November 5, 2003: Memorials
WILLIAM R. MacNAMEE ’28
It is with sadness we report the death of William R. MacNamee of Columbia Falls, Maine, on June 3, 2003, after a brief illness.
Bill was born and raised in Princeton. He graduated from Princeton in 1928 with degrees in physics and electrical engineering. He joined the firm of Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton Corp. in Chester, Pa., and remained with that firm until his retirement as chief engineer in 1972.
During WWII Bill designed the steering system for LSTs. His activities included power plant design of the dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers, as well as dam projects in Greece and Japan.
He is survived by Patricia Abbott MacNamee, his wife of 63 years; his son, Richard; two daughters, Suzanne Fox and Linda; three grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Linda MacNamee, who lives and teaches in Barcelona, recalled with joy a trip to Princeton with her father in December 2001. “When Daddy was still up and mobile we visited Princeton and retraced his steps on campus, relishing his memories and embracing the innovations time had wrought. Although Carnegie Lake was frozen and our ice skates long stored away, our recollections were crisp and clear,” she said.
The class sends its sympathy to all the family.
The Class of 1928
CHARLES ELLIOT LANE ’30
Charley died Jan. 4, 2003, in NYC; he was 94.
Six of Charley’s boyhood years were spent in China, where his father, an architect, was involved in the construction of Tsing Hua College with funds from the Boxer Rebellion indemnity. Charley attended the Chinese-American School, to which he was conveyed by rickshaw. Charley graduated from Glen Ridge [N.J.] High School.
At Princeton he studied public administration and political science. He was a member of Terrace Club. After graduation he worked in real estate with White and White. In 1941 he went to work for the federal Public Housing Authority in DC. During WWII, Charley enlisted in the Navy, went to OCS, and was commissioned a lieutenant j.g. He served on Guam, providing housing for the natives after the Japanese evacuation and destruction. After the war, he worked for NY Life Insurance Co., becoming second vice president of the real estate department. Charley was a supporter of community affairs, including Neighbors United and the Lenox Hill Neighborhood Association.
He married Ethel May Vincent in 1934. She died in 1996. He leaves a daughter, Ann Lane Breit; a sister; and numerous nieces and nephews to whom he was a mentor, and by whom he was known as “Uncle Gerg” or in Chinese “Big Brother.” The class extends its sympathy.
The Class of 1930
EDWARD BRONSON HOLSCHUH ’33
Ed Holschuh died June 30, 2003. He was 92.
Ed attended Mercersburg Academy. After graduation from Princeton, he worked for Moody’s Investment Services. During WWII, he worked for Western Electrical Instruments. After the war, he joined E.F. Hutton and Co. He retired in 1976 as vice president in charge of advertising and public relations. He wrote many of Hutton’s ad campaigns and promotional methods.
He was a Tiger through and through, being a member of the Princeton Club of NY, the Nassau Club, and the Princeton Football Assn. His other interests were jazz music, gardening, and good literature. An enthusiastic, loving granddaughter wrote me of his Princeton addiction: “He was buried in his Princeton socks and tie, and a small Princeton banner to be sure he wouldn’t end up in the Dartmouth section.”
Ed was predeceased by his adored wife of 69 years, Connie. He will be greatly missed by his son, Edward Jr.; daughter Lima Coffey; six grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. We will all miss Ed very much.
The Class of 1933
JOHN TODD COWLES ’34
A memorial for John Todd Cowles ’34 in the Nov. 5, 2003, issue of PAW misstated the length of his marriage to Toffee Lee Cowles, who survives him. The two were married on May 1, 2002.
Todd Cowles, former professor and consultant in psychological measurement and evaluation, and, since retirement in 1976, resident of his family homestead in his native Burlington, Vt., died Feb. 14, 2003.
“Hobbies,” Todd once wrote, “have been a large part of my life with active participation and considerable study of the more exacting aspects of each.” He played the piano, pipe organ, violin, and oboe; pursued photography, woodworking, and letterpress printing; edited two private journals; and did extensive mountain climbing.
He climbed Mt. Fujiyama at 54 and walked the Appalachian Trail at 63. “Yes,” he said, “I am called a workaholic, but I enjoy it.”
