David Hagen

David F. W. Hagen, 91, died peacefully at home on Thursday, April 13, with family members present. He was born on February 16, 1932, in Makhanda (then Grahamstown), Republic of South Africa, and attended Pretoria Boys High School, Pretoria, RSA. He graduated from Rhodes University, Makhanda, in 1953 with a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and History and a teaching diploma. He then emigrated to Lusaka, Zambia (then Northern Rhodesia) and taught in the Gilbert Rennie schools. On April 5, 1955, he married Elisabeth (Liz) Slater, also a Rhodes University graduate.

In August of that year, David and Liz moved south to Harare (then Salisbury), Zimbabwe, where he started work with the Anglo American Corporation of South Africa, a mining company based in Johannesburg. In 1961 David was one of 12 prize winners named by the Chartered Institute of Secretaries in London. Among 2,935 candidates, he won the Institute’s Overseas Prize for the best overseas candidate.  

After seven years, during which their three sons were born, David and Liz moved north again, this time to Kitwe, Zambia, where David served as education officer to the Rhokana-Kitwe Copper Mine. In the fall of 1963, the family moved to England, where David worked for Honeywell and the Challoner Company until he was recruited by Kepner Tregoe, a consulting firm based in Princeton. In 1967 he opened the firm’s first office in England and was invited to join its office on Research Road in Skillman. The family arrived at Philadelphia airport on August 17, 1969.
After two years, David left Kepner Tregoe. He worked as a management consultant for Larry Wilson of Minneapolis and the Forum Corporation of Boston. In 1971, he and Liz bought The Queenstown Shop, a picture framing business at 43 South Main Street, Pennington. They owned the shop for 10 years and earned a reputation for fine work. During that time, David built his own consulting business, specializing in management training for the banking industry. From 1985 to 2007, he ran courses worldwide, as evidenced by his collection of 60 miniature national flags purchased at airports around the world. His favorite venue was Turkey, where he taught annually for 22 years.

David served on the boards of NAMI Mercer NJ, Greater Trenton Community Mental Health, and Woodmont Homeowners Association. His consulting career was ended by a catastrophic fall on the tennis court which destroyed his hearing in one ear and greatly reduced it in the other.

David then qualified with Audrey Grant as a bridge director, ran games at St. Matthew’s Church in Pennington, Windrows, and Princeton Landing, and attracted a number of students. He remained a bridge enthusiast, playing regularly and occasionally substituting as a director in Bill Miller’s sanctioned games at the Princeton Senior Resource Center and the Stone Hill Church.

David ranked in American MENSA’s top two percent. He was especially proud of his 35 years of sobriety. He was a loving husband and father, and had a charming manner and a wicked wit.

He is survived by his wife Liz; his sons and their wives, George and Terri, Anthony, Stephen and Melanie; his grandchildren Sophie, Brooklyn, Max, Sam, and Noah; his brother Timothy and sister-in-law Pat (Stellenbosch, RSA); his three nephews and their wives, Peter and Christina, Andrew and Hayley, and Daniel and Samantha. They will all miss him very much.

A memorial gathering will be held later in the year. Donations in David’s memory can be sent to the Trenton Rescue Mission or Mercer Street Friends. Condolences can be addressed to Liz Hagen and family at 1101 Sayre Drive, Princeton NJ 08540.

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Edwina Keaney

Edwina Marie (Tonelli) Keaney, a longtime Princeton resident, died peacefully March 23 at Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center after a brief illness. She was 92.

Born and raised in Ontario, Canada, the daughter of Giuseppe Tonelli and Elda Gabbianelli, “Toni,” as everyone called her, earned a nursing degree in Toronto, and accepted a nursing position at Peter Bent Brigham hospital in Boston in the mid-1950s.

While in Boston, on a blind date, Toni met her future husband, John J. Keaney, who was then studying for a doctorate in Classics at Harvard University. They married in 1957, and in 1960, their newborn daughter Anne in tow (followed shortly thereafter by sons John and Paul), they moved to Princeton, where John accepted a position on the faculty at Princeton University. He was to embark on a distinguished 40-year career in the Classics Department, and Princeton became John and Toni’s cherished home for the duration.

