November 7, 2007: Memorials

JOEL BENJAMIN JOHNSON ’32

Joel Benjamin Johnson of Newfane, Vt., died peacefully July 8, 2007, in Townshend, Vt. He was 97.

Born in Kuling, China, Joel grew up with his missionary parents, three brothers, and a sister. He attended Kuling American School and Princeton High School.

After graduating from Princeton University he taught science at a mission school in Mount Zion, Ga., where he met Elizabeth “Zibby” Fink, an Oberlin College graduate. They were married in her hometown of Cambridge Springs, Pa., on Christmas Day 1934. They lived in Princeton for more than 40 years.

Joel was a senior patent agent for RCA. He was an avid tennis player, a Princeton University track meet official, and a member of the Carnegie Sailing Club, Princeton Archaeology Club, and the Historical Society of Princeton. He and Zibby were members of the First Presbyterian Church of Princeton.

In May 2007, Joel attended his 75th Princeton reunion, accompanied by his four children, Joyce, Joel, Peter ’67, and Patty; his nephew, James ’69; and many other family members. Zibby predeceased Joel, as did his brother, William ’31. The class sends condolences to the family.

The Class of 1932

Theron Ludlow Marsh ’33

Theron Ludlow Marsh, known to the class as Curly, died, July 30, 2007, at the age of 95.

He was born Dec. 9, 1911, in Madison, N.J., with full head of curly hair. Though he became bald in his later years, the nickname Curly remained with him.

After graduating from Princeton, Curly received a degree from the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at Rutgers University. He served in the Army during World War II, rising to the rank of major.

Curly spent his career in banking. In 1972 he was named chairman and chief executive officers of Midlantic Banks Inc. (now PNC Bank). He was a former president of the Essex Bankers Association and a member of the board of regents of the Essex County (N.J.) Chapter of the American Institute of Banking, among other positions.

He dedicated much time to many organizations and took many leadership positions in the business community. He enjoyed golf and being a member of the New York Yacht Club.

He is survived by his wonderful wife, Mincie, whom we all love.

The Class of 1933

EDWARD G. ENGEL ’37

Ed died July 26, 2007, at the Mount Vernon, N.J., home of his daughter, Suzanne. He formerly lived at Meadow Lakes in Hightstown, N.J.

He graduated from the Pingry School, where he was a member of the debating team, soccer team, and dramatic society. At Princeton, Ed was on the cross-country and track teams and was a member of the Glee Club, Triangle Club, and Theatre Intime. He majored in civil engineering, winning the 1861 prize in mathematics, and graduating with highest honors and election to Phi Beta Kappa.

After graduation, Ed worked as an engineer for M.W. Kellogg Co., Hydrocarbon Research Inc., and Yara Engineering Corp., of which he became president/chairman during the 1970s and 1980s. He served as trustee of the Union Foundation and E.J. Grassman Trust, and in the 1950s was elected to the Roselle (N.J.) Board of Education.

In 1988, the Pingry School presented Ed its Letter-in-Life Award, the highest award given to an alumnus. In its citation he was called “an outstanding business leader and father, quiet supporter of numerous charities,” who, with wife Pat, “truly made our world a better and more humane place.”

Ed’s wife of 45 years, Patricia Petty Engel, predeceased him. To Suzanne; Ed’s sister and brother-in-law, Mary and John Flannery; sister-in-law, Jane Engel; and many nephews and nieces, we extend loving sympathy.

The Class of 1937

BEVERLY WALDEN WARNER ’37

Beverly Walden Warner, known as Waldy, died July 17, 2007, in Manchester, Vt. He was born in Hackensack, N.J., and also lived in Groton, Conn., and Englewood, N.J., where he graduated from the Dwight Englewood School.

Waldy majored in politics at Princeton and was a club champion in squash. He played intramural hockey and was runner-up in 150-pound sculling. He was vice president of Quadrangle Club.