[Information about surviving family members has been deleted pending further verification.]
The Class of 1934
CHARLES EDWARD HAYDOCK ’34
Charlie Haydock, known also as Chick and Chuck, died June 17, 2003, in DC, where he moved in 1996 to be near family. He was 91 and lived previously in Wilton, Conn.
Charlie had 25 years of active Army service, “from private in the horse cavalry of the NY National Guard (Squadron A),” he wrote, “to lieutenant colonel, field artillery, honchoing all of the UN forces’ Army aircraft in Korea with many ups and downs.” He found the experiences “profoundly satisfying.”
In 1962, at age 50, Charlie married Marianna Ward and led “a happy life thereafter with times on Wall Street and in entrepreneurial ventures with varying degrees of success.”
Marianna survives, as do Charlie’s sister, Nancy Haydock McCree; stepdaughters Isabel Cutler and Marianna Ohe; and grandchildren Fredrika Ashley Brookfield and Daniel Frederick Charles Ohe.
The Class of 1934
LEWIS WYNNE WISTER ’36
Wynne died at 89, June 2, 2003. A graduate of St. Paul’s School, at Princeton he was our undergraduate secretary-treasurer, and class treasurer during our first alumni years of 1936-41. He majored in English, was president of Ivy Club, and rowed crew three years.
He enlisted as a private in the Air Corps in 1942 and rose in rank to first lieutenant in 1944. He served his last 18 months in the European theater with the 397th and 392nd Bombardment Groups, receiving six Battle Stars.
After the war, he received a master’s in English from Harvard. After teaching at the South Kent [Conn.] School for several years, he became headmaster in 1955, finally retiring in 1969 after a very successful tenure.
Next, he and his wife, Joan, moved to their 90-acre tree farm in upstate NY, where he pursued a lifelong interest in the conservation and protection of natural resources. He also served on his town’s planning and zoning board, and was town administrator. He was a founder of the Vermont Land Trust.
Wynne is survived by Joan Harris Wister, his wife of 54 years; daughters Sally (and husband Dial Parrott ’66), Mary S., and Eliza; and four grandchildren.
The Class of 1936
CHARLES FREDERICK JONES ’38
Chuck died June 16, 2003, in Bernard, Maine, the town to which he and his wife, Susannah, had retired.
At Princeton he majored in history, was a captain of the university dining halls, and a member of Charter Club. In WWII he was an Army captain, and at war’s end, served on the war crimes commission of the 801st Military Police Battalion in the Philippines.
After several years in business, Chuck attended Yale Graduate School, receiving a doctorate in sociology. Later, he became the executive director of the John Hay Whitney Foundation in NYC and was active in the civil rights movement. In 1969 he moved his family to North Carolina where they joined the Celo Community. He designed and built the Celo Inn at Burnside, which he operated as a bed and breakfast until 1987. After retiring to Maine, he helped found Hancock County Habitat for Humanity, served as a hospice volunteer, and was a member of the Episcopal Church at Southwest Harbor.
He is survived by his wife; his daughter, Simmy Holzer; sons Timothy and Amos Lawrence; two grandsons; and two great-granddaughters. To them, the class extends condolences.
The Class of 1938
SAMUEL WALKER McCUNE III ’38
Sam died of natural causes Feb. 13, 2003, in Seaford, Del., where he resided since 1992.
He was born in Chicago, graduated from Culver Military Academy, and then attended Beloit College for one year. At Princeton Sam majored in chemical engineering and was football inspector. After postgraduate work at the Carnegie Institute, he worked for the DuPont Co. from 1940 to 1975, living in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and London, where he became managing director of DuPont (UK). Upon returning to Wilmington, he worked in the elastomers chemical division of DuPont and finished his career as director of its elastomers laboratories.
After retirement he was an advocate for AARP’s legislative agenda in the Delaware General Assembly and worked with AARP’s income tax preparation assistance program. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, the former Margaret Jane McCorkle; three children, Susan K. Bergman, S. Walker IV, and Sarah J. Fairfield; three younger brothers, Leroy K. ’40 *50, John R., and D. Thomas
’57; five grandchildren; and one great-grandchild, to all of whom the class extends its condolences.