Toni reveled in raising her three children, who lovingly called her “Mum” – as did her children’s friends. Such was her warm and caring nature. Though she was employed for years as a substitute nurse in the Princeton public school system and later as a favorite substitute teacher (students in her classes actually behaved!), there was little doubt the role she enjoyed most was as a loving and supportive mother.

In later years, when her beloved daughter Anne was fighting the debilitating effects of Multiple Sclerosis, Toni’s round-the-clock care for Anne and fierce advocacy on her behalf was a model of motherly love and devotion.

Toni was blessed with three grandchildren, whom she adored (the feeling was mutual), and this past October achieved the status of great-grandmother, which tickled her to no end.

Toni’s interests were marvelously diverse, and reflected her ceaseless intellectual curiosity. She enjoyed her travels to Europe, soaking up the art in the museums and cathedrals of Rome, Florence, Paris, and London. She was an avid reader; ancient and European history, biographies and early Hollywood among her favorite genres. In her 80s she took adult courses at Princeton University.

Additionally, she was a superb cook, always adding to her repertoire, a needlepoint enthusiast, and looked forward to day trips with friends to New York to attend shows and the opera.

Her daily routine, particularly in her golden years, included knocking off the New York Times crossword puzzle and watching Turner Classic Movies, and perhaps a Western or two.

Toni is survived by her sons John J. Keaney and Paul M. Keaney; daughter-in-law Mary Jo Keaney; grandchildren Laura C. Huntley (Aaron), Alex K. Solaas (Shawn), and Sonya M. Keaney; and great-grandson Callahan P. Huntley.

She is predeceased by her husband John J. Keaney; daughter Anne M. Keaney; and daughter-in-law Asmira Halim.

Arrangements by Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, Princeton.

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John S. Chamberlin

1928-2023

John S. (Jack) Chamberlin, 94, passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, April 12, 2023 with his beloved wife Mary by his side. Born on July 29, 1928, in Boston, Massachusetts, he was the son of Stephen and Olive (McGrath) Chamberlin and was raised in Dorchester, Massachusetts. He was a graduate of the Boston Latin School, obtained his AB cum laude from Harvard College (1950) and received a Masters in Business Administration from the Harvard School of Business (1953).

As a young boy, Jack acquired a love for the challenges of sales and marketing serving customers at his father’s ice cream stand, Chamberlin’s Ice Cream, in South Boston. It was no surprise then, when following his graduation from HBS, he launched himself into a long and fulfilling career in the consumer products industry where he was recognized as an expert and leader in the development of national and international markets.

His career began at the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) and he quickly moved to join the General Electric Company where he thrived for 22 years rising to Vice President and General Manager of the Housewares and Audio Business Division, successfully leading a turnaround of that business. With Mary he created lifelong friends among his colleagues at GE in the growing consumer electronics field, as his career took them and their children through four northeast states until settling in Princeton, New Jersey, where they have resided for the past 45 years. Following his time at GE, he joined Lenox, Inc. as President, Chairman, and CEO. In five years, he restructured the company, reestablished the brand, made strategic acquisitions and negotiated the ultimate sale of the company.

In 1985 he joined Avon Products as President and Chief Operating Officer where he remained until deciding to enter the private equity field. As an active participant in several private equity acquisitions of consumer products companies, he spent another decade as a board member, advisor, leader, and mentor to younger executives, a role he relished. During this period, he served as Executive Chairman of the LifeFitness Company.

Jack served as a director on the boards of public companies and private institutions including, The Travelers Companies, The Scotts Company, Prince Manufacturing Sports Company, Princeton HealthCare System, The Parsons School of Design, The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, Junior Achievement of New York City, and The National Association of Manufacturers. He was a longtime parishioner of Saint Paul’s Parish and a Knight of the Order of Malta. He was a member of The Bedens Brook Club, The Harvard Club, and The Nassau Club.

One of his most rewarding accomplishments was his role as member of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Princeton HealthCare System in helping to develop and guide the strategic plan to build an entirely new hospital and health campus, the new University Medical Center at Princeton, a state-of-the-art hospital that opened in Princeton in 2012, now known as Penn Medicine Princeton.

He is survived by his devoted wife of 68 years, Mary (Leahy), who was everything to him; his children, Mary Katherine Durgin (Bill), Trish Keyes (Ted), Carol McCabe (Patrick), John Chamberlin, Liane French (Tim), and Mark Chamberlin (Deana); 15 grandchildren; two great grandchildren; his brothers Stephen (Rosemary) Chamberlin and Kevin Chamberlin; and several nieces and nephews.