After graduation he held various positions with the Corn Producers Refining Co., eventually becoming executive vice president. He was elected to the board of directors in 1967 and retired in 1978. From 1973 to 1978, he was a director of Bank of America and of Worthen Industries in Nashua, N.H. From 1975 to 1980 he was on the board of trustees of the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School in Rockland, Maine, and later became chairman.

Tired of retirement, Waldy bought Mountain Weavers Inc., a textile-finishing firm, in 1979 and moved the business to Dorset, Vt.

He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Dorothy Snare Warner; two daughters; seven grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and his brother, Fred ’37. To his family and friends, we express loving sympathy and fond remembrances of a loyal classmate.

The Class of 1937

David Reid ’38

David Reid died from ischemic colitis Jan. 2, 2007, in Cincinnati.

After graduating with honors from Trenton (N.J.) High School, Dave entered Princeton, where he majored in mathematics. He was involved in political affairs on campus and was on the soccer team. He enjoyed his acquaintance with Albert Einstein, a popular topic for storytelling in later years. Dave left Princeton before graduating.

Dave won appointments to both West Point and Annapolis but was rejected by both due to dental problems. His grounding in math led him to a job in aviation quality control with Curtis Wright Corp. and culminated in 14 years with the Federal Aviation Administration. He originated the idea for the now-familiar aisle pathway lighting, standard safety equipment on every passenger airliner.

Among Dave’s interests were music, drawing, painting, and gardening. He was also an expert marksman. He served for many years as an elder in the Presbyterian Church.

Dave married Eleanor Ekings in 1941. They celebrated 59 years together until her death in 2000. Dave is survived by their sons, David Jr. and John; two grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Our class sends sincere condolences to them all.

The Class of 1938

William Alexander Adams ’39

Bill died of pulmonary edema March 20, 2007, at Northridge Hospital in Northridge, Calif.

A physics major, Bill did postgraduate work in guided-missile and digital techniques at UCLA. During his career, he was primarily an engineer program manager on radar, guided missiles, and spacecraft for RCA and TRW. He participated as manager of communications in the design and development of the first man-made object to leave the solar system — the Pioneer 10 spacecraft. In retirement, he was involved in home computer activities, principally in computerized genealogy. Starting with his great-great-great-grandparents, he traced more than 2,000 of their descendants.

Bill and his wife, Anne, were divorced. She survives as do their four children, a daughter and three sons, and two granddaughters. We extend our sincere sympathy to them.

The Class of 1939

George B. Andrews ’40

George died May 29, 2007, at Wilson N. Jones Medical Center in Sherman, Texas.

He prepared at Paul’s School in Concord, N.H. At Princeton, he was known as “Digger” from his association with some of the “digs” of his father, American explorer Roy Chapman Andrews, the discoverer of dinosaur eggs in Tibet.

At Princeton, he majored in English and French. He was on the freshman cross-country and track teams, and a member of the rugby club and Colonial Club. During World War II, he served with the Air Force as a fighter pilot in France and Germany and was honorably discharged as a captain.

After several positions in advertising and sales, George founded a financial-planning and asset-management company serving Dallas and Sherman. He was a member of the Dallas Princeton Club and was active in sailing, swimming, jogging, and traveling to exotic locales.

George was outspokenly grateful for his 62 years of marriage to his wife, the former Mary Nancy McElhannon, who survives him along with their daughter, Sara Applebee. To them both, his classmates extend their sincere sympathies.

The Class of 1940

Edwin Marston Burke ’40

Ned died July 30, 2007, in Palm Beach, Fla.

He prepared at the Cate School in Santa Barbara, Calif., and at St. George’s. At Princeton, Ned majored in architecture, was on the freshman and JV soccer teams, and was vice president of Tiger Inn.

From 1940 to 1945, Ned served as a Navy officer in the European and Pacific theaters. He was discharged as a lieutenant commander, having been awarded a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart.

In 1950, he became president of L.V. Ludlow & Co. in Far Hills, N.J. He also was a director of the Puree Co. and served as mayor of Far Hills from 1967 to 1973.