The Class of 1938
FRANKLIN BACHE SATTERTHWAITE ’38
Frank died peacefully in his sleep on June 30, 2003, in Cranston, R.I.
A son of Pennington and Helen (Peabody) Satterthwaite of Short Hills, N.J., Frank graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy before coming to Princeton, where he majored in physics, was on the rugby team, and was a member of the chess club.
After serving in the Army from 1942-46, he earned a master’s in statistics from NYU, then followed a long career as a market research executive. A child prodigy in chess, lover of light and serious opera, keen sportsman, smooth dancer, boundlessly curious reader, enthusiastic artist, determined solver of mathematical puzzles, tireless debater, sipper of fine (sometimes homemade) wines, devoted companion of many dogs, and strong family man, Frank lived a long and full life. A direct descendant of Benjamin Franklin and expert genealogist, he also served as president general of the Society for the Descendants of Signers of the Declaration of Independence.
He is survived by Emily Cresson Satterthwaite, his wife of 61 years; his son, Franklin Jr.; daughter Sarah (Sally) Gibson; daughter-in-law Martha Werenfels; and four grandchildren. The class extends its deep sympathy to them all.
The Class of 1938
JOHN VINCENT WHITTLESEY ’39
Jack died Jan. 29, 2003, at his retirement home in Gastonia, N.C.
After earning his BS in chemical engineering, he began his career with Exxon Research as a refinery process engineer. For more than 37 years he worked for Exxon, moving from engineering into refinery economics and corporate planning. As assistant secretary of Exxon Corp., he served as Exxon liaison with the professional investment community. In 1964 he became public affairs advisor in Exxon’s Esso Middle East. Upon retirement in 1976 he was appointed executive director of the Iran-American Chamber of Commerce. Four years later he really did retire, adding golf, fishing, and travel to his longtime hobbies of community theater, horseback riding, sailing, and singing at his church.
Jack’s first wife, Lois, died in 1979. He later married Willie Greybeal, who survives him; as does his brother, Robert ’43; his sister, Eleanor; and three stepchildren, Jeanne, Linda, and Jackson Mott. To all we offer our sincere sympathy.
The Class of 1939
FREDERICK Benjamin MACKINNON ’41
Ben died on Sanibel Island, Fla., Apr. 20, 2003, after a long siege with lymphatic cancer. Coming to Princeton from New Trier High School, he played freshman football, majored in engineering, and roomed with Bill Stebbins.
After sophomore year, he transferred to the U. of Chicago, graduating in March 1942 with an engineering degree. Immediately enlisting in the Navy, Ben was commissioned from the Prairie State in October 1942. After a year there as an instructor, he became an engineering officer on a destroyer serving in the Aleutians, Kuriles, Okinawa, and Japan. He left as a lieutenant in 1945.
Ben graduated from Harvard Law School in 1948, returning a year later as a teaching fellow and research fellow until called to serve in the Korean War in 1951. He retired as a lieutenant commander in 1953. From then on, most of his career was spent as a research attorney with the American Bar Association until retirement.
Ben moved to Sanibel Island in 1979 and summered in Southwest Harbor, Maine, enabling him to continue his lifelong love of sailing, especially ocean racing. He was active in community affairs and also became a sculptor.
He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Marcia Taber MacKinnon; two sons, Duncan and John; his daughter, Marcy; and three grandchildren.
The Class of 1941
ROBERT CHASE FLINT ’42
The class recently received the sad news that Bob Flint died suddenly in the spring of 1999 in Lake Forest, Ill., of causes related to previous heart problems.
From his son, Stephen, classmates and Princeton records, we learned that Bob prepared at the Lawrenceville School where he won the mathematics prize. During his two years with us, his academic interests were engineering and accounting. He was a member of Campus Club.
During WWII Bob was a radio officer (ensign) in the Merchant Marine. He was the first radio officer in NY harbor to hear the news of V-E Day, signifying the end of the war in the European theater. Bob transmitted the signal that initiated general rejoicing ashore and afloat in the harbor area.
