April 26, 2017

Obituaries 4/26/17

Marlene A. Raboteau

Marlene A. Raboteau, 85, of Princeton, died at the Princeton Care Center on Thursday, April 20, 2017.

Born in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi in 1932, Marlene was raised there until 1945, when the racially motivated murder of her father, Albert Raboteau, prompted her mother, Mabel Ishem Raboteau to move north, settling in Kokomo, Indiana with Marlene, her sister Alise, and her brother, Albert, Jr. In 1947, the family moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she completed high school and attended junior college. Afterwards, she worked as a police dispatcher until 1958, when she joined the rest of her family in relocating to Pasadena, California. There she occupied a clerical position at St. Joseph’s Hospital. In 1982, she moved to Princeton where her brother, Albert, had joined the faculty of the Religion Department at the University. She did clerical work at the University Housing and Facilities Department. After retirement, she moved to Elm Court and then to Princeton Care Center. Debilitated by Alzheimer’s disease, her health began to fail over the past year and worsened significantly in the past month.

A parishioner of St. Paul Catholic Church, she received the last rites two days before her death.

She is survived by her brother Albert Raboteau; her nephews, Albert Raboteau III, Charles Raboteau and Martin Raboteau; her niece Emily Raboteau; her sisters-in-law Kathy Murtaugh and Joanne Shima Raboteau; her grandnieces, Lucia, Delilah, and Paz; and her grandnephews, Albert Jordy Raboteau IV, Geronimo Jacob, Ollie, and Gus.

A Memorial Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, April, 29, 2017 at 1 p.m. in St. Paul’s Church-Mercy Chapel, 214 Nassau Street, Princeton. Committal services will follow at Trinity-All Saints’ Cemetery, Princeton.

Extend condolences and remembrances at TheKimbleFuneralHome.com.

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Julia H. Rhodes

Julia H. Rhodes, 77, of Princeton Junction, passed away on Tuesday, April 18th, after an 18-month battle against cancer.

Mrs. Rhodes attended the Plumfield and Thomas schools in Connecticut, graduated as a Wellesley scholar in 1961, and earned her Masters in Teaching from Radcliffe in 1963. She wed Dr. Rodman Dunbar Rhodes that same year, and moved with him to Madison, Wisconsin and then to Champagne, Illinois, serving as a high school English teacher in both districts. The couple moved to Princeton in 1972.

Julia lost no time in making Princeton her home. In 1973, she began teaching English in West Windsor. In 1976, she joyfully became the supervisor of English and language arts instruction for the Spotswood Public Schools, a position that subsequently expanded to include supervising foreign language instruction. In 2001, she was named principal of Spotswood’s Austin G. Schoenly Elementary School, a post she held until her retirement in 2005. Julia then continued teaching, tutoring local students in English and completing educational consultancies in Haiti and Nigeria. She also co-authored, with her long-time friend Dr. Alice Deakins, an upcoming book entitled The Writer’s Sentence, and could be found reviewing drafts of this publication until a week before her death.

Julia was a devoted member of Nassau Presbyterian Church and of her community. She served as a Sunday school teacher for over 10 years, and particularly enjoyed helping her students organize the church’s annual fundraiser to fight river blindness in Africa. An enthusiastic community advocate, she was president of her neighborhood association. As a patron of the arts, she subscribed to McCarter Theater and the American Repertory Ballet, and volunteered regularly at both institutions.

Teacher, mentor, faithful disciple, community leader, and arts enthusiast; these all describe Julia, and yet do not do her justice. For it was as a friend, sister, and mother that she was the most exemplary. Brimming with compassion, humor, generosity, and intelligence, she cultivated friendships with many around the world, including the Kagitcibasi family of Turkey and the Camara and Sow families of Guinea. Many of the family’s closest friends simply referred to her as “mom.” The hundreds who have brought a problem to her kitchen table, and who have listened to her calmly suggest, “Let’s figure this out,” will forever miss her guidance, laughter, empathy, and wisdom.

Julia was predeceased by her mother and father, Albert Spaulding Howe, Jr. and Dorothy Waller Hutchinson Howe of Norwalk, Connecticut; her brothers Bert and Tom; and her husband, Rodman. She is survived by sister, Doria Howe; daughters Rebecca and Sarah, their husbands Fode Camara and Nicholas Stewart; and by grandchildren Julia Fanta Camara and Autumn Dunbar Stewart.

A service in her honor will be held at Nassau Presbyterian Church, 61 Nassau Street in Princeton, at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 6th. Funeral arrangements have been made by Varcoe-Thomas of Doylestown, Pa., www.varcoethomasfuneralhome.com.

In celebration of her life and that of her husband, the family is designing a custom gravestone. In lieu of offering flowers, you are invited to contribute to this more lasting gift by sending donations to her executor, Mr. Kirk Bonamici, CPA, P.O. Box 6231, Monroe Township, NJ 08831.

May Julia rest in peace, and may her example inspire many for generations to come.

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Samuel C. Tattersall

Samuel Cook “Sandy” Tattersall, 64, of Raymond, Maine died peacefully on March 3, 2017 surrounded by family and friends.

Born August 16, 1952 in Princeton to Martha Holding and Samuel Leslie Tattersall Jr., Sandy attended Princeton Country Day School and graduated from St. George’s School in Newport, R.I. and Babson College. Sandy spent his career in education, first at the Eaglebrook School and then for three decades at The Peddie School where he retired as dean of students in 2012. For 53 years he spent his summers at Camp Timanous in Raymond, Me, first as a camper and then as a counselor and program director.

Sandy’s love of the beach, Springsteen, Twinkies, and Pepsi was obvious to all who had the great fortune to know him.

Sandy is survived by his sister, Martha T. Giancola (Paul); his brother, Stowe H Tattersall (Peg); his nephew, David Giancola; his niece, Edie Tattersall; and by the best friends anyone could ask for.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 29 at noon at the Ayer Memorial Chapel at The Peddie School, Hightstown, New Jersey. Contributions in Sandy’s memory may be made to The Peddie School (memo line Tattersall) 201 S. Main Street, Hightstown, NJ 08520 or The Timanous Foundation, 23 Pawson Road, Branford, CT 06405.