He was a member of the Racquet and Tennis Club and Piping Rock Club of New York, and the Everglades Club and Seminole Golf Club in Palm Beach.

Ned is survived by his wife, Virginia; his four children, NatalieTuruliolis, Edwin M. Jr. ’68, Stephen J., and Kevin; five grandchildren; and his stepdaughters, Consuelo Hutton, Linda Lamy, Cynthia Mack, and Mimide Chabert Ostland. To them, his classmates extend their sincere condolences.

The Class of 1940

William Allen Gilroy Jr. ’40 *47

Bill died in Fort Lauderdale Aug. 6, 2007.

The Miami Herald described Bill as “a very fine man and an outstanding architect” who was known for his eloquent toasts.

He prepared at the Pingry School. At Princeton, he achieved departmental honors in architecture and graduated with honors. He received the captain’s medal in 150-pound crew, was a member of the Inter-Club Committee and was president of Tower Club.

Bill was a lieutenant in the Navy’s Seabees After the war, he returned to Princeton to earn a master’s in architecture, then moved to Fort Lauderdale to form the architectural firm of Gamble, Pownall & Gilroy in 1948 with two men he met in the Navy. Between 1948 and his retirement in 1987, his firm was involved in more than 1,000 projects — hospitals, town halls, churches, shopping centers, and schools.

Bill belonged to the Princeton Club of Broward County, Fla. He was a director of the Lauderdale Yacht Club, and a director and member of numerous public-service foundations and associations. Golfing, reading, and boating were his other pleasures.

Bill was predeceased by his wife, Ridgely, and daughter, Lyn Standard. To his surviving daughters, Trish Peters and Jodie Deal, and seven grandchildren, his classmates extend their heartfelt sympathies.

The Class of 1940

William Gilbert Kayser Jr. ’40

Gil died July 30, 2007, in the Princeton area.

He prepared at Germantown (Pa.) High School and Germantown Friends School. At Princeton, he majored in chemistry, was a member of the Princeton Engineering Society, the chemistry club, and the fencing team.

Gil was a research chemist with Allied Chemical Corp. during World War II. After various positions in the organic chemical industry, he joined Pennsalt Chemical Corp. in 1956 and worked there until his retirement in 1986. He was director of the organic-chemical division and director of business development.

During the 1970s, he was active in Washington, D.C., with trade negotiations as a member of the industry-sector advisory committee on industrial chemicals. He was an active member of the alumni association, chairing the class’ 50th reunion and joining his classmates on several trips abroad.

Gil was an avid member of the Princeton Garden Statesmen Barbershop Quartet and sang in the All Saints’ Church choir for many years.

His first wife, Joan [née Bach] died in 1979; his second wife, Luna [née Mitchell Heron], died in 2003. His survivors include a daughter, Virginia P. Kayser; a son, Kenneth; a grandson; and a great-granddaughter. His classmates extend their sincere condolences to them.

The Class of 1940

Sydney Hart Moore ’41

Hart died March 28, 2007, after a series of illnesses.

A Florida native, he came to Princeton from the Asheville School. He majored in architecture and graduated with honors. Hart joined Court Club and was active in various campus agencies.

He enlisted in the Army Engineers in July 1942, went through OCS and was assigned to the 94th Engineer Regiment. He spent 33 months in the European theater during World War II, building railroad track and bridges in Morocco, Italy, France, and Germany. Afterward, Hart earned a master’s in building engineering at MIT. He was recalled to service during the Korean War. Later he worked as an architect for several major firms and for nearly a decade had his own practice in New York City.

In 1955, he moved to Old Greenwich, Conn., where he continued his architectural practice, was active in local politics, and for many years was head of the board of trustees of Greenwich First United Methodist Church. At the time of his death, he was still an active member of the seniors committee of the Princeton Club of New York.

Hart is survived by his wife of 61 years, Patricia Lambdin Moore, and his sons, Henry and Andrew ’79.

