Memorials - March 10, 1999
Francis L. Corcoran '22
Francis Corcoran died Nov. 4, 1998, at his home in Locust Valley. He was 100. According to his daughter Carol, he died peacefully, with all of his family in attendance. Francis was a wonderful classmate, and he will be missed. Francis developed the class hall of fame, and he also wrote many memorials for classmates.
Francis prepared at Roxbury Latin School, where he was an excellent student and captain of the hockey team.
At Princeton, he was a member of the varsity hockey team, the Press Club, and Cottage Club. Francis retired as e.v.p. of Rockefeller Center in 1965. He was a member of the Racquet and Tennis Club in NYC, the Skating Club of New York, Beaver Dam Skating Club, and the Buckram Beagles.
Francis leaves his children, Carol and Anthony, four grandsons, and three great-grandchildren. Francis was buried in his family plot in Fairfield, Conn., beside his wife, Carol, whom he married in 1925 and who died in 1988. His late son Charles is buried there also.
The Class of 1922
Edward Richard Peckerman Jr. '25
Ed Peckerman died Jan. 19, 1999, at Rose Haven in Litchfield, Conn., after a brief illness. He came to us from Horace Mann School, and he graduated with honors in English. He earned a degree from Columbia Law School in 1928 and took up the practice of law in NYC.
In 1945 he joined the Navy, serving on an aircraft carrier. He was with the command that captured Guam; he left the Navy in 1946 with the rank of commander. He retired from his law practice in 1971, and he and his wife, Kirsten, moved to Washington Depot, Conn., where he became involved in environmental organizations including the Steep Rock Assn., the Housatonic Valley Assn., and the zoning commission. He was a member of the University Club in NYC. He was an active member of the class.
His interest in Horace Mann School was recognized by a notice inserted in the N.Y. Times recognizing his services including a term as president of the board of trustees. He is survived by his wife of many years, Kirsten.
The Class of 1925
George H. Beddoe '30
George Halsey Beddoe of Fredericksburg, Va., died Dec. 10, 1998, at Heartsfield Assisted Living in Stafford County. He had congestive heart failure. He was 90.
George came to Princeton from the Haverford School. After graduate work at the U. of Toronto he was an asphalt paving technologist with Imperial Oil of Canada, Colprovia of Philadelphia, and Ashland Oil in Ashland, Ky., where he was the assistant manager of the asphalt department and manager of asphalt research from 1940-74.
During WWII, he built airport runways for the Army Corps of Engineers in Central and South America.
Survivors include two daughters, Mary Beddoe Jett and Elizabeth Beddoe Littleton, a son, George III, a sister, Elizabeth Beddoe Wood, a brother, Robert, 11 grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. His wife, Lucy, died 10 days later on Dec. 20, 1998. The class extends its deepest sympathy to his family.
The Class of 1930
Merritt N. Cootes '31
Merritt Cootes died Nov. 26, 1998, after a lingering illness.
He was most aptly named. Not that he was merry or anything like that, but he was most personable, gregarious, and, as the French say, agréable. Particularly, in recollection, in his amiability and hospitality to his classmates when he lived in Florence.
The son of an Army colonel, Merry was, in the vernacular, an "Army brat," and lived in many places, including Richmond, Va., Washington, D.C., Vienna, Chattanooga, Paris, LeHavre, France, and El Paso, Tex.
He prepared at College Ile de France and Woodberry Forest. At Princeton, he played freshman soccer, was assistant manager of the lacrosse team, and was treasurer of Cloister Inn.
Following graduation, he fulfilled his ambitions and entered the diplomatic service. He was a Foreign Service officer for a number of years and was stationed in, among other places, Hong Kong, Saigon, Lisbon, Rome, Moscow, Portau-Prince, and Lahore. He was in Florence when he retired, and in 1987 he returned to Princeton.
He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Jean Phillips, and one nephew, Harry Belin. The class extends its sympathy to his wife and nephew.
