June 6, 2007: Memorials

LON HOCKER ’31

Lon Hocker died Jan. 31, 2007.

He prepared at St. Louis (Mo.) Country Day School. After graduating from Princeton, he attended Washington University School of Law and was active in his profession both as counsel to his firm and politically, running for governor of Missouri in 1956 and for U.S. Senate in 1960.

At Princeton he was well known in intercollegiate fencing as well as in international competition. Lon was musically active in the choir and Triangle Club. At the Mount Holly summer semi-reunions, Lon led the songs for the 60 or so classmates who regularly attended. In his retirement, Lon lived in Woods Hole, Mass.

His son, Lon III, graduated from Princeton in 1964, and Lon’s brother, E.B. “Berry” Hocker, was in the Class of 1929. To his widow, Esther, and the rest of his family, the class extends its condolences on the loss of a truly delightful, charming companion.

The Class of 1931

JAMES H. MANN ’31

Jim died Jan. 25, 2007, at his home in Wilmington, N.C.

He was born in Bluefield, W.Va., son of Edward and Mary Mann. Jim attended the Lawrenceville School. Prior to World War II, he was engaged in the fuel business, but in 1941 he entered the armed forces, serving first in England and then in Germany and attaining the rank of major.

In civilian life, Jim was active in his church, serving as a vestryman at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Winston-Salem, N.C. We remember him as always smiling and, with his Southern accent, able to tell a story with maximum joy.

Jim was predeceased by his first wife, Mae. He will be missed not only in his home town of Wilmington, but also in Vero Beach, Fla., where he and his lovely wife, Nancy, lived for many years. To Nancy and her children, the class sends its heartfelt condolences.

The Class of 1931

WILLIAM GREEN FOULKE ’34

Bill Foulke, cited in 1971, when he won our Award for Outstanding Achievement as “one of Philadelphia’s most influential and honored citizens,” died March 30, 2007, at home. He was 94.

Former chairman of Provident National Bank (a predecessor of PNC Bank) in Philadelphia, Bill also was a director of the Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Co., The (Philadelphia) Bulletin Co., the Provident Mutual Life Insurance Co., and several family-owned companies. He served on the boards of the Pennsylvania Hospital, Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, Old Philadelphia Development Corp. and University City Science Center, among others.

Bill was one of the first in our class to marry, in November 1934, having courted Louisa Lawrence Wood during his college years. (Still, he was captain of both tennis and squash and, in 1933, intercollegiate squash champion.)

In 1993 he and Louisa had a serious auto accident in which both broke their necks, but “nearly recovered,” as Bill wrote about a year later. He went on, “We enjoy life and have no trouble filling our days with love and laughter and fascinating things to do.” Louisa died in 2001.

Surviving are a daughter, Louisa Newlin; two sons, Walter and William Jr.; eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Bill’s brother, Pardee Foulke ’29, known as “Zeke,” died in 1974.

The Class of 1934

Robert Burnett Failey Jr. ’38

Bob died March 22, 2007, at his home.

He was born March 24, 1915, in Indianapolis and attended the Orchard School, Shortridge High School, and Andover. Upon graduating from Princeton he attended Harvard Medical School and received his medical degree in 1943. He served in the U.S. Air Force Medical Corps in Wiesbaden, Germany, in the 1950s. He was a fellow in cardiology at the University of Cincinnati and was a doctor of internal medicine at the Indiana University Medical Center.

Bob was a past president of the University Club of Indianapolis and on the board of corporators of Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis. He was a board member of the Ensemble Music Society of Indianapolis and active in a drama club. He was known for his knowledge of world events and history. He enjoyed music, art, and golf.

Bob was preceded in death by his two brothers. Surviving are two nephews, three nieces, and 12 great-nephews and great-nieces. To each of them, the class extends sincere condolences.

The Class of 1938

Thomas Weber ’38

Thomas Weber died Sept. 10, 2006, at JFK Medical Center in Edison, N.J.

Born in Philadelphia, he lived in the Metuchen-Edison area from 1951 until his death. Tom came to Princeton from the Nichols School in Buffalo, earned a bachelor’s in history, and then earned a master’s from Columbia. Shortly thereafter he joined the Army, where he had military-police and quartermaster duties.

