Memorials 2005

We have learned that CAPT Edward Hunter Mortimer, III '52

died on November 22, 2005. Treasurer John Clutz received the information from Ed's widow, Thespi Mortimer, of Atlanta, GA, in response to a dues notice.
Ed's contribution to the Book of Our History gives credit to the friendships he had during his one year at Princeton but also to his studies: "An appointment to the Naval Academy lured me away" he wrote, "and, with the academic boost from my Princeton courses, I graudated near the top of the USNA class of 1954." His naval career included command of the nuclear submarine USS John Adams before his retirement from the Navy in 1977. His retirement careers were in the nuclear power industry and finance.

John Laupheimer '52

died of cancer in London on December 19, 2005. The funeral will be held at 11 a.m., January 4, at the St. Rose of Lima Church, 50 Short Hills Avenue, Short Hills, NJ.
Obituaries appear in the December 22 editions of the Philadelphia Inquirer (text below) and The New York Times (at http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/22/sports/golf/22laupheimer.html).
The text of the Inquirer obituary follows:
John D. Laupheimer, 75, formerly of Haverford, a retired investment banker and golf official, died of cancer Dec. 19 at London Clinic in London, England.
Mr. Laupheimer had been an executive for International Management Group since 1989. The company promotes golf and tennis tournaments and other sports events. For seven years in the 1980s he had been commissioner of the Ladies Professional Golf Association and had previously been director of administration for the United States Golf Association. He was a longtime member of Merion Golf Club. While serving as club president in the 1960s, he hosted the U.S. Amateur championship at Merion and arranged for the U.S. Open to play at the club in 1971. He was past president of the Pennsylvania Golf Association.
Mr. Laupheimer graduated from Germantown Academy and later served on the school's board. He earned a bachelor's degree from Princeton University. During the Korean War, he served in the Navy aboard a destroyer in the Atlantic. He then joined his family's firm, General Public Warehouse in Philadelphia. After selling the company in the 1960s, he was an investment banker on Wall Street before becoming a golf administrator. He remained in the Naval Reserve until 1967.
In addition to his wife of nine years, Sally Thompson Bott, Mr. Laupheimer is survived by a son, John Jr.; daughters Ann Sonnenfeld and Helen Schlosser; a brother; eight grandchildren; and former wives Ann "Sissy" Zabel and Mary Everard.
The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Jan. 4 at St. Rose of Lima Church, 52 Short Hills Ave., Short Hills, N.J.

We have learned from Tom Vincent that his Denver neighbor and our classmate Bill Gregory

died on December 10, 2005. Tom attended the celebration service for Bill on December 14 at Christ Church in Denver. The cause of death was a long-standing neurological disease that had afflicted Bill for much of his life, but Tom reports that Bill retained his spirit throughout his struggle with the disease. Bill's wife Pat predeceased him. He leaves four children and nine grandchildren.

We have the news from Biddle Worthington that his cousin, Classmate Tom Worthington,

died in Zurich on October 22 from stomach cancer.Tom had lived in Switzerland for many years and in Europe for most of the time since our graduation. He attended our 50th Reunion - enthusiastically, as evidenced by the photo on page 24 of the 50th Reunion Album. Biddle has submitted the following appreciation of his cousin written by Tom's son Allen:
Tom died October 22, 2005 at the age of 76 from cancer. He was a recent resident of Z?rich, Switzerland.
Tom grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, with future 1952 classmates Biddle Worthington, Bobby Parker, Jimmy Simpson, Charles Carpenter and John Coleman. After attending the Birmingham University School (BUS) he joined the Army 1946 and was stationed in Japan.
Following his Princeton degree in electrical engineering Tom decided to join Hughes Aircraft for which he travelled extensively. One of his assignments took him to Switzerland, where met his future wife, Rosemary Ramseyer. They married in 1965 and initially lived in California, where he worked for Litton. Tom spent the second half of his life in Europe, living in Switzerland, France, Holland and Belgium. The companies he worked for included Philips, Data General, Sundstrand and Wang.
His personal interests included playing music and squash.
His wife, Rosemary, predeceased him, but he is survived by his two children, Nicole and Allen.

