did a bit of farming and was part owner of a restaurant in Morristown, N.J..
He was 4F but participated in the state guard for three years and as an air-raid warden. He was assistant treasurer of Arthur G. Blair, which converted and armed ships for the U.S.
He tried fashion and business magazines; with his friend Lee Ault funded Of Thee I Sing; and was president of Just One Break, an employment agency for the physically handicapped, which in 10 years placed more than 8,000 disabled persons in jobs. He founded the Dana Foundation and served on many other charitable endeavors.
The Class of 1937
Langdon H. Wesley '40
"Wes" Wesley died Mar. 21, 2001, of cardiac arrest. He had attended our 60th reunion last year. He was a real '40 trooper, attending most of our class functions, from midwinter dinners to reunions and football games.
Wes had a full and fulfilling life of considerable diversity. After college he matriculated at Harvard Business School until the Army claimed him. From 1942-46 he served in Europe, and then in the Philippines with the highest enlisted men's rank, master sergeant.
Following WWII, he joined the family advertising business; after many years, he started Wesco Painting, a very successful paint contracting company, which he operated until he retired a few years ago.
His interests were many in the fields of volunteer service, including Norwalk Hospital, FISH, Meals on Wheels, and Literacy Volunteers of America. He was an active member of the First Congregational Church of Darien, Conn. Time permitting, he was an avid outdoorsman, enjoying trout fishing, duck hunting, and tennis (Club Doubles Champion).
He is survived by two daughters, a son, and three grandchildren. His wife predeceased him. We extend to all his family our deep sorrow and condolences. We were pleased and proud to have him as a classmate and enjoyed his company at our gatherings.
The Class of 1940
Richard McGee Morse '43
Dick died Apr. 17, 2001, at his home in Petionville, Haiti, from the effects of Alzheimer's disease. He was 78.
A New Jersey native raised in Connecticut, Dick prepped for Princeton at Hotchkiss (where Tom Barbour was a classmate). He was a member of Cloister Inn. Following graduation, he served in the Navy during WWII. Later, he attended Columbia and obtained his master's and doctoral degree in history.
Dick retired from the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, D.C., in 1989. During his tenure there, he served as secretary of the Center's Latin American program. Prior to that time, Dick taught history for more than three decades at Columbia, Yale, and Stanford.
Dick is survived by his wife, the Haitian singer and folklorist Emerante de Pradines Morse; a daughter, Marise Morse-Mahos; a son, Richard A.; and three grandchildren.
To the entire family, we extend our most heartfelt condolences.
The Class of 1943
Gordon Scott Brown '48
Gordon Brown died Mar. 26, 2001, in Fairfax, Va. His health had been declining for some time.
At Princeton, Gordon was a member of Court Club. With encouragement from Prof. Cyril Black and after earning a politics degree, Gordon enrolled in the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. A 26-year career in naval intelligence ensued, which culminated in his becoming defense department senior consultant on Soviet naval capabilities. Gordon always maintained that his most significant career event was a cat-and-mouse contest with the Polish secret police, "in which the prize was my life and I won!"
Not one to push his luck too far, he retired at age 49 in 1976. He started a new career in management consulting, initially working on defense-related projects. Over time he became more involved with youth community service agencies. He was founder and first president of the Northern Virginia Big Brothers Chapter and received a lifetime service award from Big Brothers Big Sisters of America in 1994. He received many awards from civic groups.
Gordon served many years on the Princeton Schools Committee of Northern Virginia, five of them as chair. He took pride that "I never lost a kid to another college." Gordon was a lifelong bachelor.
The Class of 1948
Mortimer DeMott Kelly '50
Mort died Nov. 17, 1986, in the Veterans Hospital in Lyons, N.J., after a long period of declining health. He prepared for Princeton at Exeter, where he was a half-miler on the track team. During World War II, he was an Army courier in Europe, running messages between front-line combat command posts. Mort was cruelly wounded, recovered for a year in a veterans' hospital, and permanently lost much mobility in one arm. He ignored the disability and frequently rode in weekend fox hunts around his early home in Morristown, N.J.