After the war, Tom became a history instructor at Douglass College of Rutgers University. In 1951 he received a Ph.D. in history from Columbia. His doctoral thesis, “The Northern Railroads in the Civil War,” was later published in book form. He taught until 1978, when he retired as professor emeritus. He also wrote two books about the First Presbyterian Church of Metuchen, where he was an active member.

Tom served as a councilman of the Borough of Metuchen from 1959 to 1964, followed by two years as mayor. In 1985 he was a member of the New Jersey legislative committee for the American Association of Retired Persons. He also endowed a Douglass scholarship in public service.

Tom’s wife, Mary Louise Cole Weber, died in 1982. He is survived by a brother, Robert; a son, Thomas; a daughter, Dr. Marilyn Weber; many nieces and nephews; and a grandson. The class extends sincere condolences to all the family.

The Class of 1938

William Evans Bardusch Jr. ’39

Bill died Feb. 3, 2007, of metastatic bladder cancer at Overbrook Hospital in Summit, N.J. He had been living in nearby Madison for the past 40 years.

Bill received a law degree from Columbia in 1942. During a three-year stint in the Army’s Counter Intelligence Corps, he served in Europe and earned five Battle Stars. His 65-year career as an attorney began with Johnson & Bardusch in New York. In 1970 he moved the firm to Morristown, N.J. In later years he sold his building to Dillon, Bitar & Luther, but kept an office there and remained an independent counsel. He was a member of the Morrow Memorial United Methodist Church in Maplewood.

Always a man of quiet good humor, he told us his outside activities centered around family and friends. In our 50th-year book he described his interests as gardening, losing weight, and pretending to be athletic.

Bill’s second wife, Staunton, predeceased him in 1997. He is survived by his first wife, Delores; his children, Linwood Kenneally, Edward Evans Bardusch, Staunton Snyder, and Deborah Coblentz; and four grandchildren. To his loving family, we extend our sincere sympathy.

The Class of 1939

Roger Geffen ’40

Roger, a priest of the Episcopal Diocese of New York and former rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd in the Bronx, died March 7, 2007, in Needham, Mass.

Roger prepared at Lincoln School of Teacher’s College, Columbia University. At Princeton, he majored in mathematics and won the William Marshall Bullitt Prize in Mathematics. He was a member of Theater Intime, Camera Club, Triangle Club, and St. Paul’s Society, and was assistant for the Sunday Evening Society of the First Presbyterian Church and an instructor in the parish church school.

During World War II, Roger was in the Navy V-7 program, later acting as a missionary and licensed medical practitioner in the Bahamas. In 1950 he graduated from the General Theological Seminary in New York City.

The Handbook of Public Prayer was edited by Roger and published in 1963. His skill in photography resulted in a one-man show at the Barbizon-Plaza Art Gallery. He served on the board of the Sumi-e Society of America Inc., which encourages appreciation of East Asian brush painting, and was president of the Boston chapter of the Association of Humanistic Psychology.

Roger was the father of four children, Paul, Christiana, Mieke, and Mark. His classmates offer their condolences to all the family.

The Class of 1940

ROBERT WARREN LEUTE BROSS ’41

Robert Bross of Atlantic Beach, Fla., died Jan. 25, 2007.

At Princeton he majored in modern languages and graduated with honors.

Robert served 27 years in the Marine Corps, rising to the rank of colonel. During his military career he was assistant Naval attaché to the American embassy in Moscow, worked with the First Marine Air Wing in Iwakuni, Japan, and was staff secretary to the commandant at Marine Corps headquarters in Washington, D.C.

During the 1960s he was commanding officer of the 6th Marine Regiment in Camp Lejeune, N.C., and was involved in the Cuban missile crisis. He also was a professor of naval science at Tulane University, where he earned a master’s in Slavic languages. His last assignment was as an adviser to the Republic of Korea Marine Corps in Seoul, South Korea.

After his retirement from the military, he taught foreign languages for 14 years at Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Va. He retired as assistant headmaster to move to Hilton Head, S.C., in 1982.

In 1991, Robert and his wife, Pat, moved to Atlantic Beach, where he sang in Christ Church Episcopal Choir and participated in the Vintage Players Theater Group.

He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Patricia McHenry Bross; two sons, Gary and Alan; a daughter, Nanci Bross-Fregonara; and four grandchildren.

