Jane Cuyler Borgerhoff

Jane Cuyler Borgerhoff died on April 14, 2015 in Philadelphia, her home for over 30 years. She was diagnosed with Central Nervous System Lymphoma in 2010. She was in hospice care at the time of her death, with her children by her side.

Jennie was born in Princeton, New Jersey on July 27, 1949, the eldest daughter of Professor and Mrs. E.B.O. Borgerhoff. She attended Rose Cottage Nursery School, Nassau Street School, John Witherspoon School, and Miss Fine’s School. She graduated from Princeton Day School in 1967.

Jennie began her college education at the University of Michigan. She was accepted into the Residential College, a new and experimental facet of the university, and graduated with a BA in history in 1971.

One of the most important experiences in Jennie’s life occurred in 1963, when she went with her mother to the March on Washington and heard Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech. She continued to be politically active in college and to develop a sense of community and social responsibility, with a special interest in education. After graduating from college, Jennie began work on a Master’s in Education at Antioch Graduate School, during which time she taught second grade for a year in Norwich, Vermont.

Jennie’s interest in history, especially medieval, never faltered, and took her back to Princeton, where she entered the history department at Princeton University as a graduate student. She loved the research and writing required, but decided against a life in academia.

Jennie moved to Philadelphia, and after training and working as a legal assistant, found an opportunity through her Quaker Meeting to create a victim advocacy group. In 1989 she established Center City Crime Victim Services, the first such service in Center City, Philadelphia. The agency received an award from the mayor of Philadelphia.

Jennie remained a devoted Quaker all her life, serving as clerk of the Worship and Ministry Committee and as a children’s teacher at the Friends Meeting’s First Day School. Jennie was brilliant; she had a passion for books, for the arts, for learning of every sort. She was an adventurer and a traveller. She had a marvelous curiosity, a wonderful sense of humor, and a deep and abiding love for animals.

Jennie is survived by her children, Arthur Christopher Newlin Borgerhoff and Cornelia Grace Newlin Borgerhoff; her sister and brother-in-law Elisabeth Borgerhoff-Pomerleau and Dwayne Ricky Pomerleau; her sister Ledlie Newlin Borgerhoff; and beloved pets Dolce, Moe, and Spitfire.

There will be a memorial service in Philadelphia on Sunday, May 3, 2015 at 3 p.m. at Friends Center, 1515 Cherry Street. A private gathering will be held in Princeton in June.

Donations in Jennie’s memory may be made to the charity of one’s choice.

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Marie Elizabeth Spencer

Marie Elizabeth Spencer passed peacefully on April 22, 2015 at Acorn Glen in Princeton, New Jersey at the age of 101.

Marie was born January 17, 1914 to Elizabeth and William Tecumseh Sherman Bean in Philadelphia. She was the youngest of eight children John, Charles, Marcy, Katherine, Margaret, Bill, and Dorothy.

During the Depression, Marie worked in a cake baking factory in north Philadelphia among tough women, with tough hands. After hours, Marie enjoyed dancing. With a sweet and witty disposition she once caught the eye of the local ice delivery man, who, out of admiration, named his horse after her. But it was a sister Margaret who introduced Marie to her future husband, Earl Spencer, from Doylestown. Marie and Earl were married on June 6, 1941.

During World War II, Marie worked at the Frankford Arsenal and the family grew; four children, Earl, Judy, Barry, and Roger arrived both during and after the war. In 1949 the family moved from Philadelphia to a charming house on the Neshaminy Creek in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. It was in this home that Marie and Earl raised their children and welcomed four grandchildren into their lives: Eric, Kate, Stephanie, and Kristina.

Never one to let grass grow under her feet, Marie worked at Sears in the Neshaminy Mall in the 1970s and 1980s to help keep her candy bowl full. With a keen sense of humor, she took ten years off her age when she applied for the job, but being such a spritely spirit, no one ever knew. Marie remained in Bensalem until moving to Princeton with her daughter, Judy in 2013.

Marie became a member of the Acorn Glen community in October 2013. There, Marie enjoyed an active social life befriending staff and residents alike. With her two special friends Samantha and Melissa, who organize activities at the Glen, Marie thoroughly enjoyed trips to the horse track, the theater, and wine tasting events, as well as everyday activities like cooking classes, musical events, and birthday parties.