The Class of 1941

THOMAS ELY TAPLIN SR. ’42

Tom, a generous philanthropist, died June 5, 2007, in Denver after a long illness.

Tom prepared at Phillips Andover Academy. At Princeton, he earned honors in history and was a member of Charter Club. During World War II he served as an Army B-24 bomber pilot in the Pacific theater.

In 1950, after a stint in the family coal business in Cleveland, Tom moved to Denver, where he was owner and president of a plastics-molding company. Two years later he married Beatrice B. Britton, who bore him four sons, Thomas Jr., Theodore, Britton, and Frank. Tom retired from manufacturing in 1960 to manage family investments. He was a director of the North American Coal Corp. (NACCO Industries).

Tom spent a lot of his life helping disadvantaged youngsters. He was an early contributor and a trustee of the Boys’ Clubs of Denver. He contributed to Children’s Hospital and gave scholarships to Denver public schools and Metropolitan State College of Denver. He endowed four chairs at the Colorado Health Sciences Center. All of this philanthropy was done without fanfare. Interested in private education, he was a trustee of Denver Country Day School.

To Bea and her wonderful family, the class extends its deepest condolences.

The Class of 1942

JOSEPH WELLES HENDERSON ’43

Welles died of prostate cancer May 5, 2007, at home in Haverford, Pa. He was 86.

He was a lawyer whose fascination with the sea led to his founding the Independence Seaport Museum, originally the Philadelphia Maritime Museum, in 1961 with his collection of nautical paintings and artifacts. Launched in a rented room, the museum moved twice before settling at Penn’s Landing in 1995 under its present name.

Born in Philadelphia, Welles prepped at Penn Charter and St. George’s schools. At Princeton he majored in SPIA and graduated with honors. He was on the freshman crew and the freshman intramural hockey team, was a member of Whig-Clio, and was vice president of Elm Club. He was an artillery officer in Italy during World War II and earned a law degree from Harvard in 1949, the year he married Hannah Lowell Bradley.

Welles’ love of the sea began in 1928, when he accompanied his father, Joseph, a maritime lawyer, on a voyage to South America. After law school, Welles joined his father’s firm, Rawle & Henderson, in Philadelphia, and later joined Palmer, Biezup & Henderson.

Welles is survived by his wife; sons Joseph W. Henderson III, G.L. Cabot Henderson, T. Handasyd P. Henderson, and David Hender-

son; a daughter, Elizabeth Henderson; eight grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

The Class of 1943

DAVID VAN PELT ACASTER ’45

Dave Acaster died April 23, 2007, at his home in Saddle River, N.J., surrounded by his loving family after losing a struggle with cancer.

Dave was an active classmate until the end and was class agent for Annual Giving from 1990 to 1995. His devotion to the class will be sorely missed.

Dave entered Princeton from Lawrenceville and joined Cannon Club. He received a degree in chemical engineering and then served with the Marines in the Pacific and China. Upon returning he joined American Cyanamid and was sent to West Virginia, where he met and married Jane (“Janey”) Miller before being transferred back to New Jersey.

The family enjoyed an eclectic array of sports, including skiing, tennis, golf, fishing, sailing, and particularly scuba diving. After his retirement, Dave and Janey traveled worldwide to exotic dive locations. As well as being a wonderful husband and family man, Dave was regarded as a superior person by all of us active in class affairs. In addition to Janey, Dave is survived by his son, Ben; daughter-in-law Sharon; daughter Ceecy; son-in-law Jack Ringwood; and five grandchildren. The class expresses its sympathy to all.

The Class of 1945

HARRISON CRANE NOYES JR. ’45

Harry Noyes died Jan. 11, 2007.

Harry entered Princeton from Hotchkiss and joined Charter Club. His Princeton studies were interrupted by service as a field artillery forward observer with the 12th Armored Division. He saw combat in Europe and was awarded a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star.

