Adel Ahmed

Dr. Adel Ahmed was inducted into the New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame in 2013 for his pioneering work in bipolar integrated circuit design, and worldwide use of the Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFC) integrated circuit when he was working at RCA. While he was there he also patented over 70 other inventions that are used in many areas of electronics. The ground fault interrupter saved many lives. He died at the age of eighty-four in Compassionate Care Hospice at Robert Wood Johnson, Hamilton, New Jersey.

He was born in Cairo, Egypt in 1932. He was the son of Dr. Abdel-Aziz Ahmed who was also an electrical engineer and Mrs. Ikbal Abou-Seif Radi.

He was educated at The English School in Cairo, and the University of Cambridge, England, graduating with BA Hons and an MA in engineering. Afterwards he went to the famed ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) in Switzerland where he obtained his PhD.

He then emigrated with his wife Betty (née Burton-Neckleput) and young son Sam to the United States. He got a job at RCA and they lived in Clinton, New Jersey where his second son Basil was born.

While working at RCA he also obtained a Law degree from Seton Hall University, New Jersey. Sadly Betty died of cancer in 1983.

In 1989 he married Cecile and moved to Princeton to work at Siemens as a patent lawyer while continuing to invent in his spare time.

Adel was an extremely gentle and kind man. He was very widely read in science, history, and literature, and we found great pleasure in his company at family gatherings. At his funeral on February 27, 2017 many of his former colleagues at RCA attended and poured out their love and admiration for him. He also loved music especially Bach and Beethoven. His wife Cecile played the piano and he played the flute and they would play for the family.

He is survived by his wife Cecil, his son Sam Burton, and his wife Jenn and their son Logan; his son Basil Burton and his wife Katie, and their son Collin; also by his two stepsons: Hassan and Ahmed and their families.

Adel is also survived by his sister Mrs. Giselle Hakki; his brother Dr. Samir Ahmed, professor of electrical engineering at City College; and Dr. Leila Ahmed, professor of divinity at Harvard University. All four siblings graduated from the University of Cambridge, which was a wonderful experience but hard on their parents who remained in Egypt.

Adel always talked about how grateful he was to have been able to emigrate to this country as it allowed him to pursue and develop his scientific interests, and Adel’s own parents would have been very proud of his achievements.

His father Dr.Abdel-Aziz Ahmed had a distinguished career in Egypt as an electrical and civil engineer and became the first Egyptian-born dean of the engineering department at Cairo University after graduating from Birmingham University, England, with a PhD. and a DSc in electrical engineering. He went on to become the chairman of the Hydro-Electric Power Commission and in that capacity completed his work on the electrification of the original Aswan dam. When Nasser came into power and wanted to build the new Aswan High Dam, Dr. Abdel-Aziz Ahmed expressed some scientific reservations regarding the proposal and fears about its possible effects on the ecology of Egypt. When he asked the government to explore other alternatives, he was ordered by government officials to suppress his views and destroy his research into the matter.

Dr. Abdel-Aziz Ahmed resigned and went to the Institute of Civil Engineers in London, and delivered a paper there explaining his views. This issue was reported by the journalist Claire Sterling in the American and English press at the time. He was advised that he should not go back to Egypt as he could face prison and fortunately he was able to stay in England with family for a year. In the meantime Dr. Abdel Aziz Ahmed had been awarded Egypt’s highest scientific award by his fellow engineers. The award came with cash and a gold medal, but Nasser ordered the government to withhold the medal and the money. Sadly that money was badly needed, as Dr. Abdel-Aziz was by now very ill and his wife Ikbal Abu-Seif Radi’s land and property had been seized under Nasser’s illegal so-called new land reform and property restrictions.

As a family, we are very gratified that our brother Dr. Adel Ahmed has been able to pursue his interests freely and to fulfill many of his dreams.

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Florence Logan Voorhees

Florence Logan Voorhees, 91, passed away peacefully at home on March 2, 2017.

Born in Trenton, New Jersey in 1925, she was the daughter of Robert Leuckel Logan and Ann Gallagher Logan.

Florence attended St. John’s Grammar School in Trenton and graduated from Cathedral High School in 1943 where she was valedictorian of her class. She then went on to Trenton State College (now The College of New Jersey) where she majored in English and history, graduating in 1947 with a Bachelor’s degree in education.

For the next 10 years she taught elementary grades at the Jefferson School in Trenton, New Jersey.

