Andrew Hamilton

Andrew (Choufrine) Hamilton, 26, formerly of Princeton, passed away suddenly in late June at his home in Manhattan.

Born in St. Petersburg in the former Soviet Union, Andrew emigrated to New York with his parents in 1993 at the age of five. The family later moved to Princeton where his father attended the Princeton Theological Seminary.  Andrew proudly became an American citizen in 2010 and legally changed his name to Hamilton. He was inspired by Columbia University founder and patriot Alexander Hamilton.

Andrew was a 2006 graduate of Princeton High School. As a young adult, he was able to lead various successful entrepreneurial ventures and, during high school, volunteered as Princeton Autism Technology’s sole web site manager. He was responsible for bringing the nonprofit organization to national prominence and helped families seeking distance learning for their autistic children.

Following graduation, he turned an internship opportunity into a full time product management position with Behavior Imaging Solutions, moving to Boise, Idaho for several years. As the company’s product manager, he was responsible for applied research, sales, and was integral to the company‘s award of several nationally-funded grants, including military projects and high-profile international research opportunities. He frequently presented on behalf of the company, and authored a prestigious Innovative Company Award. He continued to represent Behavior Imaging while attending Columbia University.

Andrew graduated in the Columbia University Class of 2013 with a degree in neuroscience. He had a deep interest in politics and public policy and interned for New York’s United States’ Senator Charles Schumer. He also worked as a research assistant for the New York City philanthropist Peter Petersen where he produced briefing papers on various public issues. In 2012, Andrew was one of 100 students chosen nationally as a White House Fellow. He interned in the President’s Office of Communications, Washington, D.C.

During his senior year at Columbia, Andrew traveled to Moscow where he interviewed and filmed Russian activists, dissidents and government officials on the topic of censorship in the new Russian democracy. Those interviews became the basis for an award winning documentary film, The Russian Soul which Mr. Hamilton wrote, film edited, and produced.

Andrew served as vice-president, Tenants Association at his residence 3333 Broadway, New York City. His commitment to affordable housing and the economic challenges it presented resulted in a number of articles on the topic in the Columbia Spectator among other publications.

At the time of his death, Andrew was employed by Haggerty Consulting, Chicago on a New York City specific project.

Andrew is survived by his mother Martina Kogan and his father Arkadi Choufrine, both of Princeton as well as a legion of loving and devoted friends in Idaho, Princeton, Washington, D.C., and New York City. Everyone who met Andrew was touched by his enthusiasm for life, insatiable curiosity, generosity of spirit, appealing charisma, and engaging laugh.

Friends are invited to gather on Sunday, July 20 at 3 p.m. in the Sanford Davis Room, Princeton United Methodist Church, 7 Vandeventer Ave. Princeton to remember and celebrate Andrew’s life and accomplishments.

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Jeanne Calo

Jeanne Calo passed away on June 20, 2014 in her Princeton home following a long battle with congestive heart failure. She was 98 years old.

Born in Tunis in 1916, Jeanne moved to Paris at the age of 2, completing her studies through law school and marrying in 1938 before returning to Tunis. In 1957, upon Tunisia’s independence, she emigrated to the United States with her husband and three children. She soon gave birth to a fourth child while initiating a long and successful career as a French professor. Following the completion of her PhD from the University of Pennsylvania, she taught for many years at Trenton State College (now The College of New Jersey), earning the respect of her colleagues and students.

A few years after her husband’s passing, Jeanne retired at the age of 71 and began pursuing her interests with a level of activity more characteristic of generations younger than her own. She opened her home to host a weekly French language group and biweekly Spanish conversation group, as well as annual musical evenings. The latter were attended by talented musicians who came from as far as Brooklyn to participate. Jeanne’s interest in music led her to play the piano again, which she had not pursued since leaving Tunis.

Her major interest and achievement became painting, which she had never attempted before, attending art courses at Mercer Community College. She soon developed a unique, vibrant style of acrylics that represented her personality, generating large numbers of paintings in the process.