Marie is survived by her two children Earl and Judy, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren Sofia and Sylvia. She will be remembered fondly for her warm sense of humor, her ready smile, and her uncommon kindness. In her 101 years of life, Marie lived through an incredible swath of history, and like many of her generation, experienced tough times, yet she met every challenge with supreme grace, humor, and charm. She stands as an example to us all. Proud of her heritage, we salute Marie with one of her favorite toasts — “To the Irish.”

Extend condolences and remembrances to the Hoffman Funeral Home in Bensalem Pennsylvania: www.hoffmannfuneralhome.com/contact.

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Mahasin Rashada

Mahasin Rashada (formerly Patricia Ann White-Flenoid) died suddenly on October 27, 2014. She was born on June 26, 1951 to the late Olivia Magnum-White and Elisha White Sr. She was preceded in death by her sister Beverly Ann White.

Mahasin was born and raised in Princeton where she graduated from Princeton High School. She then moved to California and married Harlen Flenoid Sr.

She loved live concerts and plays, sewing, vintage stores, and flea markets. Upon being hired by United Airlines, she realized her dream of travel would become a reality. Her children were now adults and off she went! She visited many parts of the world. Later in life, her struggle with multiple sclerosis slowed her down. She maintained a wonderful attitude as she was determined to live life to the fullest. She joined the Senior Citizens Club which was just minutes from her apartment. She found fulfillment in assuming the duties of “Promotions Coordinator” and the members truly appreciated her skills and energy. She will be sorely missed in California and New Jersey.

Mahasin’s memory will be cherished by her children, sons Lance Sr. (Trekina); Harlen Jr. (Destiny); Muhammed (Kiera); and daughter Atiya of California. She is also survived by her sisters, Cynthia Fisher (Gilbert) of Princeton, New Jersey; Shirlene Wells of Morrisville, Pennsylvania; Gale O. Everett (Robin) of Princeton, New Jersey; and her brother Elisha White Jr. (Michelle) of Stockbridge, Georgia. She was the proud grandmother of 16 grandchildren. She also leaves to mourn uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews, and many cousins.

A memorial service was held on April 25, 2015 at 2 p.m. at The Arts Council of Princeton’s Paul Robeson Center, 102 Witherspoon Street in Princeton.

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Ramsay Watson Vehslage

Ramsay Watson Vehslage, 77, of Skillman, New Jersey, died peacefully and suddenly on Friday, April 17, at the University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro. He is survived by his beloved and loving wife, Ann; his much-loved children, Ramsay Watson Vehslage, Jr, of Madison, New Jersey; his daughter Murray Vehslage Isgrig of Denver, Colorado, her husband, Trent and their three children, Wyatt, Milly, and Hazel. He was predeceased by his brother, Stephen, in 2002. He was born in New York City on November 4, 1937, and moved at age 10 with his family to Haverford, Pennsylvania. He graduated from The Haverford School and with the class of 1959 from Princeton University. Prior to his retirement in 2010, Ramsay was president of the Bonney-Vehslage Tool Company of Newark, New Jersey, a manufacturing business founded by his grandfather in 1906. The company is now located in Springfield, New Jersey. Ramsay was a nationally-ranked squash player in his teens and twenties, an avid fly-fisherman, talented photographer, determined golfer, enthusiastic gardener, and a man deeply and quietly devoted to his family. His signature style was one of affection, humor, and integrity. Ramsay will be forever missed. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, June 12, at the Princeton University Chapel in Princeton. In honor of his lifelong interest in squash, donations may be made to The Pingry School for the Pingry Squash Courts, and sent to The Pingry School, Office of Institutional Advancement, 131 Martinsville Road, Basking Ridge, New Jersey 07920, or made via their website at www.blueprint.pingry.org.

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Anne Carolyn Reed

Anne Carolyn Reed, a Kingston resident for 27 years, died on April 3 in Charlotte, North Carolina. She was 93 years old. She died peacefully of old age in Harris Hospice of the Presbyterian Medical Center of Charlotte. Anne was a devoted wife, mother, and sister.

She was born on May 29, 1921 in Plainfield, New Jersey. She met her husband, S. Chadwick Reed, in junior high school; they were married in 1941. Later, she became the first married freshman to attend Connecticut College for Women. After his service in World War II, Chad attended Yale Law School and the couple lived in a Quonset hut near the Yale Bowl.

In 1947, the Reeds returned to New Jersey. Chad practiced law and later worked in the securities industry. The couple lived in Short Hills and in Summit and had two children, Ted and Elizabeth. After her husband died in 1982, Anne was employed by the Kemper Corporation in Summit for several years. She moved to Kingston in 1987 and to Charlotte in November 2014.