The Class of 1941

NORMAN COSBY ’41

Norm died Feb. 9, 2007, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

A graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy, where he was president of his class all four years, Norm majored in history at Princeton. He was vice president of our class freshman year, secretary and treasurer sophomore and junior years, and vice president again senior year. He joined Cap and Gown Club and roomed with Dick Arnzen.

Enlisting in the Army Air Corps in August 1941, Norm became a pilot in the 8th Air Force. On one mission he was forced to parachute over the English Channel. Separating as a captain in 1945, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters.

After a short stint as pilot with Eastern Airlines, Norm joined Beck Engraving in New York City, where he became executive vice president. From 1970 until his retirement, he was senior vice president with Walker-Prismatic Engraving Corp. in New York.

Predeceased by his first wife, Christine Hanson Cosby, and by his second wife, Jenn Joy Cosby, he is survived by his wife, Mimi Grace Cosby; sons Guy and Christopher; daughter Meredith Doucette; and four grandchildren.

The Class of 1941

HENRY CLAY FRICK II ’42

Clay died Feb. 9, 2007, at home in Alpine, N.J. He was the sole grandson of Henry Clay Frick, the Pittsburgh industrialist, financier, art collector, and founder of the Frick Collection in New York.

Clay prepared at St. Paul’s School. At Princeton he majored in biology and was a member of Cottage Club. After graduation from the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1944, he served as an Army captain in post-World War II Germany. He later served as a volunteer field surgeon in Vietnam.

Clay rose to professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology at Columbia University. He was an oncologist at the former Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center.

As trustee and president of the Frick Collection, he oversaw the acquisition of many important works of art and the merger between the Frick Collection and the Frick Art Reference Library.

Clay was a naturalist fascinated by wildlife (he once kept a live black snake in his desk at St. Paul’s). He was a trustee of prominent wildlife conservation and research institutions including the Wildlife Conservation Society and the American Museum of Natural History.

He is survived by his wife, Emily duPont Frick, four children, five grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. The class extends its condolences to them.

The Class of 1942

R. Searle McGrath ’46

Searle died of heart failure Feb. 27, 2007, in Midland, Texas, where he had lived many years.

He lost his left eye in a childhood accident, but in spite of that, became an officer in the Army. After graduation from Princeton in 1948, he began his long, varied, and successful career in the oil business. This included a long-term business partnership with Pom Smith ’46.

Searle was born in Connecticut, prepared at Choate, was in Cottage Club, graduated second in his class in Spanish, and was a lifelong supporter of all things Tiger. One of his favorite eyepatches — black with an orange stripe — was interred with his ashes. He was much revered by friends and relatives alike and was a true gentleman.

Searle had many family connections with Princeton. His father and father-in-law were both ’17. Arthur Sullivan ’13 was an uncle, Art Sullivan ’46 is a cousin, John Burchenal ’45 is a brother-in-law, Peggy Burchenal ’74 is a niece, and Henry Martin ’48 is an in-law.

Searle’s wife of 42 years, the former Beatrice Howard Burchenal, predeceased him. He is survived by his sons, Douglas ’80 and Alexander ’84; a daughter, Mary Abrams; and three grandchildren. To them all, the class extends sincere sympathy.

The Class of 1946

ROBERT F. BARNETT ’50

Bob died Feb. 13, 2007, in Traverse City, Mich. He was an outstanding physician and dedicated family man.

Bob entered Princeton, where his father was in the Class of 1919, from Andover. He belonged to Terrace Club, earned honors in biology, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa.

He completed his medical studies at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 1954 and interned for a year in Detroit. He then served on active duty in the Navy, assigned to Camp Pendleton as a surgeon until 1957. In 1961, he became a board-certified radiologist in California and moved to Michigan, where he practiced radiology until he retired in 1990. As a Navy reservist, Bob reached the rank of commander. He complemented his radiological practice with membership in six medical societies, assuming leadership of several.

Bob was known for an encyclopedic knowledge of history, World War II battles, and the game of baseball. He was devoted to the Pittsburgh Pirates since boyhood, and sponsored and pitched for his hospital’s softball team. Bob’s obituary said, “He loved fine cigars, convertibles, $2 bills, Perry Como, and the beauty of northern Michigan.”