The Class of 1931
Maxwell Millard '31
Mac Millard died Dec. 18, 1998, of congestive heart failure. Born in Brooklyn, he lived in Summit, N.J., Chicago, White Plains, N.Y., and Morristown, N.J., and retired to Monterey County, Calif. He prepared at Lawrenceville. At Princeton he was on the lightweight crew squad and the Princetonian, and he joined Whig Hall and Tower Club.
On his way to becoming a steel executive (with U.S. Steel Corp.) he earned a BS and MS from MIT and resided in additional locales, such as New Haven, Cleveland, Washington, D.C., and Detroit. From 1942-45, Mac served in the Navy as a combat information officer and radar officer on the USS Iowa. He saw duty in both the Atlantic and the Pacific and was discharged with the rank of lieutenant commander.
Mac was active in community organizations including the Red Cross, the Community Chest, the Hospital Fund, and the Cub Scouts. He was a member of the American Iron and Steel Institute and belonged to the following clubs: Dusquesne, HarvardYalePrinceton, Edgeworth, and the Allegheny Country Club. He was a member of St. John's Chapel, the Cyprus Point Club, and the Beach and Tennis Club in Pebble Beach.
He is survived by his wife, Nancy; a son, Maxwell Jr.; two daughters, Ann and Elizabeth; and three grandchildren. The class extends its most sincere sympathy to the entire family.
The Class of 1931
Jerome B. Weinstein '31
Jerry died Dec. 21, 1998, after a long illness. He was one of those rare individuals (these days) who was born in one town and lived and died in the same one -- in this case, Philadelphia. He prepared at Jenkintown H.S. (deserting Philadelphia for a few years during this period) and Swarthmore Prep. At Princeton, he graduated summa cum laude and was a member of Clio Hall.
After graduation, he followed in his father's footsteps and entered the U. of Pennsylvania law school, earning a degree in 1934. He then joined the law firm of Middleton, Blakely & Richardson. From 1942-45 he served on active duty with the Navy and attained the rank of lieutenant. In 1958, when his firm dissolved, he joined Foy, Rothschild, O'Brien & Franke, LLP, until his retirement in 1990. In 1962 he was elected a fellow of the American College of Probate Counsel (now the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel). He represented the British Consulate in Philadelphia for 30 years and was awarded the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth for his service.
He is survived by his two brothers, Edward and Horace. His wife of 44 years, Renee, predeceased him by two years. The class extends its sympathy to the entire family.
The Class of 1931
W. Michael Aicher '32
Mike Aicher died Sept. 1, 1998, in his hometown of Tucson, Ariz. He had a varied career, working during the depression years on Wall Street, then joining the staff of Harry Hopkins in Washington, from which he became a regional director for the Natl. Labor Relations Board. In 1944 he left the NLRB and became a labor negotiator, first for the Selby Shoe Co., and nine years later for the U.S. Brewers Foundation, retiring around 1970.
At various times he was chairman of the Community Fund, the Red Cross, and other campaigns, and was active in promoting programs for boys. He also at the time of our 50th reunion was playing baseball three times a week. His greatest interest in his older age, however, was in religion, and he read the Bible with various rabbis, priests, and ministers.
In 1935 Mike married Estelle Eversole. They had four daughters: Mary Ann, Michaele, Marita, and Moria. By 1982 he had nine grandchildren and one greatgrandchild. To all members of the family who survive him, the class expresses its sympathy in the loss of this genial and popular classmate.
The Class of 1932
Milton D. E. LaBau '32
We recently learned that Milt LaBau died Aug. 25, 1997. As of our 50th reunion, Milt was living in Bethesda, Md.
Soon after leaving Princeton, Milt became involved with the Merchant Marine and later with the Army Transportation Corp. Eventually, as a civilian, he went into the freight transportation business of the Navy, handling claims and related problems. He retired in 1980.
In 1948 Milt married Helen Bridgetine, who died of cancer in 1967. He later married Alice Briguet. As of 1982 they had no children, and we have no further information regarding his survivors.
The Class of 1932
Langdon Lea Jr. '32
Lang Lea died Jan. 8, 1999, at Princeton Medical Center, having been in poor health for a number of years.
