Virginia M. H. Stuart

Virginia Marie Heide Stuart died peacefully at Central Vermont Hospital on July 11, 2012 after a brief illness.

She was born in Kenosha, Wisc. On August 25, 1914 and graduated from N.J. College for Women (now part of Rutgers) and did her graduate work at Columbia University. Born of Danish immigrant parents, she was an early crusader for women’s rights and a gifted writer and editor. Her short stories appeared in Harper’s and Blackwoods, and her first novel was published when she was 89 years old, a young adult novel about the rescue of the Danish Jews during World War II entitled Candle in a Dark Time.

She was the first female editor at the Princeton University Press, where she met her future husband, Douglass Edmunds Stuart, who worked at the Princeton Alumni Weekly. Her husband was the cousin of Town Topics co-founder, Donald Stuart, and he also served as editor there.

During her long career she worked for the Princeton Hospital, the State of New Jersey, and after retirement had a successful career teaching writing. She spent most of her life in the Princeton area, but moved up to Greensboro, Vt., to join her daughters in 2005.

She was predeceased by her husband; her son, Douglas; her daughter, Alison (Taffy) Todd; her grandson, Stuart Todd; and her granddaughter, Jill Riley. She leaves behind her daughter, Anne (Krissie) Stuart Ohlrogge; her grandchildren, Kathryn (Kaim) Ohlrogge and Timothy Ohlrogge of Greensboro, and Jennifer Todd Taylor of Lake Tahoe; her beloved nieces and nephews; and many dear friends.

There will be a graveside service in Greensboro on August 4th and a memorial service in Princeton in the early fall.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Greensboro Arts Alliance & Residency, P.O. Box 304, Greensboro, Vt. 05841.

———

Antoinette M. Orsi

Antoinette Mary Orsi, of Princeton, died Saturday, July 21, 2012 at the University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro.

She was born in Kingston and was a lifelong Princeton area resident. Antoinette worked at Princeton University and the College Entrance Examination Board before joining the staff of the Educational Testing Service. She was the vice president of operations at ETS at the time of her retirement.

Daughter of the late Louis and Mary D’Andrea Orsi; sister of the late Leo Orsi, Peter Orsi, and Louise Rosenberg; Aunt of the late Theodore R. Fekete and Richard Matthews; she is survived by her sister, Clara Matthews of North Brunswick; and her nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews, and great great-nieces and great great-nephews.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, July 24 at St. Paul’s Church, Princeton.

Burial was in St. Paul’s Cemetery.

Calling hours were held on Tuesday at The Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, 40 Vandeventer Avenue, Princeton.

———

Leland C. Allen

Leland Cullen Allen, 85, professor emeritus of chemistry at Princeton University, passed away on Sunday, July 15, 2012 at Acorn Glen in Princeton, after a five-year struggle with Alzheimer’s. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Carol Allen, and their children, Abigail Allen of Princeton, Ethan Allen of Princeton, Emily Allen of Seattle, and granddaughter Hillary.

Born December 3, 1926, he grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, and on North Bass Island in Lake Erie. He served in the U.S. Navy in World War II, and received a BS in electrical engineering from the University of Cincinnati in 1949, and a PhD in Physics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1956. While a post-doctoral fellow at the University of California-Berkeley, Leland met Carol, and they were married in 1960, the same year he joined the faculty of Princeton University’s department of chemistry.

During a five-decade career in theoretical chemistry, Professor Allen investigated molecular orbitals, hydrogen bonding, and electronegativity. Focused on the basic research and the fundamentals of electronic structure, his scientific publications have been widely cited by other scientists and the doctoral and post-doctoral students and fellows whose research he supervised are now engaged in research and teaching in universities and laboratories throughout the world.

In the area of electronegativity, Professor Allen was proud to be able to explain mathematically and elegantly what had previously been an empirically measured atomic property and, through his discovery, contributed the visual, pedagogical concept of electronegativity as the “third dimension of the periodic table.”

Leland was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. As an encourager and advocate of his children, he taught his daughters math and science at young ages. He founded a parental advocacy and support group for families with children, including his son, with special needs. He especially enjoyed the role of grandfather in recent years. He had been a dedicated long-distance runner who participated in many running events over the years, including the annual Midland Run to benefit the Midland School, which his son attended.

Leland C. Allen lived a life full of purpose, inquisitiveness, and enthusiasm. He had a lively personality and an intellectual curiosity which led him to read and engage on a wide range of topics. He was passionate about scientific progress, the value of education, learning and basic research, and equal rights for women.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 22 at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton at 50 Cherry Hill Road, Princeton.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a memorial gift to either the Peace Action Education Fund (of the Coalition for Peace Action), 40 Witherspoon Street, Princeton, N.J. 08542; or the Children’s Science Collection of the Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street, Princeton, N.J. 08542.