Jack’s passion for his work throughout his life was only surpassed by his love and unwavering commitment to his family and to his faith. He and Mary were happiest when they were surrounded by their loving children and cherished grandchildren at their welcoming home. He also enjoyed the simple pleasures of cheering on the Red Sox, rooting for Harvard, playing pitcher in a spirited game of wiffle ball with the grandkids, belting out in song around a piano, and taking in the remarkable sunset over Cape Cod Bay.

The family wishes to extend their sincere gratitude to Carren Oluoch for her compassion and care these last few years.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held for members of the Chamberlin family.

Memorial donations may be made to Princeton Medical Center Foundation, 5 Plainsboro Road, Suite 365, Plainsboro, NJ 08536 (princetonhcs.org/princeton-medical-center-foundation/donate-now).

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

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Joseph Sferra

Joseph Sferra, 80, of Pennington passed away on April 9, 2023. He was born in Pettoranello del Molise, Italy. At the age of 15, he came to the United States with family and resided in Princeton. For the past 45 years he has lived in Pennington.

Upon arriving in Princeton, he worked for Nelson Glass until he joined his brothers as a barber at Continental Barber Shop in Princeton. His skilled talent and craftsmanship lead him to his career at Princeton University as a glazier and carpenter. He worked at Princeton University for 48 years until his retirement.

He was a family man who loved spending time with his children and grandchildren. They were his world as much as he was their world. He was exceptionally talented with all trades. He would always have projects ongoing to which the end results were breathtaking. He was one of a kind in all aspects. He would be the first wanting a family gathering and to raise a glass with family and friends. He always would leave you with his signature line “see you at Christmas.”

Predeceased by his parents Domenic and Angelina (Toto) Sferra; brother and sister-in-law Antonio (Clara) Sferra, brother and sister-in-law John (Rose) Sferra, and brother-in-law Oreste Sferra; he is survived by his son and daughter-in-law Scott and Meredith Sferra; daughter and son-in-law Jennifer and Michael Kopliner IV; grandchildren Ava, Ryan, and Joshua; brother and sister-in-law Umberto (Ester) Sferra, brother and sister-in-law Florindo (Patricia) Sferra, sister Assunta Sferra; and many nieces, nephews, and friends.

Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on April 18 at St. Paul’s Church, 216 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ. Burial followed in Princeton Cemetery.

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

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Joy Astrid Martin Shin

Joy Astrid Martin Shin, 86, died on Wednesday, March 29, 2023, at the Miami Valley South Hospital in Dayton, Ohio. A good and faithful servant, Joy was surrounded by her loved ones as she moved on to life eternal.

Joy was born in 1936 in Chicago, Illinois, as the youngest daughter of Salvation Army officers Thomas Herbert Martin and Edythe (Somers McElhiney) Martin. In 1954, Joy earned her high school diploma from Southwest High School in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her father nicknamed her “Joy Bells.” A dedicated musician, Joy enjoyed playing French horn in the orchestra, and alto horn in Salvation Army bands throughout her school years. In 1959, Joy earned her Bachelor of Science from the University in Minnesota School of Nursing and became a registered nurse. While working at a hospital in Chicago, she met a seminary student and Korean immigrant, Tai Shin. After Joy earned her Master’s in Nursing Education from Teachers College at Columbia University, Joy and Tai got married in July of 1963. They raised their three sons in Indianapolis, Ann Arbor, Detroit, and later, in Princeton Junction, New Jersey. Joy had a passion for medicine and leadership, working as a nursing professor and medical administrator throughout her career. 

From 1974 until last year, Joy lived with her husband Tai in Princeton Junction near Grovers Mill Pond, and most recently along the Millstone River. After Tai’s death in in March of 2022, she moved to senior living to be closer to her son and his family in Dayton. Throughout her life, Joy, aka “Bud,” was a sociable and generous neighbor. She especially loved to read the New York Times, biographies, history, and novels, sing show tunes, attend church, share meals, and Facetime with her family and grandchildren.