Most of Bob’s work life was in offset printing starting in Joliet, Ill. Eventually he and his wife, Diana, settled down in Barrington, Ill., where he worked for Neuman Rudolf until he opened his own business, Flint Print, in Skokie. For several years he was a class solicitor for AG, retiring after Diana died in 1993.
To Bob’s three children, Cameron Chase, Charlotte Diana Smith, and Stephen Chase, the class extends its sincerest condolences.
The Class of 1942
RICHARD ALBRIGHT WHITE ’42 *43
One of our brightest engineers, Dick White, 81, died July 17, 2003, at home in Clearwater, Fla.
Dick prepared at Reading [Pa.] High School. He majored in electrical engineering and was a member of Gateway Club, the band, and orchestra. Dick graduated with high honors and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He received a professional degree in electrical engineering from Princeton in 1943, the year he married Margaret (Peg) Weber Leinbach. They had four children, Patricia, Michele, Alan ’70, and Steven ’80.
During WWII, having been “draft-proofed” by military-industrial agreement, Dick worked at Westinghouse Electric Corp. on military electronics manufacturing. Dick spent his professional life at Westinghouse, assuming increasing responsibilities in engineering and management. On the way up, he earned a master’s in engineering from Cornell in 1960. He was a program manager for the lunar camera tube used to transmit the first steps of man walking on the moon in July 1969.
After retiring in 1982, Dick spent two years in private consulting, followed by the pursuit of his many family and community interests.
To Dick’s brother, John ’44, and to Peg and Dick’s children, seven grandchildren, and one great-grandchild, the class extends its deepest condolences for the loss of a devoted husband, parent and loyal Princetonian.
The Class of 1942
CHARLES JOSEPH BERAN ’43
Charley died Aug. 7, 2003, at Greenwich [Conn.] Hospital. He was 82. Death was due to complications following a stroke.
Born in Heiden, Switzerland, he emigrated to the US with his family in 1924. Charley grew up in Tuckahoe, N.Y. He graduated from Roosevelt High School and then from Princeton in 1943. During WWII, he served in the Pacific theater as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps.
Charley’s business career as a chemical engineer encompassed three major firms — Anaconda, Tensolite, and Celanese.
A Greenwich resident for 50 years, he was active in many Greenwich organizations following his retirement, including Meals on Wheels, tax counseling for the elderly, the Greenwich Art Society, and the Greenwich Land Society.
Charley is survived by a daughter, Leslie Beran Tower, a sister, Margaret Erni, and two grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife, the former Marie Matthews, in 1993.
To all the bereaved, rest assured we share your sorrow.
The Class of 1943
PHILIP PALMER GREEN JR. ’43
Phil died Aug. 9, 2002, at the Carolina Inn at Fayetteville, N.C. He was 81.
He graduated from Princeton and Harvard Law School. He served in the Army during WWII and retired from the Army Reserve as a lieutenant colonel.
Phil was the Albert Coates Professor of Public Law and Government for many years at the Institute of Government at UNC--Chapel Hill, a post from which he retired in 1988. During his 38 years there, Phil became known as a prolific writer, and an outstanding teacher and lecturer.
Survivors include his wife, Barbara, of Chapel Hill; four children from his first marriage to Mary M. Green (now deceased): Philip P. III, Victoria Dickson, Elizabeth Standen, and Juliette Stengelman; a sister, Jean Rodenbaugh; a brother, Robert; and nine grandchildren.
To the entire family, we extend our deepest and most heartfelt sympathies.
The Class of 1943
GEORGE ANTHONY HOCHSCHWENDER ’43
George died at his home in Tampa, Fla., June 27, 2003. He was 82.
A Brooklyn native, George graduated from Polytechnic Preparatory Country Day School in 1939 and Princeton in 1943. During WWII, he served in the Army, attained the rank of captain, and performed the hazardous duty of field artillery pilot.
George’s business career encompassed, for the most part, self-employment in the real estate development field. Previously, he had worked for the W.H. Toole real estate firm and as a tractor salesman.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 47 years, the former Mary Cornelia Kelly. Survivors include four siblings; son George Jr.; and daughters Sarah Squella, Bess Anderson, and Ellen Ferrill.