Bob Lovell has passed on news from John Birkeland that our classmate Steve Bray

died as a result of complications from a fall from a roof at his home.
According to the on-line press, he died at Norwalk Hospital on October 12.
Following is the text of the on-line obituary from Hersam Acorn newspapers:
Stephen Folger Bray, chocolatier, October 19, 2005
Stephen Folger Bray of Weston died on Wednesday, October 12, at Norwalk Hospital. Mr. Bray, the husband of Constance Irwin Bray, was 74.
Mr. Bray was born in Chicago, the son of the late Allen R. and Meryle Pratt Bray. He was a U.S. Army veteran and a graduate of Princeton University and the Stanford Business School.
Mr. Bray was the owner of the Bray Chocolate Company in Bethel, manufacturer of chocolate lace candy which sells in gourmet stores and specialty shops throughout the country. He is also a former employee of Warner-Lambert in New Jersey.
In addition to his wife of 29 years, Mr. Bray is survived by two brothers, A. Richard Bray of Mendham, N.J., and George P. Bray of Ann Arbor, Mich. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews.
Services and burial will be private. The Harding Funeral Home, 210 Post Road East, Westport, is in charge of arrangements. Contributions in memory of Mr. Bray may be made to the Norwalk Hospital Foundation, 34 Stevens Street, Norwalk, CT 06856, or a charity of choice.

From John Peak we have learned that Bill Wolff '52

died on September 3 after a five-month health battle, first with heart disease and then with pancreatitis. A memorial service was held on September 24, at his and Robbie's church, Saint Clement's by-the-Sea Episcopal, in San Clemente, California. Frank Harvey tells us that he, John, and Tom Dosdall represented the Class at the service.

Our classmate Art Collins

died September 3, 2005. Jane Dean reports that she, Cliff and Barbara Barr, Chips Chester, Al Ellis, and Bob Jiranek attended the funeral at Kent School in Connecticut on September 7. Cliff, Arthur's two sons, the Headmaster of Kent, and Bishop Taylor of the Episcopal Diocese of New York "spoke beautifully about this wonderful, talented and interesting man," Janie added.
Among his other achievements, Art put his Princeton education (BA and MFA in architecture) to good use in buying and redeveloping Palmer Square. He was also a member of the global-trotting equestrian trio with Bob Jiranek and Chips Chester whose exploits in Mexico, Italy, and such exotic spots as Mongolia and Iceland have been described on this website.
For the obituary notice published in the Greenwich press, click here. The tributes presented at the church service by Cliff Barr and by the Headmaster of Kent School are on the Class News page.

Ron Altmayer '52,

a psychologist/psychotherapist before his retirement, died August 8, 2005, according to information John Clutz received from the Alumni Records Office. Ron's Book of Our History entry mentions that he interviewed several hundred highly motivated candidates for admission to Princeton as a ten-year member of the Alumni Schools Committee. He commented on the "distinct Princeton advantage associated with a higher level of coursework and interaction with a diverse group of very talented and sophisticated schoolmates."
Appropriately with that background, Ron's daughter Nancy Altmayer Silver is a 1982 Princeton graduate.

John Clutz has passed on news he received from Craig Lewis that Craig's senior year roommate

Connie Smith (W. Conwell Smith, Jr.) died of cancer on July 16, 2005, at his home in Union, KY. Before his retirement in the early 1990s, he was a management consultant for a company where, he wrote in his Book of Our History entry to his apparent frustration, "'change' for some was a dirty word."

We've learned from John Clutz that George McNelis '52

died late Saturday, August 20, 2005. He had suffered a stroke on Thursday night. John, George Aman, Hobey Henderson, and Stokes Carrigan had had dinner with him Tuesday at a 50th anniversary party for Hobey and his wife, Betty.
Funeral services were held at Our Mother of Consolation Church, 23 East Chestnut Hill Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19118 on Tuesday, on August 30. Attendees included George Aman, Stokes Carrigan, John Clutz, Tom Daubert, Hank Sherk and Jay Sherrerd from the Class of '52..

Rev. Donald C. Smith '52,

Emeritus Professor of Modern Languages at Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ, died July 7, 2005. Don was ordained at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome in 1961 and taught Spanish, French and Italian at Seton Hall from 1962 until his retirement. We understand he was the only Roman Catholic priest in the Class of '52.
In the Book of Our History, Don mentioned his "great affection" for Princeton and said he hoped to attend our 50th Reunion. Sadly, he didn't make it.