We extend our sympathy to Elizabeth, his wife of 54 years, four children, and four grandchildren.

The Class of 1950

JOSEPH H. PARSONS Jr. ’50

Joe died Feb. 11, 2007, in Doylestown, Pa.

Joe was born in New York City and graduated from Hotchkiss before attending Princeton, where his father was in the Class of 1913. At Princeton, he participated in freshman crew, was manager of the Tiger Dance Band and a four-year member of the Yacht Club. He majored in English and was a member of Elm Club.

His professional career started in advertising. His last stop was vice president of corporate communications with William H. Rorer Inc. His Princeton interests in music and sailing persisted throughout his life. In addition to being an accomplished musician and sailor, he was a skilled pilot.

Joe’s wife, Coeli, predeceased him. He was a devoted husband who is survived by seven children. To these children, the class extends its sympathy.

The Class of 1950

HOWARD H. ROBERTS ’50

Howard died Feb. 10, 2007, in Bryn Mawr Terrace, Pa. He had suffered from Parkinson’s, but a damaged heart led to his death.

Howard first attended Episcopal Academy before graduating from St. Paul’s. He then drove an ambulance for six months in India for the American Field Service. At Princeton, where his father was in the Class of 1903, he belonged to Ivy, majored in Spanish, and graduated with high honors.

After a short stint in banking, he changed to advertising. Then in 1983, he entered real estate with Prudential Fox & Roach Realtors, from which he retired in June 2006.

Howard was a rhododendron enthusiast. He and Joan, his wife of 56 years, grew more than 400 plants at their Rosemont, Pa., home, where they lived for 37 years. His great quest was to create a good, yellow rhododendron for the Philadelphia climate. He was past president of the Philadelphia chapter of the American Rhododendron Society, active in his church, and on the board of the Dolphins of Delaware Valley, whose members visit nursing-home residents.

We extend our condolences to his wife, Joan; daughters Lisa and Averel ’77; son Owen; brother Bayard ’34; and three grandchildren.

The Class of 1950

WILLIAM R. STARRETT ’52

Bill Starrett died Aug. 30, 2004, at his home in Lincroft, N.J., from complications related to Parkinson’s disease and a fractured hip.

Born in Brooklyn, he came to Princeton on an RCA scholarship, belonged to Charter Club, and majored in electrical engineering. He worked in Commons for three years and was a research assistant as a senior.

After graduation Bill joined Scandia Corp. in Albuquerque, N.M. In 1955 he entered OCS in Newport, R.I., was commissioned as an ensign, and assigned to Naval Air Intelligence. He and Nancy Jill Vannote were married in February 1956. On their return to New Jersey in 1958, Bill entered training at Bell Telephone Labs and began a master’s program at New York University, which he completed in 1960.

His career at Bell Labs centered on engineering aspects of electric switching systems for telephones of the future. From 1978 until his retirement in 1994, Bill represented the United States at meetings of the Internation-

al Telecommunications Union Consultative Committee on Telegraph and Telephone.

Bill enjoyed constructing a harpsichord, organic gardening, and canoeing. His beloved wife of 41 years, Jill, died in 1997. He is survived by three children, Lauren, Becky, and Neil, and two grandchildren, to whom we extend deepest sympathy.

The Class of 1952

John E. McGovern ’53

John “Jack” E. McGovern died April 10, 2007, following complications from lung cancer.

He majored in engineering and graduated with honors. Upon graduation, he served in the Navy, spending time on a destroyer in the Pacific Fleet. Once discharged, he attended Harvard Law School, returned to Chicago, and ultimately settled in Lake Forest, Ill.

Jack was a partner at the law firm of Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon, specializing in corporate law and securities. He was a recognized mentor to new attorneys.

Among his many civic contributions, Jack was a Lake Forest alderman who produced significant ordinances on the preservation of historic properties; a board member of Lake Forest Hospital and Lake Forest College; a trustee of Ravinia Music Festival; and a director of the Chicago Heart Association. Jack enjoyed bridge, golf, skiing, trout fishing, and hunting with his dog, Oakley.

He is survived by Karen, his wife of 41 years, and their children, John E. III ’91 and Courtney.