Returning to Princeton, Harry received a degree in economics cum laude and joined The Hartford Times, beginning a long and distinguished career as a news editor and publisher. In 1951 he joined The Norwich Bulletin and remained there until the paper was sold to Gannett in 1981. For the rest of his happy life he devoted substantial time to golf, fly-fishing, hunting, and travel with his wife and family.

Harry had the good fortune to meet his future wife, Barbara (“Babs”), during his 16-month sojourn in Army hospitals as a result of winning a Purple Heart. Their courtship consumed seven years until Harry persuaded Babs to retire from flying with American Airlines. Their marriage produced six children, daughters Lynn, Sally, Nancy, and Elizabeth, and sons Charles and James. Henry was also the proud grandfather of 10 grandchildren. The class extends its sympathy to the family.

The Class of 1945

Donald James O’Hare ’48

Don O’Hare died peacefully July 25, 2007, in the presence of his loving family. He would have been 81 on July 28.

Don graduated from Kingswood School in West Hartford, Conn., where he excelled in sports, especially football and baseball. He joined the Navy V-12 program and was assigned to Trinity College. He went on to pre-flight training at UNC, Chapel Hill, where he played football for “Bear” Bryant. On leaving the Navy, Don joined us in November 1945, was in Tower, and graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1948.

After three years of teaching and coaching at Kingswood, his career was in engineering in the Hartford area. At various times Don served Hamilton Standard, North & Judd, and Echlin Manufacturing. He retired in 1994.

Don was predeceased by his wife of 47 years, Lois Madigan. He is survived by his wife, Lois Fogg, and children Mark, Linda, and Michael.

Not to be resisted is this information from The Hartford Courant’s obituary for Don: “He will be sorely missed by Alex, the family pet bichon, with whom he spent many hours in his final years.”

The Class of 1948

REX A. PIXLEY JR. ’49

Rex died Feb. 20, 2007. He was 79 and had been in poor health for a number of years as a result of two strokes suffered prior to our 50th reunion.

He prepared for Princeton at Robert E. Lee High School in Catlett, Va., and the Capitol Page School. He was a page at the Supreme Court. At Princeton he majored in economics, was manager of the squash team, and was a member of the Presbyterian Young People’s Club. He was an Air Force veteran of the Korean War.

Rex’s working career involved owning and operating a Western Auto store in Amherst, Va., for 40 years. He also farmed and was a partner in the development of a shopping center. For many years he hosted the local fireworks display at his farm.

Rex is survived by his wife, Kathryn; three stepsons, Jim, Tony, and Scott Drumheller; and two step-grandchildren. The class extends it sincere sympathy to them on their loss.

The Class of 1949

ROBERT M. WELLS ’49

Bob died on July 3, 2007. He was 80.

He prepared for Princeton at Lawrenceville and served in the Navy from September 1945 until August 1946. At Princeton he majored in psychology and was a member of Whig-Clio and Court Club. He served in the Army during the Korean War as a psychiatric social worker.

Bob spent his work years involved in the ownership and management of the Homer Laughlin China Co. in East Liverpool, Ohio. He retired in 1992 as vice president and director.

He was an avid fisherman and bird hunter, as was his wife. He was a former president of the Pittsburgh Sportsmen’s Luncheon Club and also was a member of the Harvard-Yale-Princeton Club of Pittsburgh. He was active in the National Trust for Historic Preservation and The Nature Conservancy. Bob was involved in jazz music programs around Pittsburgh, and Ed Polcer ’58, who had led many jazz concerts at Bob’s residence, played the cornet at Bob’s memorial service.

Bob’s wife, Carolyn, predeceased him. He is survived by several cousins. The class extends its sympathy to them and also to Bob’s many friends.

The Class of 1949

DONALD N. WYSHAM ’49

Don died May 23, 2007, while doing what he loved most, fly-fishing with a friend. He was 79.

He prepared for Princeton at Scarsdale (N.Y.) High School. At Princeton he majored in history and graduated with honors. He was a member of the 150-pound crew, the camera club, Westminster Fellowship, and Prospect Club.