At Princeton, Mort graduated with honors in art and archaeology. A member of Elm Club, he roomed with Jim Lindsay, Steve Kearney, Harry Johnson, Charley Gutenkunst, and Ron Wittreich. Mort had strong literary tastes, was intellectually curious, given to stimulating, slightly sardonic conversations. He was a good and generous friend.
After graduation, Mort lived in Europe for more three years, traveling 47,000 miles in a small convertible. Returning to the States, he worked in the publishing industry, specializing in sales with the American Book Co. until gradually failing health reduced his activities.
Even though many years have passed since Mort's death, the class extends its sympathy to his sister, Adrienne Carr, and her children.
The Class of 1950
William Edward Maritz '50
Bill died Feb. 26, 2001, after battling a recurrence of prostate cancer.
Bill entered Princeton from John Burroughs School in his hometown of St. Louis. He majored in international affairs, was in NROTC, and was Glee Club president. He served three years as operations officer aboard a Navy rocket launcher during the Korean War.
In 1953, Bill joined the company founded by his grandfather in 1894. With sales then at $5 million, Maritz, Inc., which specializes in motivation and travel, posted $2.5 billion sales when he stepped aside as CEO in 1998.
Bill's civic leadership was recognized when he was honored as St. Louis citizen of the year in 1998. Known as "a guy who was never negative about anything," he served on many boards. Traveler, golfer, he was devoted to Princeton, served as alumni trustee, attended every major reunion and included "The Orange and The Black" in the memorial service he prepared to celebrate his life.
He is survived by his wife, Jackie; sons Peter '79, Steve '80, Philip '83, daughter Alice Maritz Starek '85; sister Jean Hobler w'41; two stepchildren and 14 grandchildren. The class will miss one of its finest and extends its sympathy to his family.
The Class of 1950
Allan Irwin Sandler '51
Allan died Feb. 5, 2001, of congestive heart failure. He was very disappointed not to have had a heart transplant. He so admired Jack Bogle '51 for the courageous and vigorous way he lived.
At Princeton, Allan majored in biology and graduated summa cum laude. He was a member of the Premed Society, Republican Club, French Club, and Elm Club. He roomed with Eric Eisner and Marty Meltzer.
He graduated cum laude from Harvard medical school in 1955 and spent two years in the Air Force. An internal medicine specialist, Allan treated thousands of patients at Mass. General Hospital. The polio epidemic of 1955 caused him and a team to replace the polio tank treatment with positive pressure devices that remain the standard.
Throughout his career, he taught medical students and residents at Mass. General, and treated his patients as his friends (a group of his patients endowed the Dr. Allan Sandler Fund for Clinical Care).
Allan was an active sports enthusiast. Although a Red Sox rooter, he confused people by wearing a Yankees' cap (he had grown up in the Bronx).
Allan is survived by his wife, Mary Haskell, a brother Michael, a son Robert, and two stepsons, David and Jonathan. The class shares their grief and salutes Allan, a creative and dedicated doctor and humanitarian.
The Class of 1951
Crowell Baker '52
In the words of his wife, Deedee, Crowell Baker "died suddenly, quickly, and we believe painlessly from a heart attack after a good game of golf" on Oct. 14, 1999. Two suffragan bishops officiated at his memorial service in Trinity-St. John's Episcopal Church in Hewlett, N.Y. Classmates attending the service included George Dean, Lefty Thomas, Kirk Parrish, Mike Kennedy, and John Scully.
A graduate of Groton, Crowell majored in history at Princeton and belonged to Colonial Club.
He and Edith Knapp were married during his second year at Harvard Business School. Crowell rose through positions with Playtex and Harper's Bazaar, before settling into senior management in several perfume companies. Gentleman and bon vivant, Crowell organized his life around a devotion to the Episcopal Church, family, and in particular his support of Deedee's vocation to the priesthood.