Classmates Bruce Arnold, Ernie Bryant, Pete Carney, Brad Glass, Bob Hauptfuhrer, Cowles Herr, Ned Jannotta, Bill “Ghost” Lewis, Ian MacFarlane, Jack Mills, Bill Ogden, Rory O’Neil, Jim Otis, Peter Ross, and Buzz Taylor, flew to Illinois for the funeral of their good friend, “McGov.”

The Class of 1953

Fred Mustard Stewart ’54

Fred Stewart, a best-selling author of popular novels, several of which were adapted for the screen, died of cancer Feb. 7, 2007, at his Manhattan home.

Born in Anderson, Ind., he graduated from the Lawrenceville School. At Princeton, he majored in history, was the musical director for the 1954 Triangle Show, conductor of the Club Orchestra, and chairman of the social committee of Colonial Club. He also studied at the Juilliard School and was an accomplished concert pianist.

Fred’s first novel, The Mephisto Waltz, was published in 1969 and became a film. He subsequently wrote Six Weeks, which became a film in 1982. His novel Ellis Island (1983) became a CBS mini-series in 1984. He published four additional books, one of which, Century (1981), spent six months on The New York Times best-seller list. He loved to write about families.

The class extends its sincere sympathy to his wife, Joan, and his half-brother, John.

The Class of 1954

GORDON SPOTSWOOD GRAY ’55

Gordon died Feb. 25, 2007, at home in Wilson, Wyo.

Born in New York City, he was a member of a large Princeton family that included his father and three brothers. Gordon attended Groton School. At Princeton he majored in English and played varsity baseball (outfield) and tennis.

A member of Ivy Club, senior year he roomed in Holder with Bob Stinson, Marsh Bryan, Jim Griffin, Bill Brown, Steve Boyd, Bob Russell, George Caldwell, Joe Quarles, and Andy Schoettle.

Following a two-year tour as a Marine Corps officer, Gordon pursued a successful career with Morgan Stanley Asset Management in New York, where he retired as a managing director.

Gordon had a wide range of interests including platform tennis, in which he became one of the country’s leading players.

Gordon is survived by Carter, his wife of 40 years, four children and their spouses, and seven grandchildren. To all of them, the class extends deepest sympathy.

The Class of 1955

JEREMY WARREN JOHNSON ’55

Jerry died Feb. 24, 2007, in Washington, N.C., after a brief illness.

Born in Galesburg, Ill., he was the only child of Phillip and Ruth Johnson. He attended St. Bonaventure’s College in St. John’s, Newfoundland. At Princeton he was in the mechanical-engineering program, on the 150-pound crew, and a member of the Outing Club and Army ROTC. A member of Tower Club, Jerry roomed senior year with Bill Hendricks and John Fenlon.

After receiving an MBA from Harvard, Jerry served with the 101st Airborne Division. He remained in the Army Reserve for 30 years, retiring in 1985 as a colonel. His business career was in banking, mostly with Chase Manhattan, where he was an expert in the metals and mining industry.

Jerry was an avid sailor. He was commander of the Coast Guard Auxiliary in Washington, N.C., and a founding member of the Pamlico Sail Power Squadron.

Jerry is survived by Anne Mahoney Johnson, his wife of more than 30 years; Gregory and Charles, his sons from a previous marriage; and five grandchildren. To all of them, the class extends deepest sympathy.

The Class of 1955

CLARK A. HEYDON JR. ’56

Clark died peacefully at home March 10, 2007, after a courageous five-month battle with lung and brain cancer.

Clark was raised in Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J., and graduated from Mount Hermon (Mass.) School, receiving the Cambridge Award. A member of Tower Club at Princeton, he roomed with fellow premed student Bob Card for three years. Clark majored in biology, graduated cum laude, and received his dental degree in 1960 from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dentistry.

After serving as an Air Force captain, he received a master’s in orthodontics at Northwestern. He opened a practice in Ridgefield, Conn., where he worked for 41 years until retiring in 2006. Clark’s brother, Peter Heydon ’62, said, “He was beloved by so many teenagers who were his patients over the years for his understanding and sympathetic ear for their growing pains at home and at school.”

Clark’s pastimes included golfing, woodworking, gardening around the home he was involved in building, and traveling extensively with his devoted wife, Julie.

The class extends heartfelt condolences to Julie; his sons, Allan ’85 and Scott, by first wife Pamela; his stepson, Tim; and three grandchildren. Clark will be fondly and forever remembered as a loyal classmate, loving husband and father, steadfast and caring friend, and outstanding professional in the field of orthodontia.