In April of 1953, she married and became the devoted wife of Foster M. Voorhees, III. In 2003, they happily celebrated the 50^th anniversary of their marriage.

Florence was predeceased by her husband, her parents, and by her only sister, Eleanor Logan Barbour, who was four years her senior.

She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Susan P. Voorhees and William D. Alden of Princeton; and by her son and daughter-in-law, Foster M. Voorhees, IV and Mary Alicia Devine of Titusville. Florence leaves three grandchildren, Madeline Voorhees Alden, Katharine Logan Alden and Grace Devine Voorhees, who were the lights of her life.

After her children were grown, Florence returned to The College of New Jersey and obtained a Master’s Degree in special education. She taught briefly at The Pennington School and then was employed by the Office of Education in the New Jersey Department of Human Services as a learning consultant, retiring in 1990 as assistant director.

Upon her retirement, Florence devoted her time, energy, and considerable talent to volunteer work. She began as a blood services volunteer with the American Red Cross in Princeton, rose to become the director of volunteers and ultimately served on the Board of Directors of the American Red Cross, Central Jersey Region. She was also appointed to the Board of Directors of the American Red Cross Blood Services, Penn Jersey Region.

Florence never forgot the many happy years she spent at The College of New Jersey both as an undergraduate and as a graduate student. She returned once again, as a member of the Alumni Executive Board, serving from 1993 to 1999.

Always interested in children and drawing from a lifetime of experience, she worked tirelessly for over 10 years as a member of the Child Placement Review Board of Mercer County, reviewing the many cases of children, who, under the aegis of DYFS, were in and out of home placements.

The funeral will be held Saturday, March 11 at 10 a.m. at the Wilson-Apple Funeral Home in Pennington. Friends and relatives may call at the funeral home Friday, March 10 between the hours of 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. and on Saturday from 9 a.m. until the time of the service. Interment will be in Ewing Church Cemetery, Ewing, New Jersey.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in her name may be made to the Mantoloking Fire Department, P.O. Box 214, Mantoloking, NJ 08738.

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Barbara Zenel

Barbara Gail Winecoff Zenel, a long time resident of Princeton, died peacefully on Friday, March 3, 2017.

Born September 27, 1932 to James Edgar Winecoff and Virginia Hahn, Gail grew up in Concord, North Carolina, graduating from Concord High School in 1950. Shortly thereafter she was employed at the David Sarnoff Research Center in Princeton. It was there at RCA Laboratories that she met her husband of 33 years, Joseph A. Zenel.

Gail was a homemaker who with her husband, Joseph, built a house and a loving home for their four children. An avid fan of nature, Gail loved gardening, cats, and camping along the Atlantic coast from Florida to the northern tip of Newfoundland. Always helpful to others, Gail’s civic-mindedness included volunteering at the American Red Cross, working as a local, state, and federal election poll worker, leading a Girl Scout troop, participating in the Saint Paul Roman Catholic School PTA and rummage sale, and for decades contributing to the Princeton Hospital (now University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro) Rummage Sale and Hospital Fete, frequently as the planning chair. Gail also worked at the Princeton University tennis courts where she enjoyed conversations with the numerous personalities who frequented there. In her latter years, she cherished her grandchildren and after the death of her husband Joseph, Gail enjoyed many a trip with close friends in the Princeton Getaway Club (she was a board member), and especially treasured the company of Vincent Sassman and his extended family with whom she was known as “Grandma Gail.” All remember her wonderful sense of humor.

Gail is preceded in death by her parents James and Virginia; husband Joseph; and daughter Susan G. Zenel.

Gail is survived by son Joseph A. Zenel, Jr., M.D. with his wife Jeanette; son James E. Zenel M.D. with his wife Mary; daughter Julie A. Zenel Moore with her husband David; and five grandchildren Matthew J. Zenel, Alison M. (Zenel) Leiataua, Christine A. Zenel, Katherine Zenel-Langlands, and Douglas Moore.

A Memorial Gathering will take place in the Kimble Funeral Home, 1 Hamilton Avenue, Princeton, on Monday, March 13, 2017 from 9 to 10 a.m. with a Memorial Service following at 10:30 a.m. in St. Paul Catholic Church, 214 Nassau Street, Princeton.

Burial will be in Princeton Cemetery immediately after the service.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad in Princeton, New Jersey or the Compassionate Care Hospice at the Robert Wood Johnson University Hamilton in Hamilton, New Jersey.

Extend condolences and share remembrances at TheKimbleFuneralHome.com.