Crowell and Deedee moved to Lawrence/Cedarhurst, N.Y., in 1959, where Crowell served more than 30 years in the Lawrence Assn. His devotion to the Diocese of Long Island was profound and steady, culminating in Deedee's ordination to the priesthood in 1990.
Crowell is survived by Deedee, two children, Crowell and Janaan, and one grandchild. We extend to them our profound sympathies.
The Class of 1952
John Edward Damerel III '52
John Damerel died Jan. 17, 2001, of complications from Alzheimer's disease, which had affected the last 11 years of his life. His memorial service was held in the Bon Air Baptist Church, Richmond, Va., where he had sung in the choir for many years.
John left Princeton in 1951, having joined Elm Club and sung in the Glee Club for two years. His roommate was Bill Nicely. He and Anna Noel were married in July 1951. John discovered his aptitude for accounting while he worked for Virginia Power, and with his company's encouragement, he returned to American U.'s night school. He completed his degree, cum laude, in 1963, with Anna's support, while they nurtured two sons. John retired in 1990, after 27 years with Coopers and Lybrand, where he was auditor and tax manager. He served on the adjunct faculty of the U. of Richmond and of John Tyler Community College, and was a member of the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants. John loved jogging and music; he sang with his classmates at the 40th reunion.
John is survived by Anna, two sons, Edward and Steven, his brother and two sisters, and three grandchildren. We offer them our deepest sympathies.
The Class of 1952
William David Smith Jr. '56
Dave Smith died of cancer at his home in Kennett Square, Pa., on Feb. 9, 2001. At Princeton he majored in chemical engineering, won his varsity letter in ice hockey, and was a member of Tiger Inn.
Following graduation, Dave continued his studies in chemical engineering, was a Fulbright Scholar at the U. of Sydney, Australia, in 1961, and earned his D. Eng. degree from Yale in 1963. From 196080 he was on the faculty of the U. of Rochester. Dave then joined DuPont, where he specialized in process control, a field in which he made numerous outstanding contributions and for which he received worldwide recognition.
Dave held an appointment as visiting professor at Imperial College in London, and also worked with a group of European colleagues on a world initiative for engineering software standards. He retired from DuPont in 1999.
Dave is survived by his wife, Roberta Yarker Smith, his two sons, David F. and Daniel W., his two grandchildren, Jessica Crenshaw and Jacob D., a sister, Doris Stoner, three stepchildren, Patrick Yarker, Anne Vaughan, and Thomas Yarker, six step-grandchildren, and his former wife, Suzanne Kline Collins. The class extends its sympathy to all those who mourn his death.
The Class of 1956
Stephen Sanford Weidenborner '56
Steve Weidenborner died of prostate cancer on Mar. 9, 2001, at his home in Montclair, N.J. An English major, Steve was in the NROTC program and a member of Cloister Inn. He roomed with Gordon Hammes during our senior year.
Following graduation, Steve was a lieutenant in the Navy and then taught at several New York area colleges. He earned his PhD in English literature from NYU in 1969, and coauthored three college textbooks. He was a faculty member for more than three decades at Kingsborough Community College in Brooklyn, serving as chair of his department for 14 years. He was an innovative educator who had a brilliant witty mind and a compassionate crusader's heart. Steve's concern for social justice was reflected in his commitment to finding effective means of teaching remedial English to disadvantaged urban students and in his support of efforts to secure a new trial for Mumia Abu-Jamal, now on death row for a murder some think he did not commit.
Steve is survived by his wife, Moira Maynard Weidenborner; his three sons, Jeffrey, James, and William; a brother, Clarke Benham, a sister, Suzanne Neilson, and his former wife, Mary Hoover Weidenborner. The class offers its sympathy to them and others who mourn his death.
The Class of 1956
Jon L. Plexico '59
Jon Plexico, a resident of Chatham, Mass., died of a stroke in San Francisco on Feb. 26, 2001.
Jon, born in Detroit, prepared for Princeton at Cranbrook School in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. At Princeton, Jon was a freshman wrestling manager, worked on the Jamesburg Committee, belonged to Quadrangle Club, majored in mechanical engineering, and joined Army ROTC. Following graduation he served his Army tour in Korea.