———

Audrey C. Johnson

Audrey Crawford Johnson died peacefully at the age of 90 in the Cape May Court house, on June 13, 2012.

Audrey was the daughter of Frank Hepburn Crawford and Anna Beal Crawford of Berwyn, Pa., and was born in Montclair, N.J. on November 6, 1921. She attended Tredyffrin/Easttown High School in Berwyn, from which she graduated at the age of 15. She then attended the Philadelphia Conservatory of Music, studying piano, and when war broke out she moved to Washington and was employed in mapmaking by the War Department.

She married Dr. Frank Wagner Johnson of Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1949, and soon thereafter moved to Princeton, where they raised their three children, Hollis Johnson of Tahoma, Calif., Brodie Johnson of Greenwich, Conn., and Cristin Johnson Clarke of Cape May Court House, N.J. Audrey’s second daughter, Heather Johnson, died in childhood.

In her personal and professional life, Audrey was devoted to children. She began teaching nursery school at the Charlestown Playhouse in Phoenixville, Pa. After moving to Princeton she taught at the Nassau Presbyterian Cooperative Nursery School for over 35 years. She was appointed director of the school in 1997, which was re-named the Dietrich Johnson Cooperative Nursery School in honor of Audrey and the school’s first director, Mary Dietrich.

Audrey also gave piano lessons to young students in her home on Cherry Hill Road, and drove a school bus for public and private schools in the Princeton area. Her own children are deeply grateful for the generous and unwavering support she provided during many happy years and through occasional hardship. She was inspiring in her determination and energy, and continued to teach until she was 82 years old.

She was warm, caring, patient, and nurturing. She travelled extensively in Russia, the Canadian Arctic, Turkey, and Morocco, and after her retirement she performed volunteer work for the Cape May Bird Observatory and the Wetlands Institute, both in Cape May County. She valued the preservation of nature and contributed generously to several non-profits, including the Nature Conservancy, the World Wildlife Fund, and Greenpeace. She was also an avid supporter of local and regional public radio stations, from New York City, Philadelphia, Princeton, and Trenton. She continued to play piano beautifully until her last days. She was loved, and will be missed by all who knew her and left the world a better place for her presence.

In addition to her three children, Audrey is survived by their spouses, Roger Holdsworth of Tahoma, Beverly Johnson of Greenwich, and Kevin Clarke of Cape May Court house; and grandchildren, Ian and Caroline Johnson, and Samuel, Emmy, and Garrison Clarke.

A memorial service will be held in honor of Audrey on July 28 at the Nassau Presbyterian Church on Nassau Street, Princeton, at 2 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association, 31 Titus Mill Road, Pennington, N.J. 08534; or the Cape May Bird Observatory, PO Box 3, Cape May Point, N.J. 08212.

Condolences at www.radzieta.com.

———

Louise M. Ownes

Louise M. Ownes, 76, of Robbinsville, passed away on July 16 at Robert Wood Medical Center at Hamilton.

Born in Princeton, Mrs. Ownes was a resident of Hamilton Township since 1961.

Mrs. Ownes graduated with the class of 1953 from Princeton High School. She was employed as a secretary for J & G Tile and Marble Inc., of Bordentown. Mrs. Ownes was a member of Our Lady of Sorrows—St. Anthony’s RC Church community for many years.

Wife of the late William E. Ownes; mother and mother-in-law of the late Patricia L. and Joseph Giovannetti; she is survived by her four grandchildren, Joseph Giovannetti and Christine Fityere, both of Hamilton, and Michael and Anthony Giovannetti of Ewing; her two brothers and their wives, Bruno and Margaret Maddalon of Princeton Junction, and Frank and Iris Maddalon of Mercerville; and several nieces and nephews.

Funeral services for Mrs. Ownes took place on July 24 at the Saul Colonial Home, 3795 Nottingham Way, Hamilton Square. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on July 24 at 11 a.m. at Our Lady of Sorrows — St. Anthony RC Church, Hamilton.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Mrs. Ownes’ honor to the Giovannetti Educational Trust Fund, c/p Roma Bank, 500 Route #33, Hamilton, N.J. 08619.

———

Marion B. Cullen

Marion Buckelew Cullen died peacefully in Hamilton, New Jersey on Wednesday, July 18, 2012.

Born in North Brunswick, she was the descendant of three of New Jersey’s oldest families: the Buckelews, the Housels, and the Stouts. While a teenager she was a member of the 4-H Club and was recognized for her skills as a seamstress, and she appeared on the WOR Farm and Home Hour radio program in New York in recognition of her accomplishments. She was a graduate of the New Jersey College for Women, now Douglass College of Rutgers University, where she majored in English, history and the dramatic arts.