Philemon Sturges '52

died in Boston on May 24, 2005, of a lung infection after an illness of several months. His sister Libby Browne, wife of Stanhope Browne '53, informed us, through Patty and John Clutz.
Phil was an architect, practicing in Providence, RI, until 1982, when he and his second wife, Judy Sue, moved to Boston. He mentioned in his Book of Our Historyentry that his major pastime at that time was "biology watching" and "writing earth-songs praising the newfound connection 'twixt science, nature and religion."Libby Browne has kindly supplied the following obituary:
Phil Sturges died on May 24, 2005, of a lung infection, just before his 76th birthday.
He was born in Bend, Oregon in 1929, son of The Rev. Philemon F. Sturges, Princeton Class of 1925, and Rosalind Howe Sturges. He was graduated from the Lenox School, Lenox, MA, attended Trinity College, Hartford, CT, then joined the Class of 1952 in its sophomore year. He majored in architecture, staying on for the master's program and finishing in 1954. He was deeply influenced by Professor Jean Labatut. He was a member of Campus Club, he livedin Witherspoon Hall and his roommates senior year were Michael Ely and Thomas Sour. It can now be told that his most memorable activity at Princeton was the decoration one dark night, along with some fellow architecture students, of a massive blank wall of the then-new Corwin building with the quotation from Shelley's Ozymandias, "Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!" in white paint.After graduation, Phil served in the U.S. Navy and was posted to Japan in 1956 with his bride Julie Jones Sturges. Upon their return in 1959 they settled in Bristol, RI. He practiced architecture in Providence with the firms of Millman & Sturges and Sturges, Daughn & Salisbury,designing many public and private buildings in that city and environs. He and his second wife, Judy Sue Goodwin, moved to Rome where she ran the Rhode Island School of Design Rome program for three years. Returning to live in Boston in 1983 with two spinonis (Etruscan truffle hunting dogs), he worked for the Architects Collaborative in Cambridge, MA. He and Judy Sue bought and restored a house in Boston's South End. He gradually gave up his architecture practice and turned to writing about science, humanity and the universe, as well as many published children's books.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by three daughters, Sarah H. Sturges of Moose, WY, Dr. Julia E. Sturges of Ripton, VT, Elizabeth Sturges Llerena of New York City and two grandsons.

Our Classmate Bob Cowen

died June 4, 2005, at his home in Knoxville, TN, after a courageous battle with cancer. Rudy Lehnert and Wells Huff reported the news. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on June 16 at the Fairfield Glade Community Church, 521 Snead Drive, Fairfield Glade, TN.
The following information is from the obituary prepared by Bob's family.
Bob was a native of Colorado, born in Pueblo in 1930, to Thomas Roscoe and Violet Olson Cowen. His family moved to Denver where he became an All-Star athlete at South High School, graduating in 1948. He was admitted to Princeton University as a member of the class of 1952. He earned a spot on the varsity football team, playing all four years in college, and as a member of the undefeated teams of 1950 and 1951.
After graduation Bob worked as an educator and coach at the St. John's School in Houston, Texas and at the John Burroughs School in St. Louis, Missouri, where he was also the first Director of Development. In 1964 he was appointed the Director of Development at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. In 1966 he returned to Princeton where he joined the Development office at his alma mater, eventually serving as Director of Major Gifts. In 1979 he was appointed Executive Director of Development for The Colorado College in Colorado Springs. He also served as the Director of Development at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, and as President of Sterling College in Craftsbury Common, Vermont.
In 1989 Bob retired to Fairfield Glade, Tennessee, where he was a member of the Druid Hills Country Club and the Fairfield Glade Community Church. He served as President of the church board. In the spring of 2004 he relocated to Knoxville, Tennessee.
Pre-deceased by his parents and his only sibling, Thomas Cowen, he is survived by his wife of 54 years, Beverly Hunt of Knoxville; daughters and sons-in-law Robin and Dan Greeley of Ballwin, Missouri; Susan and Keith Coleman of New Hope, PA, and son and daughter-in-law David and Jane Cowen of Knoxville and son Daniel of Vista, California. Bob enjoyed his 10 grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to The Robert E. Cowen '52 Memorial Fund, Princeton University, care of Nancy Kalmikoff, Gift Records, PO Box 5357, Princeton, NJ 08543-5357. Donors are asked to make their gifts payable to Princeton University and to note "Robert E. Cowen '52 Memorial Fund".

An apology. Class President Hal Saunders writes: "You may have seen the memorial for Landon Peters

(PAW September 14). Unfortunately, it contains errors in fact and spelling of proper names and omits significant accomplishments in Landon's life. I have sent my apology to Landon's widow, Pete. A corrected memorial follows and will appear in the online version of the PAW. The PAW will run its own correction."Classmate Landon Peters died in Princeton April 9, 2005, of a cerebral hemorrhage.
Born in Montclair, Landon entered Princeton in 1948 from Governor Dummer Academy. He majored in economics at Princeton and was a cum laude graduate in 1956 as a member of our class. He served in the Air Force from 1951 to 1955 during the Korean War.Landon joined the Bank of New York as a securities analyst, retiring after 25 years as Executive Vice President and Treasurer. He was a senior manager of the YMCA Retirement Fund from 1982 to 1986 before joining the investment firm of Delafield, Harvey, Tabell, where he served from 1986 to 1991. He was a member of the Seeing Eye Board of Trustees for 30 years from 1971 and received the Buddy Award for outstanding service there on his retirement. He was a director of the Adams Express Company and of Petroleum & Resources Corporation from 1974 until his death.