Most of us remember that in senior year he was voted the best athlete in our class. He came to us from St. Paul's School, and after leaving Princeton he returned to St. Paul's as a member of the faculty. There he taught Latin and coached various sports for many years, except during WWII. He loved the teaching and training of the young, which he described "as a way of life rather than just a profession."
During WWII, he served three and a half years in the Army in North Africa. He never married, but left as his survivors his sister, Mary Lea Page, and his brother, Gilbert '36. To them the class offers its sincere condolences.
The Class of 1932
Richard Rohr Zundel '35
Dick died Sept. 15, 1998, in JFK Hospital near his home in Edison, N.J. He was 85. He was a class favorite at Lawrenceville and Princeton, where he played freshman football and hockey and rowed on the varsity crew. He belonged to Cannon Club, majored in chemical engineering, and after graduation joined Shell Oil Co., working at its Norco, La., and Wood River, Ill., refineries before moving to NYC headquarters in 1947. Four years earlier he had married Kathryn Kemp, a Smith graduate. They settled in Edison; Dick joined the First Presbyterian Church of Metuchen, Metuchen Country Club, and the Riding and Hunt Club. He was Lawrenceville Alumni Assn. president (1949-50) and became a Cannon trustee in 1951.
When Shell moved headquarters to Houston in Jan. 1970, Dick took early retirement. But, as he reported in '35's 50th Reunion Yearbook, this "beaching" lasted a mere six weeks. "With the help of staunch classmates," he joined Mobil Oil Co. in Mar. 1970, staying until 1978. "That's it for chemical purchasing," he told friends. Then, in 1983, Mobil again beckoned, and Dick signed on for a twoday work week -- a "Kelly Girl" deal ending with a third retirement 15 months later. "I'm available to give short courses in retirement to neophyte classmates who need them," he noted wryly.
Dick's beloved Kathryn died in Dec. 1997. There are no descendants.
The Class of 1935
H. Dunlop Dawbarn '37
Fibers plant manufacturer, Virginia senator, constant classmate communicator, and caretaker of deceased classmates' children, Buz Dawbarn died Dec. 31, 1998, from a heart operation. He left his wife, Mary, son Dunlop Jr., daughter Alice, and two grandchildren.
Buz was very active at South Kent School and majored in politics at Princeton. He took part in freshman football, hockey, and crew and joined Cloister before leaving at the end of 1935 to study engineering at Johns Hopkins. He was first an engineer with York Corp. and supervisor in the Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard before becoming a navigator with Pan-American Airways from 1942-44, ferrying Army personnel and cargo. He then was an ensign in the Navy.
He operated Dawbarn Brothers until it was sold in 1963. In 1970 he founded Camac Corp., which produced nylon fiber used for auto upholstery and carpet. It was sold in 1989. He was a former city councilman and vice-mayor in Waynesboro, and in 1994 the Science Museum of Virginia gave him a Lifetime Achievement Award for his leadership in industry.
The Class of 1937
Martin Thomas Tiernan '39
Marty died Aug. 9, 1998, in Essex Fells, N.J., where he had lived almost all his life. After college he joined Wallace and Tiernan Inc., a family business, and was associated with them throughout his business career. Only WWII cut into that long tenure. A captain in the Marine Air Corps from 194145, stationed in the Pacific, he was awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses and earned seven Air Medals. Once back home he became president of Baker Process Co., a division of Wallace and Tiernan, and also became a director of the parent company. He retired in 1967, enabling him to pursue favorite pastimes such as skiing, golf, and deepsea fishing.
Our records contain a 1971 Red Smith column written from the Grand Banks saying, "Martin Tiernan of Essex Fells, N.J., took the first fish this year, a white marlin weighing 393/4 lbs. The next day his wife, Kay, brought in the biggest fish so far, 781/4 lbs." That would have suited Marty just fine. He was proud of everything Kay did until her death in 1993. To their daughter Kathy Rooney, their sons Tom Jr. and Bob, and two grandchildren, we extend our deep sympathy.