Joy is predeceased by her brothers, Robert Cale (Bobby) Martin and John Herbert Brengle (Jay) Martin, and survived by her sister, Edythe Anne (Edie) Memmott of Rumson, NJ. She is also survived by her brother-in-law, Sun Kyun Shin (Christine), and sisters-in-law, Elsie Martin, Sue Loesch, Rhonda Shin, and Jamie Chi (Ken). Tai and Joy had three sons — Kent (Kelley), Wesley (Maren), and Mark (fiancé Amy). Tai and Joy had seven grandchildren — Darren, Matthew, Rosemary, Daniel, Christina, Brandon, and Audrey. She is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews.   

Visitation will be held on Friday, April 21 from 6-9 p.m. at the Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, 40 Vandeventer Avenue, Princeton, NJ. A Service in Witness to Resurrection and Interment will be held on Saturday, April 22 at 11 a.m. at Dutch Neck Presbyterian Church in Princeton Junction, NJ.

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

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Robert E. Van Vranken Jr.

Robert Eakins Van Vranken Jr. of Pennington, New Jersey, died April 4, 2023 due to complications of dementia. He was born September 23, 1935 in Brooklyn, NY. He was a graduate of the Lawrenceville School, Cornell University, and Rider University.

He was married to the late Kenan Myers Van Vranken for over three decades and together they raised three sons.

A strong believer in the citizen-soldier tradition, he served in ROTC at Cornell and for 36 years in the Army Reserve and National Guard, retiring in 1995 as a Lieutenant Colonel.

In 1966 he joined the administration of Princeton University, where he served for over four decades in various positions including the Offices of Registrar, Admissions, and Annual Giving. The many connections he made with students and their families during his tenure at the University still live on today. He believed strongly in the mission of the University and worked tirelessly to create opportunities for students to attend Princeton and be supported as they worked towards their degrees. He concluded his long service to the University in the Office of Annual Giving, where he was able to help extend opportunities for future students by building strong partnerships with alumni. His work at Princeton earned him honorary membership in eight classes: 1943, ’46, ’47, ’48, ’50, ’51, ’52, and ’77.

In the New Jersey community, he was the founder of the Lawrence Township Helping Houses Child Safety Program. He was a co-founder of the Lawrence Township Youth Hockey Program, where he taught hundreds of boys ice hockey skills.

One of Rob’s great joys was to walk in the Adirondack Mountains. The family made numerous camping trips in the Heart Lake region. As a reflection of their love for the Adirondacks, Robert and Kenan sent all three of their sons to Camp Dudley in Westport, New York. In 2002, Rob walked the 500-mile Camino Francès route of the Camino de Santiago in Spain.

He is survived by his three sons Robert III (Barbara), Nelson (Amy), and Peter (Amanda), and by his eight grandchildren Cooper, Kenan, Brennan, Sarah, Arnold, Elise, Norah, and Silas.

A private graveside ceremony will be held later this month in Princeton, New Jersey. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be directed to Trinity Counseling Service of Princeton, NJ.

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Domenico E. Tamasi

Domenico E. Tamasi, 93, of Skillman passed away on April 15, 2023 at home surrounded by his loving family.

He was born in Pettoranello del Molise, Italy. Domenico was a restaurateur. He was the owner/operator of the Glendale Inn in Ewing, NJ.

Predeceased by his parents Nicola and Elvina (Palumbo) Tamasi, a brother and sister-in-law Eliseo and Lina Tamasi, a sister and brother-in-law Vincenza and Ginefrico Pirone, and a son-in-law Raymond Pettus.

Domenico is survived by his loving wife Adele R. (Petrecca) Tamasi; two daughters Elvina Pettus, Sandra Tamasi; two sons and a daughter-in-law Nicholas Tamasi, Paul and Laurie Tamasi (Siggia); 10 grandchildren Ean Jacobs, Erroll Tamasi, Ryan Pettus and Jennifer Pettus (Casamalhuapa), Erin Pettus, Ellis Tamasi, Evan Pettus and Devin Pettus (Brakel), Briana Tamasi and Guthrie Schoolar, Emma Tamasi, Peytann Tamasi, Jameson Troy; four great-grandchildren Bianca Pettus, Elizabeth Pettus, Dominic Pettus, Miles Parker; and many other nieces, nephews, in-laws, and cousins.

Domenico first immigrated from Italy to Princeton, New Jersey, USA in April 1948. He resided with his sister Vincenza and worked various landscaping jobs with his brother-in-law Ginefrico. He remained in the United States for several years before returning to Italy where he met Adele. They were married on July 10, 1954 before they made the return voyage to the United States in December 1954.