A Tampa resident since 1955, George was an extremely active community leader, working with the local chamber of commerce, philharmonic, city council and Clara Frye Hospital.
To the entire family, we extend our deepest and most heartfelt condolences.
The Class of 1943
FRANK HAWKINS LEWIS SR. ’43
Knobby died at his home in Bay City, Texas, June 6, 2003; he was 83.
A lifelong resident of Bay City and Matagorda County, he prepped at Woodberry Forest School in Virginia before entering Princeton. Knobby graduated cum laude in 1943 with a degree in economics.
During WWII, he served with distinction in the Philippines and Solomon Islands as an artillery captain.
Returning to Matagorda County in 1946, Knobby was actively engaged in ranching, farming, and banking for the remainder of his life. He also was active in civic affairs, including a two-term presidency of the Bay City Chamber of Commerce.
Survivors include two sons, Frank Hawkins Jr. and James Neely; two daughters, Janet Peden and Meta Hausser; two grandsons; and a sister, Margaret Furse. He was preceded in death by his wife, the former Florence Neely.
To the entire family, we extend our deepest and most heartfelt condolences.
The Class of 1943
JOHN H. MONTGOMERY JR. ’43
John died after a short illness on Juy 16, 2002; he was 82.
A native of Passaic, N.J., he attended Montclair High School before matriculating at Princeton. In his junior year, at the time of Pearl Harbor, he left college to enter the Army Air Corps. He ultimately rose to the rank of captain, after beginning his military career as an enlisted machine gunner.
After his discharge, John went to Harvard Law School, was admitted to the NY bar, and worked as an associate at Condon & Forsythe in NYC. While there, John represented several prestigious clients in the airline industry, including BOAC, Qantas and BWIAs.
In 1969 John and his wife, Gloria, moved to Martha’s Vineyard and he became a country lawyer. He retired from practice in 2002 after 53 years as an attorney.
John’s major hobbies were music and photography. According to his son, Jack, one of the great regrets of his life was that he never returned to Princeton for his final year.
His wife of 49 years, the former Gloria Lyle, preceded him in death in 1995. His son, John III, and a brother, Robert, survive.
To the entire family, we offer our deepest and most heartfelt sympathies.
The Class of 1943
RALPH A. MORRISS II ’43
We lost Ralph Aug. 1, 2003. He died at age 82 at the Fountains at Boca Ciega Bay, Fla..
He came to Florida in 2002 from his native St. Louis. A retired real estate agent, he was the owner of Morriss Realty in Granite City, Ill.
Ralph graduated from Princeton in 1943 and served in the Army during WWII. He was past president of the Society of Industrial Realtors and an avid golfer.
Survivors include three daughters, Alexandra Kingzett, Sue Robinson, and Melissa Schroll; a sister, Marjorie O’Neill; and two grandchildren.
To the entire family, we offer our most sincere condolences.
The Class of 1943
HARRISON SHULL ’44
Harry died at home in Monterey, Calif., July 28, 2003.
His father, George, was a professor of biology and genetics at Princeton. Harry attended Princeton High and, like three of his brothers, enrolled in the University. He graduated in 1943 with first group honors as Latin salutatorian and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.
His military career was principally at the Naval Research Laboratory in DC as an ensign. He earned a PhD in chemistry at Berkeley and did postdoctoral work at the U. of Chicago. He taught at Iowa State U. until he went to Uppsala U. in Sweden on a Guggenheim fellowship.
For the major part of his life he was chemistry chair at Indiana U., Bloomington, rising to dean of the graduate school and vice president. He served as provost of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute from 1979 until he became chancellor at the U. of Colorado at Boulder in 1982, and then served as vice president of the Monterey Naval Postgraduate School from 1985 until retiring in 1995. As for Princeton, he served on its chemistry advisory council.
He is survived by his wife, Willa, seven children, and 10 grandchildren. His classmates convey their greatest respect for his life achievements.
The Class of 1944
NEIL LANDIS CONVER ’45
Neil Conver died in Lansdale, Pa., July 25, 2002, of a massive stroke.
Neil, the son of Samuel D. Conver ’07, entered Princeton from Haverford School, and joined Tower Club. His Princeton studies were interrupted by service in Europe with the 80th Infantry of Patton’s Third Army. Neil received a Purple Heart for wounds suffered in the Battle of the Bulge.
