Louise Manning Moon-Miller

Louise Manning Moon-Miller died on February 21. She was 105. Born July 9, 1916, she lived through two world wars, two global pandemics, the moon landing, the Berlin Wall coming down, and the invention of the television and the internet.

Louise was raised by her father, Frederick Wiles Moon, a banker, and her mother, Beatrice Brodhead Dingman Moon, a homemaker. She spent an idyllic childhood in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania. After graduating high school from Wyoming Seminary in Kingston, PA, during the Depression, she was unable to afford college. Louise dreamed of becoming an artist, but her grandmother persuaded her to follow her sister Cornelia and become a registered nurse. After graduating nursing school at The Hospital of the Protestant Episcopal Church of Philadelphia, and still desiring a college education, she joined the U.S. Army, as they would send one to college. She was stationed at Walter Reed Hospital as a surgical nurse. Six weeks after her arrival in Washington, D.C., the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred.

After being sent to various locations throughout the United States, 1st Lieutenant Moon was assigned to the 59th Evacuation Hospital in Palo Alto, CA. The evacuation hospital, similar to M.A.S.H., moved with the front, forward or retreating.  The 59th Evacuation arrived in Casablanca on Christmas Eve, 1942. After a stay in Casablanca, they moved on to Sicily, Italy, France, and Germany. The 59th Evacuation Hospital was stationed in Dachau, Germany, when the war ended. Louise was with the unit that liberated Dachau in April of 1945. She had numerous photos of the tragic individuals she helped to free from that concentration camp. While in Casablanca, Louise went on a blind date with a young Army JAG attorney, Dan Miller. They ran into each other often in Africa, Sicily, and Italy until Dan returned to the states.

The war ended, and her unit was dispersed. She was sent to Fort Hood, Texas, but had a well-deserved leave which she spent in Pennsylvania. Dan Miller was stationed at the Pentagon but came north to visit often, and soon they were engaged to be married. As Louise was still in the service, she returned to Texas and they were married in a small service in Bastrip, Texas. She soon was discharged from the Army, for at that time the Army did not allow women in the service to be married. Dan and Louise moved to Hawaii where Dan practiced law, and their first daughter was born. They moved to Washington, D.C., and Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, where their two other daughters were born.

The family settled in Yardley Pennsylvania, in the late 1950s where Louise raised her girls and assisted Dan in his company, Keystone Pencil. The couple travelled frequently to Europe, especially to France, where Louise was loved, earning the nickname Rose Louise because of her fondness for French rose.

In the mid 1970s Louise finally received the college education she had long desired, graduating from college along with one of her daughters, receiving a BA in History.

In the late 1970s Dan and Louise divorced, and Louise took a job in the Housing Department of Princeton University. She worked at Princeton for over two decades, finally retiring in her late 80s.

An avid reader, Louise loved historical accounts, and novels. A member of the DAR and the Colonial Dames, she was also a devoted gardener, loved to cook French food, and play bridge. She continued to travel throughout her life going to Russia and back to Africa on safari. During her travels, Louise discovered that elephants seemed to have an interest in her. In Kenya, one chased her with a tree in its trunk, and at a zoo, one threw hay at her, all to the great amusement of her children and to Louise herself.

One of the great joys in her life has been her grandchildren – she was always interested in their lives and attended their school activities as often as possible, including giving a presentation to one grandchild’s kindergarten class about her experiences in Africa. Known to her grandchildren as Lulu, she was an example of grace, gentility, and generosity. They, in turn, adored her.

Louise moved to Stonebridge, in Skillman, NJ, in the early 2000s. Predeceased by her parents and her sister Cornelia, and her nephew, John Frederick Davison, she is survived by her daughters, Carol Maxwell Miller of Ithaca, NY, Barbara Miller Curtis (Kevin) of Lincolnville, ME, and Jody Miller-Olcott (Townsend) of Hopewell, NJ;  her beloved grandchildren, Anna Curtis (Ben Holstein), Lowell Olcott (Jess), and Olivia Olcott; her great-granddaughters, Julia Louise Holstein and Josie Elizabeth Holstein; her nephews, Wayne Davison, Frederick Moon Davison; and her nieces, Louise Davison, Patty Miller and Nancy Miller.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to SAVE — A Friend to Homeless Animals, 1010 County Road 601, Montgomery, NJ 08558.

Extend condolences and share remembrances at TheKimbleFuneralHome.com.

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Florence Eliese Mooney Raser

Florence Eliese Mooney Raser died peacefully at Harvest Hill, Lebanon, New Hampshire, on February 21, 2022. She was in her 93rd year.

She was born on August 16, 1929, the only surviving child of Lucile Apel and Walton Eisenbeis, predeceased by her infant sister Lucile Blanche Eisenbeis before her birth. As the only child among a loving, boisterous, and flamboyant cadre of aunts and uncles, her childhood was busy and full of love. She always cherished being surrounded by her family. Growing up, the family home on Brookline Boulevard in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was always open to their many relatives and friends.

Florence had a tight-knit group of childhood friends, and she stayed in touch with them throughout her life. While many of them were getting married, she embarked on a career in education, starting out first as a teacher at Beltzhoover Elementary School in the Pittsburgh suburbs. She took an interest in special needs education and, after earning her B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh, pursued higher education. She earned an M.Ed., also from the University of Pittsburgh, and was awarded an Ed.D. from Rutgers University in 1975, while still successfully raising four young children. She was an early innovator in educating students with learning disabilities, recognizing that children learn differently, and that teaching styles must be tailored to each student’s specific needs. She worked as a Professor at Monmouth College in New Jersey from 1975 to 1990, where she was the founding Director of the Center for Developmental Education.