Domenico was ever-resourceful and an inspired worker whose ambition became a life that revolved around food. While he continued his evening work as a landscaper, he began his culinary career at The Princeton Inn as a pot washer. After his shifts, he would stay on to apprentice with the butcher.

Domenico worked his way up to butcher, acquiring various other skills along the way — including ice sculpture carving. He then advanced to Purchasing for Dining Services on campus at Princeton University’s Wilcox Hall. While working at the University he attended seminars and was awarded certificates from The Culinary Institute of America, Cornell University, Ball State University, Immaculata College, and The University of Oklahoma — to name a few.

While honing his craft he started his own catering business. As a caterer, he was a sought-after source for weddings and community events.

In 1972, along with his partners Ennio and Anthony Lieggi, he acquired and ran the very successful Glendale Inn in Ewing, New Jersey. In 1981 he sold the business and accepted a position at Meadow Lakes Presbyterian Homes as Director of Food Services in East Windsor, New Jersey, which is where he worked until he retired.

Domenico and Adele raised four children and hosted countless holidays, birthdays, events, and family meals at their home. They were able in the later years of his career to travel to Italy frequently, as well as many other countries, islands, and states.

Domenico was known for his prosciutto which he prepared and cured in his home, his art for making exceptional meat sauces, and his ever-popular clams casino. Domenico and Adele were excellent cooks and hosts for family and friends.

Domenico was very active in his community. He served on the Ways and Means committee at the Princeton Italian American Sportsman Club, was a member of the Roma Eterna, served as President of the Princeton-Pettoranello Sister City Foundation from 1996-97, and was a Foundation trustee from 1992-2010. In 2005 he was awarded the Order of Merit and named Caveliere by the Foundation. The ties to the Sister City of Pettoranello were solidified with this honor as it reinforced the message of family and tradition — both of which were paramount in Domenico’s life and heart.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Princeton-Pettoranello Sister City Foundation or St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church.

A visitation will be held from 10-11a.m. on Monday, April 24, 2023 at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Monday, April 24, 2023 at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church. Burial will follow in the Princeton Cemetery.

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

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Bruce McLain Breckenridge

Bruce McLain Breckenridge, 96, passed away on Sunday, February 19, 2023, at Pennswood Village in Newtown, Pennsylvania. He was born in Brooklyn, Iowa, on November 7, 1926, as the son of Robert W. Breckenridge and Mildred McLain Breckenridge. He grew up in Ames, Iowa, near Iowa State University, where his father was a member of the engineering faculty.  He had a strong love of nature and the outdoors, encouraged by his uncle, the noted ecologist and conservationist Walter J. Breckenridge.

In 1967 he became the first chairman of the Department of Pharmacology at the newly established Rutgers Medical School, now known as the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.  He served in that position until 1989, and then continued as Professor of Pharmacology and Adjunct Professor of Medicine until his retirement as Emeritus Professor in 1995. He and his wife Mary Breckenridge lived in Princeton, New Jersey, before moving to Pennswood Village in 2003.

Dr. Breckenridge’s first publication was a brief 1943 report in The Auk, describing how he and three high school friends, with advice from wildlife biology professor Paul Errington, conducted field work to determine the incubation period of the great horned owl.  He entered Iowa State University in 1943 and served in the United States Navy during 1945-46. He pursued graduate studies in physiology at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry and was awarded the PhD degree in 1952. He continued there as an instructor while completing clinical requirements for the MD degree in 1956. During that time, he also conducted research on the biochemical basis of multiple sclerosis.

He became a medical intern at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri in 1956. He then joined the Department of Pharmacology, Washington University School of Medicine where he pursued research on carbohydrate metabolism in the brain. Both at Washington University and in later work, he and his collaborators produced a series of notable publications on the mechanisms of hormones, neurotransmitters, and therapeutic agents, with a particular focus on the signaling roles of the neurotransmitter cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP).

He was selected as a Markle Scholar in Academic Medicine for 1959-1964. During a sabbatical year in 1964-1965, he was a visiting scientist at the Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique in Paris. This year gave him the opportunity to establish ties with many other laboratories in Europe, and it was a formative experience for the family members who accompanied him. Later, in 1984, he was a visitor at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, affiliated with Harvard Medical School in Boston.