In 1947, Neil married Sarah Lughart, a former Army nurse, and in 1948 he received a law degree from Penn. He practiced law in Lansdale for 53 years, 22 of them with his son, David.
Neil was very active in community affairs, serving as president of the chamber of commerce and the Rotary club, and as a church council member and Sunday school teacher.
Neil and Sally welcomed international visitors, and especially enjoyed hosting exchange students. Neil was often in the stands for Princeton football, and he enjoyed golf and travel.
Neil exemplified the finest qualities of a small-town lawyer. He practiced his profession with integrity, and quietly touched the lives of many with his compassionate, understanding manner.
In addition to Sally and David, Neil also is survived by sons Peter and Philip, and two grandchildren. The class extends its sympathy to the family.
The Class of 1945
WILLIAM FULTON GOOD ’45
Bill Good died Mar. 20, 2003, in Wilmington [Del.] Hospital.
Bill was born in Quebec City, the son of William Pelton Good ’10. Although the family moved to New Jersey when he was 6, he prepared for Princeton at Ridley College School in St. Catharine’s, Ontario. At Prince-ton, Bill was a member of Key and Seal. His Princeton career was interrupted by duty as a platoon leader with the 42nd Division, serving in the Philippines. Upon his return, he received a degree in chemistry in 1947.
Bill joined West Virginia Pulp and Paper Co. upon graduation and married the former Elizabeth Traynharm (Tray) Vance in 1948. He began his lifelong career with the DuPont Co. in 1954, and filled several sales and marketing positions, including seven years as regional manager in Kansas City. Bill enjoyed golf and boating, and was a member of the Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Wilmington.
In addition to Tray, Bill is survived by a son, William V. ’73. A second son, Robert M. ’74, predeceased Bill in 2002. Bill also is survived by his sister, Agnes Coristine; and by five grandchildren, Andrew, Hannah, Pamela, Ben ’05, and Sam. Benjamin Good represents the fourth generation of the family to attend Princeton. The class expresses its sympathy to the family.
The Class of 1945
THOMAS LAURENCE NICHOLSON ’45
Tom Nicholson died in Evanston, Ill., Dec. 9, 2002.
Tom prepared for Princeton at Andover. His Princeton career was interrupted by service as a Naval lieutenant with the 7th Fleet, seeing combat in the Philippines. He then returned to Princeton, receiving a degree in humanities in 1948, Phi Beta Kappa. He was a member of Cap and Gown, and the varsity swimming and soccer teams. In 1954 he married Eleanor Kuester.
Upon graduation, Tom attended the Sorbonne, then joined the information office of the State Department. In 1955 he graduated from the U. of Chicago Law School, where he was editor of the Law Review.
He joined the Chicago firm of Isham, Lincoln and Beale, where he practiced for several years. Tom studied international law at Chicago, and then in Hamburg, Germany, and Brussels.
Next, he moved to Ann Arbor, where he coedited American Enterprise in the European Common Market. Returning to Chicago, he chaired a UNESCO conference on the New Europe. In the mid-1960s, Tom joined the firm of Mayer Brown & Platt, where he practiced until retirement in 1988.
In addition to Eleanor, Tom is survived by a son, John; and three daughters, Ann Weber, Sarah, and Martha. The class extends its sympathy to the family.
The Class of 1945
ROBERT COLE FINNIE ’51
Bob Finnie died Apr. 4, 2003 in Norwalk, Conn. He was a native of Grosse Pointe, Mich., born to the late Haldeman and Isabella Holt Finnie, and graduated with honors from Phillips Exeter in 1947.
At Princeton, he was a history major, a member of Charter Club, business manager of Triangle, and active in the Glee Club, pre-law society, and the advertising forum. He roomed with Bill Blackburn and Dick Hargrave. Bob went into advertising and marketing, starting with Procter & Gamble, followed by Young & Rubicam; Grey Advertising; Wells, Rich, Greene; and Doherty, Clifford, Steers and Shenfield. For many years he was president of Venture Marketing, Inc.
