Touran Batmanglidj

Touran Batmanglidj, age 83, died at home in Princeton, New Jersey on Monday, December 28, 2015. The cause was Alzheimer’s and related pneumonia. Born June 4, 1932, she lived in Iran, Iraq, the U.K., Turkey, and the United States. She moved to Princeton in February of 1979 following the Iranian revolution with her husband, Hooshang Batmanglidj, the former Iranian ambassador to Turkey. She was born in Iran and pursued a degree in psychology at University College, London. She loved archeology and explored all sites in Iran, Turkey, Iraq, Egypt, Pakistan and India and travelled extensively anywhere she could. As the wife of the Iranian ambassador to Turkey, she was a very popular hostess before coming to America. She was a wonderful wife, devoted and loving mother, grandmother, and good friend to many.

She and Hooshang made a new life in Princeton with their daughters and new friends after having lost all. Touran was an active docent at the Princeton University Art Museum, a real estate broker, and an avid bridge player. She is survived by her husband of nearly 60 years; her two daughters, Shahnaz Batmanghelidj and Sharmine Mossavar-Rahmani; her beloved grandsons, Herbert and Marcus Klotz and Carren Mossavar-Rahmani; and her two sons-in-law, Radford Klotz and Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani; her brother, Dr. Manuchehr Matboui; and sister, Parvin Matboui of Iran.

Touran will be remembered for her grace, her beauty, and her kindness. Burial services will be private.

We thank the lovely nurses, Monica Parsons, Andrea Ricio, and Shirley Mathelier for their loving care these last five years.

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Seymour Meisel

S.L. (Cy) Meisel died at age 93 on Monday, December 28, 2015 at his home in Princeton. He was born in Albany, New York in 1922 and received a BS in chemistry from Union College in Schenectady, New York and an MS and PhD in chemistry from the University of Illinois. He served in the U.S. Navy in 1944.

In 1947 Dr. Meisel joined Mobil Oil as a research chemist, and from 1968-1987 he served as vice president of research. As vice president of research, Dr. Meisel directed all of Mobil’s corporate research at three laboratory locations in New Jersey and Texas. He also had functional responsibility for Mobil’s overseas laboratories in England, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan.

Under his leadership Mobil research invented a process that increased the yield of gasoline from a barrel of crude oil by over 40 percent, which helped the United States import approximately one million barrels a day less of foreign crude oil. A catalyst was also invented that is used in plastics, polymers, petrochemicals, high quality diesel oils, lubricants, and to transform natural gas into high octane gasoline. Dr. Meisel was closely involved in the development and commercialization of Mobil 1, the synthetic lubricant that is ExxonMobil’s flagship for synthetics, which generated billions of dollars in revenue each year. The value of these discoveries to the United States are incalculable.

Dr. Meisel was an active member of numerous scientific organizations. He received the American Chemical Society’s Leo Friend Chemical Technology Award and Italy’s Dante Alighieri Society Award. He authored two books, along with 30 publications and patents, and he presented over 50 papers.

When he retired, Dr. Meisel became membership chairman of the National Academy of Engineering. He was also a member of the Board of Trustees of Union College and was awarded the alumni Gold Medal for distinguished service. He was a board member of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, McCarter Theatre, the Nassau Club, and Princeton United Jewish Appeal. He was president of the Board of the Friends of Princeton University Art Museum and a member of the Friends of the Institute for Advanced Studies.

Although Cy had many accomplishments, he was most proud of his family. He is survived by Jackie, his wife of 69 years, his three sons, Mark, Alan (Barbara), and Neil (Ann), and his grandchildren and great grandchildren. Jackie’s passion for art was shared by Cy as they visited museums and art exhibits throughout the world.

Born under the astrological sign of the lion, Cy arranged to have the following poem engraved on his grave stone:

Outside a Lion

Inside a Dove

Science was his Passion

People were his Love

Funeral services are Thursday, December 31 at 11 a.m., The Jewish Center, 435 Nassau Street, Princeton. Burial will follow at Princeton Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be given to the Cy and Jackie Meisel Nursery Scholarship Fund at The Jewish Center, or to the Princeton University Art Museum. Funeral arrangements are by Orland’s Ewing Memorial Chapel, 1534 Pennington Road, Ewing.

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