The Class of 1939
William Barrow Pugh '40
A longtime resident of the Philadelphia area, Bill Pugh died Aug. 19, 1998, of a stroke. From Peddie School, Bill was a history major, rowed freshman and JV crew, and joined Cloister Inn. Other interests were the pistol club and Whig-Clio; he was also Student Tutoring Assn. manager. Among his roommates were Bill Stainton, Frank Sutton, and Don Whyte. On graduating he entered Penn Law School, followed by service as an Air Transport Command officer in India maintaining the aerial Burma Road.
After receiving his law credentials Bill joined the legal dept. of the Insurance Co. of North America, where he remained until 1980. He became the company's associate general counsel, specializing in insurance regulation of private companies. Bill was active in the Presbyterian Church and its administration.
The outdoors and travel appealed to Bill. In his retirement he drove throughout the U.S., particularly to Alaska. He traveled the AlCan Highway a half-dozen times. Camping, fishing, photography, and bird watching constantly held his attention. Bill is survived by a son, William, and a brother, Donald H. '43. The class extends its sympathy to them.
In our 50th Year Report, Bill wrote, "It's been a good and challenging experience since 1940, and the Princeton experience was essential to it." A statement that many classmates will readily embrace.
The Class of 1940
Franz Sigel Workman '40
Named for a distinguished Civil War Union general under whom his grandfather had served, Sig Workman died Dec. 4, 1998, at his home after a brief illness. He was a lifelong resident of Charleston, W.Va. He prepared at Choate School and at Princeton majored in geological and civil engineering. At college he was active in the Glee Club and a member of Key and Seal. He served in the Army Air Corps as a captain and saw service during the Korean conflict as well.
Sig then returned to Charleston to engage in a wide range of business enterprises. He became president of Pond Fork Oil and Gas Co. In addition Sig nurtured new projects, such as mercantile specialty sales, technical sales, construction, and real estate. In 1965 Sig ceased drilling for oil and gas when it became a losing proposition for Appalachian producers. He was a member of the Charleston VFW and the West Virginia Oil and Gas Assn. Tennis and handball were among his sports in later years. Sig maintained his affection and interest in Princeton and the class and regularly attended our major reunions and other gatherings.
Sig leaves his wife, Patricia, two sons, and three grandchildren. To the entire family, the class extends its sympathy and sorrow over the loss of Sig -- a faithful classmate and devoted Princetonian.
The Class of 1940
Thomas K. Simpson '44
Tom died Nov. 23, 1992, of cancer, in Naples, Fla. His second wife, Jane, predeceased him by several years. Tom came to Princeton from Exeter, where he played basketball with Bud Palmer, as he did our freshman year. He also played lacrosse, varsity basketball, and varsity tennis. A quiet, highly likable, and considerate person, Tom was president of Cannon Club and majored in chemical engineering. He accelerated and went to work for DuPont doing pioneering work on DDT and, after working for Esso, spent many years with Neason Petroleum, a firm that sold shiploads of oil.
He lived for a time in Scotch Plains, N.J., and then for many years in Scarsdale, N.Y., before retiring to Naples in 1982. He stayed active, playing tennis, and he had a keen continuing interest in basketball. In addition to his adopted daughter, Joy, he is survived by his brother John '35, to both of whom we extend our deep sympathy.
The Class of 1944
Robert B. Heiserman Jr. '47
Bob "Heiso" Heiserman Jr. died July 12, 1998, in Honolulu, of complications from cancer.
He grew up in Wynnewood, Pa., prepared at the Haverford School, and graduated from Princeton in 1950 with a degree in mechanical engineering. Bob was a member of Cap and Gown. During WWII, Bob served as a navigator on B17s in the Army Air Force with the rank of lieutenant.
Bob entered the sugar industry upon graduation and spent a lifetime of distinction in the business. He was a management consultant with assignments around the world, president of North American Sugar Industries, and president of AmFAC's/JMB's agricultural operations in Hawaii.
The class will miss Bob sorely. He was our third president (195762) and was v.p. the previous five years. He was also on the executive committee (196265) and was Annual Giving agent (195054). Bob was a regular at Reunions and seldom missed a class function in NYC or a home football game. He loved Princeton and was looking forward to the opening of the new stadium.