His marriage to the former Anne Stoddard ended in divorce. Bob had been a member of the Fairfield County [Conn.] Hunt Club and the Country Club of Fairfield. He is survived by his son, Stoddard; granddaughter Gaelen Isabella; sister Janet Finnie; niece Sarah Finnie Robinson ’78; and nephew Charles H. Finnie ’81. Bob was the brother of the late David H. ’46 and the late Donald M. ’47. His daughter, Jameson, predeceased him.
The Class of 1951
WILLIAM BELL HEATON ’51
Born Aug. 31, 1929, in South Bend, Ind., Bill died of cancer at home in Troy, Mich., April 4, 2003.
He prepared for Princeton at the Wayland Academy in Wisconsin where he was an all-state football center. Bill was a chemical engineer, a member of Key and Seal, and was in the NROTC at Princeton. His roommates were Karl Rauschert, Bill Paxton, and Dick Zahn.
Following graduation, Bill served as communications officer on an attack transport, mostly in the South Pacific. A man of many talents, he also was a newspaper publisher and venture capitalist.
An avid duck hunter and fly fisherman, Bill enjoyed the outdoors and especially cherished time with his family at their cottage on Lake Michigan. He was also an accomplished artist, potter, and world traveler, and was active politically, spending two campaigns with George Romney and serving as a member of the Great Lakes Commission.
Bill is survived by his wife, the former Mary Alice Johnson; his brother, Jack; and four children, Lucinda, Whit, Alice, and Don. He had nine grandchildren and four great-granddaughters. His classmates will remember Bill for his quick wit, sense of humor, and his deep commitment to family and friends.
The Class of 1951
ARTHUR EDWARD WINDELS JR. ’51
Art died April 13, 2003, in Doylestown, Pa., following an extended illness.
Born Oct. 12, 1929, he was the son of Arthur Windels ’19 and raised in Brooklyn. He prepared at Brooklyn Polytechnic. At Princeton, he roomed with Bob Belknap and Allen Dulles, and was a history major. He was a member of Whig-Clio, and belonged to Key and Seal. After graduation, he served as an Army artillery lieutenant in Korea, then graduated from Harvard Law School in 1956.
He became an associate of the NY law partnership of Dewey, Ballantine, Bushby, Palmer and Wood, and was made partner in 1963, in one of the shortest rites of passage on record. Art specialized first in litigation and then in corporate law. From 1969-72, he was in charge of Dewey’s Brussels office, and he retired from the firm in 1982. Thereafter he became active in the international financial area, principally on behalf of Prudential and other insurance clients.
Art is survived by former wives Mary Meese and Sally Ross; his sister, Anne Banse; daughters Susanne ’85 and Sarah; son, Edward; and cousins Paul Windels Jr. ’44 and James H.R. Windels ’86.
The Class of 1951
EDWARD RAPELYEA CROCKER ’53
Ed, a native of Elmira, N.Y., died of cancer July 18, 2003, at his summer home in North Carolina.
The son of F. Slee Crocker ’20, he attended Lawrenceville and Trinity-Pawling School. Freshman year he roomed with Lawrentians Lee Johnson, Phil Hummer, and Bill Kenny. They agreed he was a man who liked to have a good time, and Phil said Ed was one who would not let the rigors of the classroom get him down.
Ed served in the Navy and married Jan Charbonnet in 1957. In Florida he founded Crocker & Associates, manufacturers’ representatives in hotel and restaurant supplies. Besides his family, the loves of his life were tennis, golf, and travel. He was committed to his community through volunteer work at Covenant House and the Salvation Army, among other groups. Ed was with us for two years, returned for 1954-5, and we mourn his passing. Sincere sympathy to Jan; daughters Slee Arnold, Cathy Burgess, Kim Crocker, and Allison Portnoy; brother John; sister Margaret Burger; and seven grandsons. Jan hopes at least one grandson will carry on the Princeton tradition.
The Class of 1953
MICHAEL S. KONNER ’55
Michael Konner, a mortgage banker and financial planner, died June 19, 2003, of lung and brain cancer at his home in Lake Oswego, Ore.