Additionally, Jeanne found time to swim daily, to read French books for the blind, visit museums and exhibitions from Washington D.C. to New York, attend evening concerts, operas, dance performances, etc. and, until a few years ago, travel to many countries around the world.

Jeanne is survived by her four children, six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. To honor her wishes, her cremation was private, no memorial service was held, and donations are not being accepted.
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Zvi Eiref

Zvi passed away on April 17, 2014 and was buried in Princeton Cemetery. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Catherine (Lindy) Eiref, his three sons, Daniel, Ben, and Simon his six grandchildren and his brothers Michael and Jonathan Crystal and Oded Oreff.

Zvi’s life journey was unusual. He was born in British Palestine in 1938 and immigrated to Leeds, England in 1946 speaking no English. Within a decade he became one of the top law students at Oxford University (Christ Church College). He won a scholarship to do a Masters degree at the London School of Economics and a Fellowship to teach at the University of Chicago Law School. In 1973 he brought his family to America.

Zvi Eiref was an extraordinary business leader. He spent the longest period of his career at Church & Dwight in Princeton where he served as chief financial officer for over 20 years — from 1979-1988 and again from 1995 to 2006. Zvi was deeply committed to the success of the company, its business, and employees. Under his financial direction Church & Dwight grew from a small single product company known for its Arm & Hammer baking soda into one of the leading global consumer packaged goods companies spanning cleaning, personal care, specialty chemicals, and other segments.

Zvi helped steer the company through its growth into a multi-billion dollar business far outperforming most other publicly traded companies in America for many years. He was proud that each company share grew from the equivalent of 75 cents in 1979 to 43 dollars when he left in 2006. Over this period the company become one of the largest employers in the Princeton area and contributed to the lives of thousands of employees.

Zvi’s other corporate leadership roles include chief financial officer of Chanel, Inc. the global fashion company, from 1988 to 1995, and chief financial officer of Thomas Cook, one of the early pioneers in corporate travel in the late 1970’s. He also worked for Unilever in Holland in the early 1970s. Towards the end of his career Zvi worked with several private equity firms investing in early stage consumer packaged goods companies and served on the boards of a number of companies in the consumer goods industry.

Zvi was deeply committed to charity and public causes and provided decades of service to many groups in the community. Most recently he was on the board of the City Harvest, a New York City based organization dedicated to feeding the City’s hungry men, women, and children. He served on the board of directors from 2008 to 2012 and was treasurer of the board for several years. He played a key role in the strategic planning committee and helped set the organization on a path to significant growth. In the first year of the plan City Harvest moved 29 million pounds of food to hungry New Yorkers.

Zvi was involved with the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association, the Central New Jersey environmental group, for over 30 years. He served on the Board of Trustees for seven years, including four as treasurer, and on the organization’s advisory board for five years thereafter. He is credited for helping guide smart land use policies in the Princeton area and providing a steady hand to guide the Watershed through the financial crisis in 2008.

In the early 1990’s Zvi served on the board of Orbis International, the flying eye hospital which treats needy patients in emerging countries around the world. He helped the organization avoid bankruptcy and put it on a path to longer term financial strength. Orbis is still in business today.

Zvi was very active with the Princeton Township as a member of the zoning board and financial advisory committee and is credited with getting the University to pay a much larger and appropriate share of expenses to maintain civic services.

Zvi was deeply committed to education, reading, and travel from his earliest age and was a big inspiration to his family and friends in this regard. He often told of his hitchhiking trip around the United States in 1961. His family fondly remembers traveling with him around the U.S., to the great cities and countryside of England and Europe, the artifacts of Japan and central China, the hill towns of Mexico, Brazil, and around the southern tip of South America from Chile to Argentina. Zvi was particularly fond of visiting Israel and maintained a close relationship with his family there.

Zvi had several local hobbies he was passionate about. He was the owner of Amwell Ridge Farm for over 20 years and co-owner of the Unionville Vineyard in Ringoes. He was particularly proud of its award winning Chardonnay. Zvi’s family and friends drink a toast in memory of his incredible passion and life!