At the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Dr. Breckenridge helped to establish the Pharmacology and Toxicology Graduate Program with Rutgers University and to affiliate the medical school with Middlesex General Hospital (now Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital). He served on numerous university and government advisory panels and committees. 

He was a member of the Nassau Presbyterian Church in Princeton, New Jersey, where he served for a time as a deacon.

He was predeceased in 2022 by his wife of 72 years, Mary Alice (Barber) Breckenridge.  He was also predeceased by his sisters Harriet Turkington, Esther Blackburn, and Eleanor Gates. A loving and devoted father, he is survived by three daughters and two sons-in-law: Lee Peters Breckenridge and Robert A. Margo; Janet B. and Raymond T. Pierrehumbert; and Ellen Douglas Breckenridge. He is also survived by four grandchildren Anna McLain Pierrehumbert, Nadia Douglas Pierrehumbert, Larissa Douglas Koch Ursprung, and Andrei Santino Breniman Koch, and by three great-grandchildren David Barber Speh, Eric Douglas Speh, and Laura Dente Speh.

A private funeral and burial were held at the Princeton Cemetery (Princeton, New Jersey) on February 24, 2023.

Arrangements are under the direction of Mather Hodge Funeral Home.

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Mary Alice Barber Breckenridge

Mary Alice Barber Breckenridge, 97, died peacefully on May 5, 2022, surrounded by her loving family at Pennswood Village in Newtown, Pennsylvania. She was born in Omaha, Nebraska on March 4, 1925, as the daughter of Peter Thaddeus Barber, Jr. and Alice (Douglas) Barber.  She grew up in Omaha, where her parents worked together in the family dental supply business. 

She and her husband Bruce McLain Breckenridge resided in Rochester, New York; University City, Missouri; and Princeton, New Jersey, before moving to Newtown, Pennsylvania in 2003.

She received her undergraduate degree in chemistry in 1947 from Iowa State University, where she met her future husband Bruce Breckenridge, whom she married in 1949. She received a master’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Iowa in 1949. In the 1950s she worked as a research assistant at the University of Rochester School of Medicine, and in the 1960s at Washington University in St. Louis, where she collaborated on several celebrated studies in public health. 

Professor Breckenridge earned a PhD in sociology from Princeton University in 1976, graduating as a member of the first class of women in a new program for mature graduate students. She then completed a postdoctoral fellowship in biostatistics. Among her mentors was the biostatistician John Tukey, whose methods of exploratory data analysis she applied in her book Age, Time, and Fertility: Applications of Exploratory Data Analysis (1983). Regarded as a pioneering work in population sciences, this book used robust statistical methods to model two centuries of longitudinal fertility data from Sweden.

Professor Breckenridge joined the faculty at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (now part of Rutgers University) in New Brunswick, New Jersey, where she developed several new degree programs and obtained substantial funding from the National Institutes of Health. She conducted innovative studies of community-based health services and pursued influential research in population sciences. She was honored several times for her contributions to the scholarly mission of the medical school. A YMCA Tribute to Women in Industry (TWIN) award in 1994 commended her as “a role model and mentor for women and men in academia.” She retired in 2000 as Professor Emerita of Family Medicine.

Professor Breckenridge was a longtime member of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. She was active in the Princeton Graduate Alumni Association.  She was a member of the Nassau Presbyterian Church in Princeton, New Jersey, where she served for a time as a deacon. 

Professor Breckenridge was survived by her husband of 72 years, Bruce M. Breckenridge, who passed away on February 19, 2023. An inspiration to her children and grandchildren, she is survived by her three daughters and two sons-in-law Lee Peters Breckenridge and Robert A. Margo, Janet B. and Raymond T. Pierrehumbert, and Ellen Douglas Breckenridge; her four grandchildren, Anna McLain Pierrehumbert, Nadia Douglas Pierrehumbert, Larissa Douglas Koch Ursprung, and Andrei Santino Breniman Koch; and her three great-grandchildren, David Barber Speh, Eric Douglas Speh, and Laura Dente Speh.

A private funeral and burial were held at the Princeton Cemetery (Princeton, New Jersey), on May 10, 2022.

Arrangements are under the direction of Mather Hodge Funeral Home.