Esther H. Palmer

Esther Howard Palmer, 95, died peacefully at home January 13, 2012, at Pennswood Village, a retirement community in Newtown, Pa.

A long-time resident of Princeton, she was born in Springfield, Mass., August 18, 1916, to Stanley Edwin Howard and Ethel May Chapman. In 1918 her father accepted a position at Princeton University in the economics department and from then on Esther lived most of her life in Princeton. She attended Miss Fine’s School and was a 1938 graduate of Wellesley College majoring in economics.

After working briefly in Hartford, Conn., Esther returned to Princeton where in 1942 she met and married Professor Robert Roswell Palmer of the Princeton history department. R.R. Palmer’s successful career in modern European history spanned thirty-three years there and eight years at Yale University, until his retirement in 1977. During World War II the Palmers lived in Washington, D.C., where Esther volunteered as a nurse’s aide at Walter Reed Hospital. Throughout their long marriage of sixty years, Esther supported her husband’s career and with him had three children. She was active in various Princeton community groups and the public schools for many years.

Robert R. Palmer died in 2002. Esther Palmer is survived by her three children, Stanley H. Palmer (Elizabeth) of Arlington, Texas, Richard R. Palmer of California, and Emily S. Palmer of Arvada, Colo.; four grandchildren, Vanessa L. Santos (Christian) of Los Angeles, David B. Palmer of Richard Va., Sonia S. Palmer in Australia, and Ingrid Reyes (John) of Atlanta; and three great-grandchildren, Sebastian A. Reyes, Nolan P. Santos, and Ethan A. Reyes.

Burial will be in Princeton Cemetery.

Filomena C. Pirone

Filomena C. (Nini) Pirone, 100, of Princeton, died Friday, January 27, 2012 at home surrounded by her loving family.

Born March 1, 1911 in Pettoranello di Molise, Italy, she immigrated to Princeton in 1946. Filomena was a parishioner of St. Paul’s Church, the Altar Rosary Society, and the Princeton I.A.S.C. Ladies Auxiliary.

Daughter of the late Vincenzo and Colomba (Pinelli) Nini, wife of the late Umberto Pirone, she is survived by two sons and a daughter-in-law, Felix and Elizabeth Pirone, and Anthony Pirone; a daughter and son-in-law, Christine and Teodoro Tamasi; seven grandchildren, Felisa Scannella, Pamela Pirone, Umberto Pirone, Mario, Mark, Matthew Tamasi, and Melinda Godonis.

The funeral was held at 8:30 a.m., Tuesday, January 31, 2012 from the Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, 40 Vandeventer Avenue, Princeton.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at 9:30 a.m. at St. Paul’s Church, 214 Nassau Street, Princeton. Burial followed in St. Paul’s Cemetery.

Calling hours were held on Monday, January 30, 2012 at the funeral home.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Health Care Ministry of Princeton, PO Box 1517, Princeton, N.J. 08542.