Michael was born and reared in Paterson, N.J. He attended Montclair Academy and the Peddie School before entering Princeton. He majored in English, writing his senior thesis on F. Scott Fitzgerald. He played on the bridge team, joined Terrace Club, and lettered in golf. Recently he was recognized as one of N.J.’s top 100 high school golfers of the 20th century. One of his fondest memories was golfing with Sam Snead at the Greenbrier in West Virginia.
Michael served in the Naval Reserve as a lieutenant and moved to Lake Oswego in 1975. Over a 40-year span, he worked for two firms, Standard Life Insurance Co. and Guardian Life Insurance Co., where he was a founding member of the million-dollar roundtable. He owned Coordinated Financial Planning Co. in Lake Oswego and, since 1998, Closing Time, a local mortgage banking business.
In addition to his wife, Claire Moran Konner, Michael is survived by three daughters from his previous marriage to Joan Segal Erath: Nancy Truax, Judy Konner, and Maggie Kean; two stepdaughters, Margaret McMahon and Maureen Davenport; and six grandchildren. The class extends its deepest sympathy to all of them.
The Class of 1955
RONALD EMERSON BURNS ’66
Ronald Emerson Burns died of cancer at his home in Cambridge, Mass., July 25, 2003. He was 60.
Ron invented a computer-based X-ray detector for molecular analysis that provided a technological leap forward for the science of X-ray crystallography. He developed the detector in the 1980s after working at the High Energy Physics Lab at Harvard. Leaving Harvard with only a mental picture of how his detector would function, Ron worked for years in his Cambridge basement, designing and building the tools needed to construct the detector. In his spare time, he worked on and raced motorcycles.
Ron started the firm Xentronics to manufacture his detector. Xentronics was sold first to Nicolet, then to Siemens AG, which in turn sold it to Bruker AXS. Professor Stephen Harrison of Harvard Medical School used the technology to examine viral binding to cell surfaces and said, “The Xentronics detector changed structural biology in a significant way.”
After successfully marketing his invention, Ron dedicated his remaining years to becoming an accomplished aerobatic pilot and instructor.
He is survived by his wife, Janet, son, Jason, and granddaughter, Ripley Burns. To them, the class extends its deep sympathy.
The Class of 1966
ANGELA MICHELLE OVECKA ’02
Angela Ovecka was killed in a car accident in New Mexico Aug. 1, 2003. She was dedicated to all that she did — her studies, her music, her family, and her friendships.
At Princeton, she graduated summa cum laude in civil engineering, played flute, served as president of the wind ensemble, and was a member of Charter Club.
Angela had a wide smile and a sparkle in her eyes that demonstrated her zest for life and compassion for others. She always had time to listen and to sympathize. She cooked hearty breakfasts for her fellow structural engineers before morning exams; she delivered anonymous gifts as the “thesis fairy” to friends during the stressful senior spring; and she relished a good surprise. Ange could be found equally at home working in the basement of the E-Quad on her steel bridge as well as spinning on the dance floor. For her devotion and spontaneity, we will miss her. The class offers its condolences to Angela’s parents; her sister, Elaine; her brother, David; and all those whose lives were touched by her smile and her thoughtfulness.
The Class of 2002
MINOR MYERS JR. *72
Minor Myers died of lung cancer July 22, 2003, in Bloomington, Ill. He was 60.
President of Illinois Wesleyan U. at his death, Myers led that institution through 14 years of impressive growth and achievement.
Myers was a champion and model of the liberal arts education. Born in Akron, Ohio, he received a BA in 1964 from Carleton College. At Princeton, he studied politics and political philosophy, earning an MA in 1967 and PhD in 1972. Myers taught government for many years, and also developed expertise in furniture, musical instruments, and other material cultures of colonial America and revolutionary France. Subsequently he turned his attention to the study of multi-
talented individuals, nearly completing a book on that subject. Myers himself was a polymath. In addition to penning wide-ranging books and essays, he played piano and harpsichord, and wrote an original musical play set in the 1920s Chicago jazz scene.
The Graduate School owes Myers a particular debt, not only for his intellectual example, but for his work on the first edition of the History of the Graduate School.
He is survived by his wife, Ellen, and their two sons, Minor III and Joffre.
The Graduate School