Anne remained active and physically fit into her 90s. She had an active mind. She enjoyed reading, following the news, pursuing various cultural activites, and playing scrabble and bridge with friends. She travelled frequently to Europe, first with her husband and later with friends. Until she was 92, she frequently traveled unescorted to Charlotte and Boston to visit her children.

She volunteered for the American Red Cross for many years. She was deeply involved with the Unitarian Church of Princeton, and she particularly enjoyed their Women’s Alliance.

Throughout her life, Anne remained close to her family. She was predeceased by her sister Nancy Lee Pierson, and by her brother Louis Rothberg. She is survived by her children, Ted Reed of Charlotte, and Elizabeth Reed of Boston; by her brothers, Dr. Harvey Rothberg of Princeton and John Charles Rothberg of Madison, Virginia; by her grandchildren Teresa Reed of Palo Alto, California, Gabriela Reed of Stamford, Connecticut, and Chad Reed of Minneapolis; and by her daughter-in-law Alexandra Jenkins of Charlotte; and her son-in-law Professor Jan Wampler of Boston.

A memorial service will be held at the Unitarian Church of Princeton at 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 21. Contributions in her memory may be made to that church or to the American Red Cross.

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Christine D. St. John

Christine D. St. John, 87, of Skillman, New Jersey died Monday, April 20, 2015 at Stonebridge at Montgomery.

Christine was born in Clacton-on-Sea, England, on September 11, 1927 where she spent her early childhood. In 1941, she and her parents moved from outside London to Honolulu, where she attended the Punahou School. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, she attended Maui High School and then the Castilleja School in Palo Alto, California. She later attended the University of Hawaii where she met her husband, Charles E. St. John. After their marriage, they moved to Philadelphia and then settled in Princeton. Christine was office manager of a local architectural firm for many years. Both Christine and Charles were active in Princeton Borough politics and she served as Princeton Borough Tax Collector from 1968 to 1972. Christine later went on to become director, New Jersey Division of Elections from 1982 to 1990, during the Tom Kane administration.

Christine was pre-deceased by her father Harry M. Dove, her mother Sheila P. Brady, and her husband Charles E. St. John. She is survived by her daughter Elizabeth S. Sykes and her husband Greg P. Sykes of West Grove, Pennsylvania; three grandchildren, Rachel S. Meyers and her husband Jonathan of Denville, New Jersey; Rebecca D. Sykes of Boston, Massachucetts; and Sarah E. Sykes of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is also survived by two great-grandchildren Ashley G. Meyers and Abigail S. Meyers. In addition, she is survived by her step-mother Lorraine Dove of Honolulu, Hawaii.

Funeral services will be private.

Arrangements are under the direction of the Mather-Hodge Funeral Home of Princeton.

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Christopher Mark Hagadorn

Christopher Mark Hagadorn, 63, of Skillman, New Jersey died peacefully at home surrounded by his loving family and dear friends on Friday, April 24, 2015. Throughout his very short, yet courageous battle with cancer, Chris maintained his ever-present sense of humor, and his concern was always and only for others.

Born on March 31, 1952, Chris graduated Princeton High School in 1970, attended Missouri Valley College, and worked in the printing industry for over 35 years. Chris was a sports enthusiast; throughout his lifetime, his loyalties lay with the New York Giants, Rangers, and Yankees. Chris’ real passion was golf. He was fortunate enough to play his favorite game with foursomes comprised of childhood friends as well as many new friends.

Chris is survived by his loving wife of 32 years, Adele Arcamone Hagadorn and his beloved daughter, Kaylen and her partner; Laura Enstad of New York City. Chris is also survived by his sister, Suzan Sanders of Redmond, Oregon; brothers, Randall of Titusville, New Jersey; Jeffrey of Hopewell, New Jersey; Thomas of Seaside Park, New Jersey; and several nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his brother Richard (Ricky) and his parents James Randall and Florence Swinnerton Hagadorn.

Chris’ legacy of humor, kindness, and love for family and friends will be celebrated at the Mercer Oaks Golf Course Clubhouse at 725 Village Road West in West Windsor, New Jersey. Visitation hours followed by a brief service will be held from noon to 3 p.m. on Thursday, April 30, 2015.

Memorial contributions may be made in Chris’ name to Princeton Hospice, 88 Princeton-Hightstown Road, Princeton Junction, New Jersey 08558, ATTN: Mary Winters or The American Cancer Society. The family wishes to extend their gratitude to Princeton Hospice and Merwick Rehabilitation Center for their immeasurable support during Chris’ illness.

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