The class extends its deepest sympathy to his wife, Betty; his son Robert B. III; his daughters Sally and Amy Szvetecz; his stepdaughter Melissa Hosp; and his grandson and stepgrandson.
The Class of 1947
George Wyckoff Cummins '50
George Cummins died Aug. 14, 1998, of a heart attack, while visiting Prince Edward Island in Canada. He was 72.
A 1944 graduate of the Hill School, where he captained the track team, George served in the Navy before matriculating at Princeton. George left at the end of our freshman year to attend Rutgers, where he graduated in 1951.
George, a lifelong dairy farmer, was the sixth generation to own his 110acre farm located along the Pequest River in Vienna, N.J. The farm was founded in 1774, and the house in which he lived and raised five children was built in 1794. He had recently sold the development rights so that the property would forever remain undeveloped.
He worked for the Farmer's Home Administration and served on the board of managers at Cook College of Rutgers U., which honored him with its distinguished service citation in 1975. He also worked with the Warren County Soil Conservation District. An antique car enthusiast, George specialized in Chryslers.
George is survived by his wife of 50 years, Jeanne; two sons, George and John; and three daughters, Beth Archibald, Marie Kenia, and Joan Rudewick, to whom the class sends its deepest sympathies.
The Class of 1950
Maxwell Walthour Lippitt Jr. '50
Max Lippitt died June 6, 1998, at his home in Panama City Beach, Fla., of cancer. He was 70.
After preparing at Culver, Max majored in chemistry at Princeton and was a member of World Federalists. He withdrew in early 1948 and entered the U. of Georgia, where he earned a BS in chemistry in 1952. After a stint in the Air Force he earned a BS in electrical engineering from Georgia Tech.
In 1955 Max began his career at General Electric in steam turbine and rocket engines instrumentation. From there, he moved on to NASA Langley Research Center to help establish the first worldwide tracking range for Mercury spacecraft. Then it was on to NASA Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston where he developed biomedical and atmospheric instrumentation for Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo spacecraft. In 1971 Max moved to the Ocean Simulation Facility of the Coastal System Station where he developed diver thermal protection systems. During his career, he was awarded 23 patents.
Max is survived by his daughters, Ashby Hunnicut and Peggy Masters; sons, Thomas and Maxwell III; and seven grandchildren, to whom the class offers its sincerest sympathies.
The Class of 1950
Hugh Nevin Scott '50
Hugh Scott died Dec. 23, 1998, after a valiant sixmonth battle with lung cancer. He joined the class with 20 others from Deerfield, where he was very much a leader: class officer, president of debating, Glee Club member, junior cum laude, and letterman in football, tennis, and squash, the latter becoming a lifelong passion. In later years he was senior men's champion at the Metropolitan Club in Washington.
At Princeton he joined Cottage and continued with his tennis and squash. He graduated with honors in S.P.I.A. Academic achievement also marked his Harvard Law School years, where he was a member of the Law Review.
After Army service his whole career, except for two years at Sullivan & Cromwell, was in Washington, D.C., with the legal department of the World Bank.
Hugh retired in 1992. In retirement he enjoyed gardening, tennis, and pursuing his curiosity about and admiration of the natural world. He spent summers in the Adirondacks, weekends at Blue Ridge Summit, Pa., and winters in Naples, Fla.
In 1966 he married Sandy Korff, with whom he shared 32 happy years, marred only by the death of son Zander, who was killed in a plane crash in Alaska the month after his Princeton graduation in 1992. To Sandy, daughters Lizy and Laura '98, and brother Don '51, the class extends its deepest sympathy.
The Class of 1950
John Dawes Ames Jr. '52
Following a brief illness, John Ames died Jan. 22, 1998, at the Evanston Hospital. His memorial service was held in the Episcopal Church of St. James the Less, in Northfield, Ill., where he had been treasurer for the previous four years.
A graduate of Deerfield Academy, John majored in philosophy and belonged to Dial Lodge. Commissioned lieutenant in the field artillery, he served in Korea and was awarded the Bronze Star for bravery. He graduated from the Harvard Business School in 1956.