After military service Jon attended Harvard Business School, from which he graduated in 1964, and where he met Virginia "Ginger" Penn, whom he married that same year. Various positions in business followed, including a project with the International Marketing Institute to assist in developing marketing techniques in Korea. During his career, Jon held positions as president of Culver Advertising Intl., the H.V. Shuster Co., and the U.S. subsidiary of Plastic Omnium, S.A. He retired from business due to illness in 1993.
Jon served on the board of trustees of the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston for 20 years, and was chair of the Center's building committee during its expansion in the 1990s.
Jon is survived by his wife, Ginger; his daughter, Lindsey Ford; his son, Jonathan; and two grandsons, to whom the class extends its deepest sympathies.
The Class of 1959
John H. Rorke III '59
John Rorke, an early practitioner of ultrasound diagnostic imaging, died of lung cancer on Oct. 18, 2000, at his home in Glenmoore, Pa.
Born in Reading, Pa., John attended the Hill School, where he was a member of the Cum Laude Society. He majored in biology at Princeton, taking his meals at Key and Seal. Following graduation he received his medical degree from the U. of California. He served in the Army from 196769, and completed a residency in neurology at Thomas Jefferson U. Hospital in 1973. Practicing as a neurologist, John soon turned his attention to ultrasound diagnostic imaging, a field that had gained recognition in the 1960s for its ability to determine the gender of fetuses and detect birth defects.
John practiced both neurology and ultrasound initially, but caseload demands in the latter field caused him to give up neurology. For more than 15 years John oversaw the ultrasound laboratory at Chester County [Pa.] Hospital. In 1992 he started his own practice in West Chester, remaining there until shortly before his death.
The class extends its sympathies to John's wife, Cheryl; his son, Josh; his daughter, Jennifer Nadeau; his mother, Isabel Rorke; and four grandchildren.
The Class of 1959
George Hill "Duffy" Hughes '63
After an eight-year battle with breast cancer, Duffy died at home on Mar. 22, 2001.
Raised in West Hartford, Conn., Duffy attended Phillips Academy, Andover, and was a glee club member and varsity swimmer at Princeton. A member of Colonial Club, he enjoyed lifelong friendships with roommates Hilton Smith, Dwight Patterson, Mike Rediker, Randy Revelle, Bill Lucas, and Steve Crane.
Duffy graduated from Jefferson Medical College in 1967, interned at Denver General Hospital, was a resident in family medicine at Oregon Health Sciences U., served as a flight surgeon with the marines at Chu Lai, Vietnam, and moved to Eugene, Ore., in 1973. He was active in local and national groups associated with family medicine.
A lifelong athlete - runner, skier, cyclist, and swimmer - Duffy finished the NYC marathon and several triathlons. But his strongest love was music.
While participating in singing groups, Duffy mastered several instruments. His final legacy was underwriting a free performance of Brahms's Requiem by the Eugene Symphony, which he served for 25 years, two as president.
Surviving are his wife, Nancy; daughters Katherine Rixon and Elizabeth; a son, Robert; his mother, two brothers and a sister. Our deepest sympathy goes to his family and friends.
The Class of 1963
William Waddell Fleming '64
Bill Fleming died Jan. 10, 2001, in Dallas. He leaves behind his wife of 34 years, Susan, two sons, William and James, his mother, Jane, and his brother George Beckwith.
Bill was born in Little Rock, attended Andover, and was an English major at Princeton. In a career that included teaching at the St. Marks and Greenhill Schools in Dallas, running his own business (The Education Group), service as class adviser, guidance counselor, tennis coach, and later as an independent college consultant, Bill was able to help shape many young lives. The National Assn. of College Admission Counselors honored Bill by naming their award for excellence in counseling and placement for him.
At age 30, Bill was afflicted with Hodgkin's lymphoma, which was very nearly fatal. He recovered completely from that disease. Then, in 1995, he was afflicted by mesothelioma - a rare form of cancer usually associated with asbestos exposure. Again Bill recovered, but never regained his full strength or energy and had a restricted lifestyle in the later years.