The Class of 1956

G. THEODORE SCHAUM ’57

Ted Schaum was killed Feb. 5, 2007, in a car accident near Detroit Lakes, Minn. He was driving at night when a tractor-trailer did a U-turn in front of him, blocking the road and killing him in the resulting crash.

Ted was born and raised in Germany. In 1955 he transferred to Princeton and majored in literature. He joined Prospect Club and was a member of the hockey, volleyball, bowling, and pool teams. After graduating he taught at Choate for two years and subsequently obtained a Ph.D. in German and German literature at Indiana University.

In 1969 he transferred to Minnesota State University at Moorhead until his retirement in 1994. His great interest was people and his community, and he organized debates and seminars on a wide range of issues. His work in the community was widely recognized and caused his memorial service to be moved to a larger church.

He loved classical music, his grandchildren, fishing, skiing, and painting. He was active in Kiwanis International, Toastmasters International, and birding clubs.

The class sends its sympathy to his sons, Michael and David, his daughter, Erika; six grandchildren; his special friend, Kristi Johnson; and former spouse, Marge.

The Class of 1957

Robin Levitt Blumberg ’79

Robin Levitt Blumberg died Feb. 17, 2007, with her family around her, after a two-year battle with cancer.

Robin transferred to Princeton from Bryn Mawr as a sophomore after marrying Alan Blumberg, who was at Princeton finishing his Ph.D. dissertation. She and Alan were both born in Panama, where Robin’s father was a career U.S. Army officer stationed in the Panama Canal zone. Alan’s father was a career U.S. Civil Service employee. Robin’s family eventually moved to Virginia, where Robin graduated from Annandale High School. The two families stayed in touch, with the happy outcome of Robin’s and Alan’s 31-year marriage.

At Princeton, Robin majored in economics and graduated with honors. She was the adoring mother of two children, Nathan and Jessica. Robin was devoted to her family, friends, and community. She volunteered with the Alumni Schools Committee and was a longtime member of the Mahwah (N.J.) Board of Education, most recently serving as first vice president. Robin also volunteered for many years at Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, N.J., where she received many accolades for her exemplary service.

The class extends its sincere condolences to Alan, Nathan, and Jessica, and to Robin’s mother, Frances.

The Class of 1979

Graduate Alumni

Richard H. Crowell *55

Richard H. Crowell, emeritus professor of mathematics at Dartmouth College, died Aug. 5, 2006, of Parkinson’s disease. He was 78, and was a longtime resident of Hanover.

After graduating from Harvard in 1949, he was a teaching fellow there in physics for the following year. He then did graduate work at Princeton under Professor Ralph Fox *39, one of the founders of modern knot theory, a branch of mathematics inspired by observation of common knots. By 1955, he received his doctorate in mathematics, and then was a lecturer at MIT before joining the Dartmouth faculty in 1958.

Crowell published many important research papers, but probably is best known for his book, An Introduction to Knot Theory, co-authored with Professor Fox and published in 1963.

He is credited with putting as much effort into teaching as he did into his research, regularly conducting a large class in calculus and even writing a calculus textbook. He was often invited to lecture at other schools. Dartmouth’s mathematics department is viewed as having been significantly strengthened under his chairmanship from 1973 to 1979, and then again from 1986 to 1989.

He is survived by his wife, Marilyn, and two sons.

Susan Malin Clift *86

Susan Malin Clift, former research director at an Arco Chemical division (now Bayer AG), died Jan. 1, 2007, of breast cancer at her home in Lansdale, Pa. She was 47.

Her 11-year fight against breast cancer did cause her to stop working, but did not stop her from helping others cope with the disease. As she underwent treatment, Clift volunteered with the American Cancer Society as a telephone counselor. She also founded a support group for women with advanced breast cancer at the Wellness Place in Lansdale. The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation honored her for her work.

Before joining Arco Chemical, Clift worked at Air Products for 10 years. She is credited with 12 patents.

She was valedictorian of her high school class, earned a bachelor’s degree from Ursinus College, and a master’s and doctorate in chemistry from Princeton.

She is survived by her husband, David, whom she married in 1981; two children; and her mother, Elizabeth Brown Malin.