She married her first husband, Dr. James (Jim) Henry Mooney at 28. The path to their marriage started with a blind date. After car crashes and other travails, they were wed on June 25, 1954. Together Florence and Jim raised their four children while juggling careers and moves from Pittsburgh to Kingsport, Tennessee, and eventually to Princeton, New Jersey. They were married for 22 years. Following Jim’s untimely death in 1976, she married her second husband, Thomas Jefferson Raser, also bringing his son, Jeffrey, into the family. They retired to Bonita Bay, Florida, and traveled extensively, especially to London, a city they both loved. They were together for nearly 40 years until his death in 2016. Florence often expressed how lucky she was to have been blessed with two long and loving marriages.

Florence was giving of her time outside of family and work, as well. In Princeton, she was active in supporting the Princeton Hospital, participating in the annual Hospital Fête fundraiser. She also worked with the Princeton Public Schools and several private schools in the area as a reading specialist, and she recorded audiobooks for the blind and visually impaired. While living in Florida, Florence served as a longtime patron and board member of the Naples Symphony Orchestra. She was also a champion for women’s rights issues and was a strong supporter of Planned Parenthood. She continued to advocate for special needs education, teachers, and for equality of educational opportunity throughout her life.

Florence was vibrant and social. She loved being surrounded by people, she loved to talk, and she always enjoyed a good party. A highlight of her summer months were the large and loud reunions, that included a growing number of grandchildren every year, held around the pool at the family home in Princeton. She was also a voracious reader, and was devoted to the New York Times crossword puzzles, which she completed in pen daily, until her final years. She was an avid bridge player throughout her life, joining clubs wherever she went; it was a game she loved.

She was never seen with a gray hair, deciding early on her signature hair color, and she never appeared in the sun without a pair of large, round, white sunglasses. She was proudly committed to her style until the end.

She is predeceased by her parents; her two husbands; her stepson Jeffrey (Jeff) Raser; her cousin Albert Eisenbeis Jr, and, her close friend, Albert’s wife Betty; and her cousins Earl and Herman Heckel. She is survived by her loving children, Reynold Mooney and his wife Hilary, Diane Mooney and her husband Frank Pietrantonio, Robert Mooney and his wife Cheryl, Sue (Moon) Mooney and her wife Tish, Jeff’s wife Mary; 15 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild, Eliese Quinn Mooney, whom she had the pleasure of meeting in-person shortly before her death.

In her final days she expressed a desire to just go home. Her father, Walton, was known for constructing elaborate displays around the tree at Christmastime, making that season especially full of magic and memorable for young Florence. She will be missed by her family, but they take solace that she has at last found her way home, hopefully at Christmastime.

An online guest book is available to leave a message of condolence for Florence’s family by visiting rickerfuneralhome.com.

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Adelina Giovanna Harwood

Adelina “Winnie” Giovanna Carnevale Harwood, 87, passed away peacefully on February 27, 2022 at home in Newtown, PA, where she resided for the past eight years. A cherished mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, she was born and raised in Princeton, NJ, where she met her husband and was employed by Educational Testing Service. She liked reading mystery books; watching crime shows and Pixar movies; and creating needlework, knit, and crochet pieces for her family. She enjoyed listening to music, especially country, big band, and anything sung by Pavarotti or Bocelli. Winnie loved celebrating and cooking during the holidays with her family. Most of all, she loved spending time with friends and family, especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her home in central Princeton was always open and her cookie jar was always full, earning her the nickname “Cookie Grammy” from her grandchildren and their friends.

Winnie was preceded in death by her parents Olindo and Emma (Procaccino) Carnavale, her beloved husband of 57 years, Robert E. Harwood, and her brother Olindo Carnevale, Jr. She is survived by her son David (Lynne) Harwood; her daughter Dana (Michael) Robinson; her grandchildren Sarah (Grant) Morrow, Julia (Brandon) Sieczkowski, Robert, Christopher, and Laura Harwood, Andrew Robinson, and Emily (Alec) Neumann; and her great-grandchildren Teagan and Elodie Morrow and Quinn and Raelynne Sieczkowski. 

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Thursday, March 3, 2022 at St. Paul’s Church, 216 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ 08542. Burial will follow in Princeton Cemetery. Out of an abundance of caution, the family asks that anyone attending the services wear a mask. The service will also be livestreamed on stpaulsofprinceton.org. 

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Chandler Hall Hospice, 190 S. Sycamore Street, Newtown, PA 18940; St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at stjude.org; or Shriners Hospital for Children at shrinerschildrens.org.

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

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Donald T. Dickson

Donald T. Dickson, 82, passed away peacefully in his Florida home on January 18, 2022.

Born in Downers Grove, Illinois, on March 18, 1939, Donald graduated from Carleton College and earned an Antarctic Service Medal from the National Science Foundation in recognition of valuable contributions to exploration and scientific achievement under the U.S. Antarctic Program. He earned a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School, and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. In 1971, he became a Professor at the University of Rutgers, New Jersey. During his tenure, he published several books on law and social policy before retiring in 2007. In 2008, he was named Professor Emeritus, and continued to be a part time instructor and lecturer through 2019.

He was a resident of Princeton for over 45 years. He is survived by his sister, Barbara Dickson Stewart, his son, David, and David’s wife and two children.