The class was happy to have Bill as one of its members. We mourn the loss of a wonderful friend, husband, father, and Princetonian.
The Class of 1964
Charles Stewart Wurts Bissell Jr. '65
Born in Bryn Mawr, Pa., on Apr. 1, 1943, to Charles and Jane Bissell, Charlie died unexpectedly on May 30, 2000, at his home in Strafford, Pa. His mother and two younger brothers, William and John, as well as nieces Jennifer, Edith and Juliana, all of Johnson, Vt., survive him.
Charlie received his A.B. in classics, writing his thesis on "Roman Women in Juvenal's Sixth Satire," was a member of ROTC, and served two years in Vietnam.
Prior to Princeton, Charlie rowed at Haverford School and was part of a national championship crew. He also participated in the Henley Regatta and later did volunteer work for the Schuylkill Navy, providing computer support for races.
He earned his master's in Latin at U. of Michigan; then was an executive at Sears for over 20 years. He later began his own consulting company, combining accounting and computers.
Charlie was a family man, although a confirmed bachelor. He owned property in Vermont and spent most vacations time near his mother's home there. He was devoted to his three nieces, who feel his loss immensely.
The class sends its condolences to the family of this fine and loyal classmate.
The Class of 1965
Paul Maxwell Vickers '68
Paul died Mar. 11, 2001, of lung cancer. He was born in Brisbane, Australia, and came to Princeton from the William Penn Charter School. While at Princeton, he majored in statistics.
At the time of his death, Paul was assistant vice president of Allmerica Financial in Worcester, Mass., where he had worked for 27 years. He was an expert in all aspects of ERISA; he was both a Chartered Life Underwriter and a Chartered Financial Consultant. In 1999 he was named employee of the year, receiving the J. Edward Anderson Award.
Paul was a bridge gold life master and a longtime director at tournaments all over the county. Bridge and NCAA basketball were his main outside-work pastimes.
Paul is survived by his widow, Mary, and his parents. To them, the class extends its deepest sympathy.
The Class of 1968
Edward W. Geibel '73
Ed Geibel died of complications from AIDS in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 19, 2000.
Ed grew up and went to school in Butler, Pa. At Princeton he majored in German and worked at the Student Center. His outside interests included architecture and art. During his summer breaks he worked and studied in Germany and France. After graduating Ed taught in Berlin with the German Academic Exchange. Later he received a master's from the School for International Training in Vermont.
Joining the Peace Corps in 1974, Ed taught English at Songkhla Teachers College in Southern Thailand and later worked as the deputy director of cultural training in Thailand. In the early 1980s he served as Thailand, Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea desk officer, and later as acting Peace Corps director in Papua New Guinea.
At the State Department in the 1980s and early '90s, Ed supervised refugee training programs in Asia and Europe. He began in 1996 at State's Foreign Service Institute, where he retired as associate director of the executive development division in 1999.
Ed leaves his partner, Prawet Jantharat; his father, Wilmer J. Geibel; his four sisters, Judy, Jeannie, Linda, and Margaret, and several nieces and nephews. The class extends its sincerest sympathy to all family and friends.
The Class of 1973
John Harris Clay Jr. '83
John died Nov. 20, 1999. The son of Annie and John Clay, he was born June 7, 1961, and raised in Philadelphia in a large and lively family. He was a member of the Trinity AME Church.
After attending Central H.S. in upstate New York through the Better Chance Program, he entered Princeton and majored in sociology. He was a member of the Gospel Ensemble, the Third World Center, the Organization of Black Unity, and Harambee House.
After graduation, he attended Howard U. School of Law and NYU. John taught in the NYC school district and was working on a book, City of Tranquil Lights, when he died. He is survived by his parents, his grandmother, Elise Jackson, a niece, Kiley, and eight siblings: Stephanie, Lisa, Caretta, Adriane, Mark, Matthew, Aaron, and Andrew. The class extends its deepest sympathies to the family.
The Class of 1983