After Princeton, Don attended Harvard Medical School, graduating in 1953. He then specialized in internal medicine and cardiology. He served in the U.S. Public Health Service from 1955 until 1957. In 1959 he received a degree in tropical medicine in London and went to India under the auspices of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. He taught at the Christian Medical College in Ludhiana, Punjab. In 1969 he returned to the United States and entered private practice in Oregon, continuing until 1990. He then went back to Ludhiana and helped set up a cardiac catheterization laboratory. He returned to Oregon in 1991 and practiced there until his retirement in 1996.

Don is survived by his wife Dorothy; two sons, Douglas and John; two daughters, Daphne Wysham ’83 and Sarah Rose; and six grandchildren. The class extends heartfelt sympathy to them on their loss of this sincere and committed gentleman.

The Class of 1949

Sanford C. Nemitz ’54

After a prolonged illness associated with connective-tissue disease, our beloved classmate Sanford Nemitz died Aug. 27, 2007.

Born in Trenton, N.J., Sandy graduated from the Peddie School. With the death of his father when he was 14, he became a father figure to his younger siblings. At Princeton, he majored in English and was a member of Terrace Club. After graduation he served in the Army.

A management and administrative professional, Sandy worked in Europe and the Caribbean with many business accomplishments. He will be best remembered for his 30 years with Princeton’s Schools Committee, working with high school students seeking admission, and his 20 years on the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars. He was appointed Pennsylvania representative to the White House Commission by President Reagan and also served under President George H.W. Bush. He created the Presidential Scholars Foundation during the Clinton administration and served as foundation treasurer for the current administration.

Sandy most recently was a member of Doylestown Angel Group, a source for raising capital for small, development-stage companies.

Sandy was class treasurer for 53 years and will be remembered as a loyal Princetonian.

He is survived by his wife, Evelyn; his son, David; his stepchildren, Donna, Sandra, and Rebecca; 10 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. The class extends sympathy to them all.

The Class of 1954

Richard Garrett Vail ’56

Richard Garrett Vail, a longtime resident of Westport and Southbury, Conn., died May 31, 2007, in Southbury after a brief illness.

Dick was a passionate believer in justice and equal rights for all. After graduating cum laude from Princeton, he went on to the University of Virginia Law School, earning his degree in 1959.

Dick’s career was devoted to labor relations, beginning in 1959, and included work for the National Labor Relations Board, Philip Morris, and others. After creating a system for clarifying the skills needed for hiring workers, he formed Vail Associates in 1980, which created the Job Analysis Numerous Use System. Dick worked on this for the rest of his life, and it brought him joy and fulfillment. In his final years he worked on a book about labor history with, literally, thousands of citations in its bibliography.

Dick will be remembered for his honesty, intellect, and sense of humor.

Dick is survived by his four children, Garrett Walker Vail, Sara Catharine Vail, Alfred Cresson Vail II, and William Ward Vail. Memorial contributions may be made to Save the Children, 54 Wilton Road, Westport, CT 06880.

The Class of 1956

Gregg Wiley Parks ’61

Gregg died April 9, 2007, ironically from a torn aorta, after he had battled cystic fibrosis since his 20s and often joked that he was the oldest person in the nation with that disease.

Born in Ann Arbor, Mich., he came to Princeton from Mariemont High School near Cincinnati. At Princeton he majored in history, took his meals at Colonial, and played 150-pound football.

Gregg earned a master’s at Indiana University in 1965 and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Wisconsin in 1974. He taught English at Northland College in Wisconsin and then at the University of Minnesota, retiring about 10 years ago. A committed outdoorsman, he enjoyed swimming, biking, skiing, and canoeing, while maintaining a lifelong workout regimen and therapy to combat the constraints of cystic fibrosis. Gregg was a voracious reader and had a great appreciation for classical music.

He is survived by Betsey, his wife of 43 years; his son, Jonathan; his mother, Sarah; his sister, Mary Ann; his brother, Brad; and many extended family members and loving friends. Betsey wrote, “I’m sure that Princeton played a large part in creating this amazing person.” We join the family in saying farewell.