She worked for J.O. Roth Engineering in New Brunswick and the Research Foundation, Inc. in New York City, which conducted critical atmospheric testing for the United States government in Arizona using rockets captured in Germany. From 1948 to 1950 she also served as civilian assistant to Captain James Sapero with the U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit in Heliopolis, Egypt, researching tropical diseases.

Marion enhanced the quality of life in the Princeton community through her commitment to public service. She was a charter member of the Friends of the Princeton Theological Seminary, a member of the Board of Trustees of the American Boychoir School, president of the Women’s College Club of Princeton, president of the Women’s Association at Nassau Presbyterian Church and a member of the Present Day Club and the Nassau Club. She was also president of the Center for Women’s Organizations of New Jersey.

With the Women’s College Club of New Jersey she instituted the “silent auction” at a fundraising event for the New Jersey Training School for Boys at Skillman. This innovative fundraising concept garnered attention from many non-profit organizations and clubs throughout the United States. A member of the Republican Club of Princeton, she participated in voter registration campaigns in many of Princeton’s neighborhoods.

A member of the Westminster Choir College Board of Trustees from 1983 to 1989, Marion received an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from Westminster Choir College of Rider University in 2003. “I’ve travelled extensively throughout my life. No matter where I’ve been in the world — whether it was attending services at Presbyterian Church in Egypt or the chapel of West Point, I’ve encountered a Westminster graduate. They are undoubtedly the best,” she said reflecting on this honor. “I will always remember attending rehearsals on campus when some of the world’s greatest conductors, such as Leonard Bernstein and Riccardo Muti, came to prepare students for major orchestral performances. Receiving an Honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from Westminster Choir College of Rider University was a highlight of my life.”

Marion was preceded in death by her husband of 34 years, John L. Cullen, an investment banker and founding president of the Corporate Bond Traders Club of New York. Her life and legacy will be recognized at select Westminster Choir College events in the coming year.

———

R. Miriam  Brokaw

R. Miriam Brokaw, a long-time resident of Princeton, died June 19, 2012 at Meadow Lakes in East Windsor.

Born in 1917 in Kobe, Japan, she was the daughter of Presbyterian missionaries, Rev. Harvey Brokaw and Olivia Forster Brokaw.

She graduated from Wilson College in Chambersburg, Pa. and began her publishing career in 1945 at the Princeton University Press. During the decades of her tenure at the press, Miriam made outstanding contributions, including her role in establishing the Princeton Library of Asian Translations. She rose to the position of associate director and editor at the Princeton Press, from which she retired in 1984.

In 1966, her alma mater, Wilson College, awarded her an L.H.D., honoris causa. From 1974 to 1975, she was president of the American Association of University Presses, the first woman to hold that high office.

Awarded a Fulbright to advise the University of Tokyo Press, she spent a fruitful year doing the work she loved and reconnecting with the country where she was born.

She was predeceased by her sisters, Evelyn Brokaw Cook, Dr. Katherin Brokaw, and Frances Brokaw Leet. She is survived by a nephew, Robert Leet; two nieces, Nancy Leet Manning and Helena Leet; and by several grandnieces and grandnephews.

Arrangements were by Kimble Funeral Home, Princeton.

Extend condolences at TheKimbleFuneralHome.com.

———

Francesca Delneso

Francesca Delneso, 98, of Princeton, died Friday, July 20, 2012 at Merwick Care and Rehab Center of Plainsboro. Francesca was born in Manhattan, N.Y. and resided in New York until age 6 before moving to Ischia, Italy, and then returned back to Princeton at the age of 20.

She was a member of St. Paul’s Church of Princeton. Francesca enjoyed writing, and would send birthday and anniversary cards to all her family and friends.

Francesca was the daughter of the late Salvatore and Teresa Trani, wife of the late Francesco Delneso; and mother of the late Francesco Delneso. She was also predeceased by three sisters and three brothers. She is survived by two sons and a daughter-in-law, John L. Delneso and Salvatore and Antonietta Delneso, all of Princeton; a daughter, Maria and Robert Merrick of Pennington; four grandchildren, Frank Delneso, Theresa Helper, Julianna Delneso, and Andrea Merrick; two great grandchildren, Steven and Michael Helper; and many nieces and nephews here and in Italy.

The funeral will be held at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, July 25, 2012 at The Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, 40 Vandeventer Avenue, Princeton.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Wednesday, July 25 at 10 a.m. at St. Paul’s Church, 214 Nassau Street, Princeton.

Burial will be in Princeton Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, Tenn., 38105; or St. Paul’s Church, 214 Nassau Street, Princeton, N.J. 08542.

———