John's professional life was spent entirely in investment management. He worked for Fidelity Management and Research in Boston and Bacon, Whipple & Co. and William Blair in Chicago as account and portfolio manager for both individuals and mutual funds.
John is survived by his wife, Dorothy, two children, John and Elizabeth, one grandchild, his mother, Mrs. Charles C. Townsend, a brother, William S. '55, and his stepmother, Mrs. John D. Ames. His father, John D. '28, died in 1987. To them we extend our deepest sympathies.
The Class of 1952
Jerome Wendell Platek '56
Jerry Platek, of Penn Hills (Pittsburgh), Pa., died July 28, 1998. He prepared at Mercersburg Academy, majored in modern languages and literature (emphasis on Russian), and joined Terrace Club, where he participated in I.A.A. sports. Jerry was a member of WhigClio and the Intl. Relations Club.
For a number of years Jerry was in the field of banking; more recently, he was president of Olympic Consultants, Inc. Jerry was a retired major in the Air Force Reserves. He was active in the Princeton Alumni Assn. of Western Pennsylvania, having been a board member, treasurer, secretary, and, at the time of his death, first v.p.; he was in line to become the next president.
An enthusiastic historian, he was president of Braddock's Field Historical Society. Of particular interest to Jerry was the inprogress restoration of the first of Andrew Carnegie's many libraries in the U.S. -- Braddock's Library, dedicated in 1889 with a speech by the Scottish benefactor himself.
Jerry is survived by his wife, Shirley, daughters Karen Ann Prafka and Barbara Davis, son Mark, and three grandchildren. The class extends its sincere sympathy to his entire family.
The Class of 1956
Tonu Parming '64
Tonu Parming died Oct. 30, 1998, in Toronto, as a result of a stroke during heart surgery. He was 57.
Tonu was born in Parnu, Estonia; his family fled the war in 1944 and came to the U.S. He prepared at Hackensack [N.J.] H.S. Tonu interrupted his Princeton career to spend five years in the Green Berets, serving in Vietnam and rising to captain. He graduated in 1969, majoring in sociology.
After a year at the U. of Helsinki he earned his PhD in sociology at Yale in 1976. He taught at the U. of Maryland, focusing on Soviet nationality issues and American public policy with regard to ethnicity. Tonu was a visiting professor at the U. of Toronto in 1988 when he met and married his wife, Asta Lokk, and moved to Toronto. He was president of the Estonian Publishing Co. there and editor of the weekly Estonian newspaper Meie Elu. Tonu was elected to the Estonian Natl. Council in the U.S. and the Estonian Central Council in Canada. In 1997 he received the Order of the White Star, one of Estonia's highest honors. Tonu attended Princeton's Canadawide 250th Anniversary celebration in Toronto in May 1997.
To Asta, their children Veiko and Talvi, and his parents and other relatives, the class extends its deepest sympathy.
The Class of 1964
Peter T. Joseph '72
Peter Joseph died June 25, 1998, of cancer at his home in Manhattan. At the time of his death, Peter was the chairman and CEO of Rosecliff, Inc., a merchant banking firm.
At Princeton, Peter was a member of Cap and Gown, a four-year resident of Wilson College, and a major in the Woodrow Wilson School. In the grand tradition of Princeton undergraduate entrepreneurship, Peter founded the Student Weenie Agency and ran it for three years.
Peter was an active philanthropist and supporter of the arts. He was chairman of the governing board of the American Ballet Theater and was also a member of the board of directors of the Second Stage Theater in NYC. In addition, Peter was a leading patron and collector of studio art furniture in the U.S. In 1991 he established the Peter Joseph Gallery in NYC to show this uncommon art form. He also provided a furniture design endowment to the Rhode Island School of Design. Beyond his public patronage, Peter was always a generous supporter of Princeton and the Class of '72.
To Peter's wife, Wendy, and his children, Danielle and Nicholas, the class extends its deepest sympathy.
The Class of 1972
GO TO the Table of Contents of the current issue
GO TO PAW's
home page