The Class of 1961

Robert S. Mant ’67

Bob died at home March 24, 2007, after an eight-year battle with colon cancer. He was a highly respected head of natural resources for Brewster, Mass., and a champion of environmental safeguards. The town renamed a beach “Mant’s Landing” in his memory.

Bob graduated from Kearny (N.J.) High School, where he was class president and football captain. At Princeton, Bob majored in biology, joined Cottage, played 150-pound football and rugby, and was the director of Princeton Summer Camp in Blairstown. He roomed in Patton with Parl, Dimond, Trotter, and John Brown, and dared to co-own a motorcycle with Mac Simpson ’65.

Bob spent 11 years in Maine as a marine biologist assisting the troubled fishing industry and establishing aquaculture there. He then moved to Brewster, where he worked 21 years.

The loss of his quiet yet steadfast presence was deeply felt. Brewster’s town administrator observed: “He [Bob] was the most encouraging guy, who loved his job and loved working in Brewster.” Bob was known for “small acts of kindness.” Shortly before his death, he wrote a letter to the town thanking them for the opportunity to serve.

Tragically, Linda, Bob’s wife of 39 years, died less than a month after him. They are survived by their children Sara, Joshua, and Nicole, and grandchildren Hazel and Teddy.

The Class of 1967

THOMAS HARDING JONES ’72

T. Harding Jones died July 31, 2007, of pancreatic cancer, in Branford, Conn.

Harding came to Princeton from Middletown, Ohio, a graduate of Lemon-Monroe High School. He majored in history, was a member of Tower Club, and served as a summer intern at the White House in 1971. In 1969, as a sophomore, Harding founded Undergraduates for a Stable America (USA). As its executive director he commented frequently on the political scene, both on campus and nationally, from a right-of-center perspective, in The Daily Princetonian (where he served on the business staff) and other media.

After graduation, Harding was co-founder and executive director of Concerned Alumni of Princeton (CAP) and editor of its publication, Prospect, which debuted in 1972. Under Harding’s leadership through the following decade, CAP and Prospect earned national attention with sustained critical commentary on University policies. Concurrently, he launched a successful and rewarding career in New York City as a theatrical producer, director, and talent manager, which continued until his death. Harding also was an accomplished musician, singer, and actor.

Harding’s parents, Thomas E. and Ina (Sebald) Jones, predeceased him. He will be truly missed by his many friends and admirers.

The Class of 1972

Graduate Alumni

Mario Llerena *43

Mario Llerena, a Cuban writer and early supporter of Fidel Castro, who broke with him over Castro’s move to communism, died Dec. 10, 2006, in Miami. He was 93.

Fluent in English, Llerena was New York area chairman of Castro’s July 26 Movement. Before Castro’s victorious entry into Havana in 1959, Llerena resigned from the rebel movement for ideological reasons. He then worked in Cuba as a political journalist, and wrote critically of Castro’s moving to communism. He flew into exile in New York in April 1960.

Llerena became an important person among Cuban exiles, and published several volumes of his writings about the Cuban revolution. In 1940, Llerena received a Ph.D. in philosophy and letters from the University of Havana. During World War II, he enrolled in the graduate history department at Princeton, but decided instead to become a Presbyterian minister and enrolled at the Princeton Theological Seminary, where he received a bachelor of theology degree in 1947. He then became a writer and later taught Spanish at Duke, before returning to Cuba where he opposed the Batista military dictatorship.

Llerena is survived by his second wife, Noemi, two children, and four grandchildren.

Kan Chi Mui *49

Kan Chi Mui, who was born in China in 1917 and came to the United States before World War II to study economics, died Nov. 28, 2006.

During Mui’s early years, his father worked in the laundry business in the United States and sent gold coins back to the family in Asia. After his father’s death when he was 19, Mui studied at Liangnan University in Canton. In 1939, he came to study at Columbia University, transferred to Miami University in Ohio in 1943, and received a bachelor’s there in 1944.