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Robert Moore

Robert Moore, 84, of Princeton, passed away peacefully at home on June 30, 2014 with his loving wife, Beverly at his side. Bob was born and raised in Princeton and graduated from Princeton High School class of 1949. He was employed for over 40 years with L.C. Bowers Construction Company before retiring and served in the New Jersey National Guard. He was a member of Trinity Episcopal Church of Rocky Hill, and was a former trustee and house chair at the Princeton Elks Lodge 2129 and was voted Elk of the Year by his fellow members. Predeceased by his parents John and Janet Moore, he is survived by his wife of 33 years, Beverly Beekman Moore, six children, Robert (Deborah), Cynthia Larson (Kevin), Scott (DeNelle), Clinton (Karol), Christopher (Jo Anne), and Tracy (Kenneth); four step children, Jacqueline Obinger (Jerry), John Maier, Jeffrey Maier (Patty), Joanne McGann (Thomas); eleven grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; ten step-grandchildren; and three step great-grandchildren; his brother, John (Dorothy), his cousins, William Toole, Mina Merle VanCleef, and Rev. Dr. George Toole, and several nieces and nephews.

Friends may call on Monday, July 7 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Wilson-Apple Funeral Home, 2560 Pennington Road, Pennington. An Elks memorial service will be held at 7 p.m. The funeral service will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, July 8 at Trinity Episcopal Church of Rocky Hill. Burial will follow in the Princeton Cemetery. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to: Christine’s Hope for Kids Foundation, PO Box 190, Hopewell, N.J. 08525 or Elks Camp Moore, New Jersey State Elks Handicapped Children, 665 Rahway Ave, P.O. Box 1596, Woodbridge, N.J. 07095.  Condolences are welcome at www.wilsonapple.com.

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Lucille Gaignault

Lucille Gaignault, 87, died Friday, June 27, 2014 at Stonebridge at Montgomery in Skillman. Born in Bronxville, N.Y. on January 29, 1927, to Raymond and Virginia (Ballard) Anthony, she had resided in Princeton since 1981. Lucille attended the Potter School in Phoenix, Ariz. and Stanford University where she studied biology and archaeology. She was a horse trainer in the United States and in France, where she lived for over 30 years prior to moving to Princeton. In her later years, she restored antique Staffordshire ceramics. A member of the Princeton Rug Society and le Cercle Francais, she also enjoyed classical music.

Lucille is survived by her daughter, Carlotta Gaignault, and her son, Igor Gaignault; son-in-law, Anthony Parker; daughter-in-law Jacqueline Gaignault; and four granddaughters, all of Paris.

Memorial contributions may be made to the New Jersey Audubon Society. Arrangements are under the direction of the Wilson-Apple Funeral Home, 2560 Pennington Road in Pennington. To send condolences, visit www.wilsonapple.com.

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Steven Carsten Paulsen

Steven Carsten Paulsen, 54, of Griggstown died Sunday, June 22, 2014. Born in Princeton he was a lifelong Griggstown resident. Steven was employed for over 25 years with the State of New Jersey, Division of Human Services. He was a member of the Bunker Hill Lutheran Church.

Brother of the late Cheryl Paulsen, he is survived by his wife Ella Paulsen, his parents Carsten E. and Judith M. (Olsen) Paulsen, two brothers James P. and Christopher G. Paulsen, sister Meredith Mangini, and several nieces and nephews.

Friends were asked to call on Sunday, June 29, 2014 at the Bunker Hill Lutheran Church, 235 Bunker Hill Road from 2 to 5 p.m. with a prayer service that began at 4:30 p.m.

The funeral service was held at 10 a.m. on Monday, June 30, 2014 at the church. Burial followed in the Griggstown Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to: Bunker Hill Lutheran Church 235 Bunker Hill Road, Princeton, N.J. 08540.

Arrangements are under the direction of the M.J. Murphy Funeral Home in Monmouth Junction.