A sailor par excellence, Landon summered on Martha's Vineyard, where he had long family ties. His clubs included the Pretty Brook Tennis Club, the Springdale Golf Club, the Nassau Club, the Edgartown Yacht Club, and the Edgartown Reading Room.

Landon was a loving family man. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Florence Lamborn Peters; four sons and their wives, Eric Peters and Eileen Murphy of Vineyard Haven, John and Sarah Peters of Vineyard Haven, David and Carol Peters of Hopewell, NJ, and Christopher and Kathryn Peters of Dallas, TX; his sisters, Lorna Garron of Weston, MA, Sheila Peters of Mesa, AZ, and Marion Peters of Scottsdale, AZ; and five grandchildren, Nathaniel, Molly, Emily, Caroline, and Lorna Peters. He was predeceased by his son Michael in January 1962.

The class extends its deepest condolences to the entire family.Classmates Joe Bolster, Jim Laughlin, Tony Meyer, Bill Murdoch, George Newlin, Joe Salas, and Jerry Uhl attended the memorial service for Landon at Trinity Church (Episcopal) in Princeton on April 12.

We've received several tributes to Classmate Irving (Bud) Foote,

who died on March 12, 2005:
-- Bud's former roommate Dave Kass sent in the paragraphs below.
-- At the end of Bud's note is a link to a 1994 interview with Bud from the Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine.
-- For the family's obituary, click here.
-- Click here for a tribute to Bud that appeared in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, provided by Don Oberdorfer.My wife Carole and I received a phone call on Saturday from Ruth Anne Foote, wife of our former roommate and best of friends, Bud Foote, to inform us that Bud had passed away earlier in the day.
Bud [more formally Irving F.] Foote was last seen by most classmates at our 50th Reunion, where his physical appearance --- a large, flowing snow-white beard and a Fallstaffian belly --- made one think that at Christmas time he would make a wonderful Santa Claus. He had survived a bout with cancer, which had left its mark and fell victim to a stroke after a relatively short period in the hospital. Ruth Anne was aware of his fragile prospects, and had gathered the family members in Atlanta when Bud was released from the hospital on Friday for Home Care.
In 1999, Bud donated his personal collection of 8,000 science fiction novels, magazines, and monographs to the Georgia Tech library, which officially established The Bud Foote Science Fiction Collection.
Bud taught in Georgia Tech's School of Literature, Communication, and Culture (the "English Department" in our day),since the late '60's and is generally acknowledged as having been a major academic player in elevating Science Fiction ("The good 10%, not the trashy 90%") to "an important academic discipline."
FYI, I provide the following URL which contains an interesting interview with Bud that appeared in the Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine in Spring 1994:
http://gtalumni.org/news/magazine/spr94/scifi.html

Our Classmate Phil Porter

died February 16, 2005. He leaves his wife, Sally B. (Baker) Porter, children Cynthia P. Ogden, Philip Kelsey Porter and James Brooks Porter, and grandchildren George and Sarah Ogden, Matthew and Philip E. Porter, Anna, Thomas "Toby" and Louisa Porter. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the memorial service on Thursday, February 24, in the Church of the Redeemer, 379 Hammond St., Chestnut Hill at 4:30 PM. Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the Philip J. Porter Fellowship at the Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, 55 Fruit St, Boston, MA 02114.
Our information is from Geoff Nunes and the notice in the Boston Globe. The suggestion for memorial gifts to the MGH for Children reflects Phil's particular interest, as he described in his contribution to the Book of Our History, in children's health issues. He was a pediatrician at Massachusetts General Hospital for almost his entire career after getting his MD at the University of Pennsylvania and was director of a national program addressing issues of access to child health services for two decades.
Click here for the Boston Globe article on Phil Porter.

Robert H. Janover '52

died January 7, 2005. He lived in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and his wife Bitsy and daughter Laura were with him when he died. A memorial gathering is to be held at the Janover home. Memorial gifts to the Princeton Class of 1952 in Bob's honor are suggested.
Bob's impressive career as a lawyer in New York, Washington, and Michigan is recounted in abbreviated form in Who's Who in America and in Bob's own livelier words in the Book of Our History. The BOH account includes comments on life in the U.S. Army ["a post-graduate education in humanity (as distinguished from the Humanities)"]; Harvard Law School, he wrote, "was a setback after Army life."
In private and corporate practice, in government civil rights activities, and in his pro bono work, Bob was enthusiastic about the law and devoted to the public interest. Princeton figured high in his priorities: he was President of the Princeton Club of Michigan in 1991-92, and he and Bitsy were present at two recent large Class gatherings, our 50th Reunion and the Washington Mini-Reunion.

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