In 1946 he received a master’s and in 1949 a Ph.D., both in economics, from Princeton. He became an associate professor at Oklahoma City University in 1949, where he taught economics for several years before starting his own firm, Mui Investment Services. This enabled him to enjoy the freedom and independence of owning his own company. Mui moved to Philadelphia in 2001.

He was active in the Oklahoma City community with his church, the Rotary Club, and especially the Asia Society, of which he was a founding member and chairman. His family reports that he loved this country and the ideals it stands for.

He is survived by his wife, Lim Phaik-sim, four children, and several grandchildren.

William H. Sippel Jr. *50

William H. Sippel, a prominent Pittsburgh architect, who with his firm greatly changed the face of that city, died Feb. 12, 2007, of a bone marrow blood disease. He was 82.

In the late 1950s, Sippel worked on the design of the civic auditorium, which once had the world’s largest retractable dome. Now named the Mellon Arena, it was a symbol of Pittsburgh’s rebirth. On March 13, 2007, there was an announcement of a replacement — a new Pittsburgh arena.

Sippel’s architecture studies at Pennsylvania State University were interrupted by World War II. After returning to Penn State, he received a fellowship for a year of graduate study at Princeton, after which he received another fellowship for a year of study at the American Academy in Rome and the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris.

By the early 1980s, Sippel had become head of his modernist architecture firm, Deeter Ritchey Sippel, and oversaw many of Pittsburgh’s civic, medical, sports, educational, and office projects. (He designed the Jefferson Hospital and Benedum Hall of Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh on his own.) He was a fellow of the American Institute of Architects.

Sippel is survived by Joanne, his wife of 44 years; and three children.

Peter S. Derow *70

Peter S. Derow, Hody fellow and tutor in ancient history at Wadham College of Oxford University, died Dec. 9, 2006, of a heart attack. He was 62.

An expert on ancient Rome, Derow was a scholar who gave the highest priority to, and received the greatest pleasure from, teaching undergraduates. Deploring many tendencies of modern higher education, especially the elevation of research over teaching, he was committed to an older ideal of the university.

His research centered on the Greek world and Rome, when Rome was rising to world dominance. Among his writings, he contributed to The Cambridge Ancient History and Blackwell’s A Companion to the Hellenistic World, and with R.S. Bagnall edited and translated a valuable collection of sources, The Hellenistic Period: Historical Sources in Translation.

Born in Newport, R.I., Derow first arrived at Wadham College in 1965 (after Amherst College), to take a second bachelor’s in classics. Returning to the United States, he earned a Ph.D. in classics from Princeton, then taught at the University of Toronto, and, in 1977, joined the faculty at Wadham College.

He was married three times, and all three women attended his funeral. From his first marriage, he had two daughters and one son.

Theophanis Dymiotis *95

Theophanis Dymiotis died in a car accident March 10, 2007, after a performance with the Delaware Symphony Orchestra, when an oncoming driver ran head-on into his car.

A musician who excelled both as a composer and violinist, Dymiotis was born in Cyprus in 1965 and was graduated with honors from Cambridge University and from Princeton with a Ph.D in music composition.

After Princeton, he was an assistant professor at Goucher College, and, more recently, an adjunct professor at MacDaniel College. He was a member of the Annapolis-based Mariner String Quartet and co-concertmaster and composer-in-residence with the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra.

His music was performed in Europe and in the United States, and won prizes in numerous competitions. According to Professor Michael Wachtel of Princeton’s Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures, “It is truly a loss to contemporary music that his career has been cut short in so tragic a fashion. [He] was an unforgettable person — brilliant, witty, and wholly unpretentious.”

Survivors include his mother, Stella Dymiotou; a brother, Petros Dymiotis; a sister, Eleni Dymiotou; and his partner, Caitlin Patton. The burial took place in Cyprus.

This issue has an undergraduate memorial for William Allen Gilroy Jr. ’40 *47.