Janis Fishman

Janis Pulsifer Fishman, 89, of Princeton, passed peacefully on Friday, March 29, 2024, in her home with her loving daughter by her side.

Known affectionately as the “turtle lady” in her community, Jan found joy in her lifelong hobby caring for water and land turtles, growing to over 100 of these beloved creatures. Over the years, her reputation also grew for her unique ability to aid injured turtles and her willingness to provide them with a loving home. Local elementary schools invited her as the turtle lady for Show & Tell. Jan hosted students at her home to see her diverse collection too. She leaves behind a small group of turtles, some of whom have been with her for over 40 years. Her passion for the natural world extended to her living room, adorned with freshwater fish tanks. To friends, she would say, “Come over, we can watch fishy vision together.” Jan also had a deep affection for her feline companions, particularly Beaux. To her, they were all beloved family members.

A graduate of Cornell University, Jan paid her way through college working as a waitress for sororities. She pursued a degree in horticulture with the dream of owning her own floral shop one day. Although she did not realize this dream, she found fulfillment in gardening, where she indulged her love for trees, plants, and flowers. After retiring, she worked part-time at Wildflowers of Princeton Junction, finding pride in her creative talents, and treasuring the friendships she formed with the “flower shop guys,” Michael, Eddie, and Riley.

Following graduation, Janis embarked on a career in technology, a bold choice for a woman in the 1950s. Despite the male-dominated nature of the field, she remained steadfast and became a respected computer consultant, spending four decades in the profession. While working full-time and raising a family, Jan’s delight for turtles and gardening also included being an exquisite seamstress from making dresses to ball gowns to a man’s silk suit.

In the 1980s, there was a drastic increase in property taxes affecting many in the community. Jan became an advocate and educator, voicing the concerns of those on fixed incomes at town hall meetings. She only got involved in causes that held deep personal meaning to her.

In her later years, Jan became an active member of the local chapter of P.E.O., finding purpose in its mission and cherishing the friendships she formed with her fellow Sisters. It was a special time for Jan, as she found herself among women of intellect, compassion, and unique talents.

Jan was a kind and gentle listener exhibiting no judgment and sharing advice in the most thoughtful manner, she will be sorely missed.

Janis Fishman is predeceased by her late husband, Herbert Fishman. Janis is survived by her daughter, Sarah Fishman Mertz; granddaughter, Laura Mertz; sister-in-law, Joyce Fishman; nephew, Doron Fishman; niece, Eileen Nalda; her dear friends Brenda, Audrey, Jane and Charles, Elaine, Pedro and her devoted caregiver, Lida.

A celebration of Jan’s life will take place on Saturday, June 8 at 10:30 a.m. in the communal area of Christ Congregation, 50 Walnut Lane, Princeton (ccprinceton.org).

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in memory to Jan to P.E.O., philanthropic organization where women celebrate the advancement of women; educate women through scholarships, grants, awards, loans, and stewardship of Cottey College and motivate women to achieve their highest aspirations.

Dolores S. Allaire

Dolores S. Allaire of Princeton and Ocean Grove, NJ, peacefully passed away in her home surrounded by her loving family at the age of 96. Dolores was born and raised in Belleville, NJ, before moving to Princeton, where she resided for 60 years and raised her family. Dolores was also a summer resident of Ocean Grove.

The joy of her life was being a mother. She dedicated herself to her children and grandchildren. In addition to her family, she also was deeply involved in her community as an active member of Springdale Golf Club, The Present Day Club, and the Ladies Auxiliary of the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association. She enjoyed volunteering with the Princeton Hospital Fete, S.A.V.E, and the Princeton Regional Scholarship Foundation. She and her family were members of the Nassau Presbyterian Church for 60 years. She was also proud of her days working as a Real Estate Agent for Audrey Short and Burgdorff Realty.

Dolores loved spending time with her family, summers at the beach, bowling, playing bridge, and golfing with her husband Bud and their many friends. In addition to her adoration for the many important people in her life, she had a deep love for animals and always had a beloved pet by her side.

Dolores was predeceased by her parents Olga and Theodore Schmidt, her husband Ralph “Bud” Allaire, and daughter Suzanne, who passed away at the age of 9. She is survived by her daughters, Carol Petrone (James), Beth Cox (Steve); three granddaughters, Jaime Yamamoto (Akira), Kelsey Petrone (Bobby Warshaw), and Jillian Petrone; and four great-granddaughters, Cameran, Rory, Wren, and Allaire.

Arrangements have been made by Mather-Hodge Funeral Home in Princeton.

A memorial service will be held on Thursday May 2, 2024 at 2 p.m. at the Nassau Presbyterian Church, 61 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to S.A.V.E. Animal Rescue at 1010 County Road 601, Skillman, NJ 08558.

Robert Merrihew Adams
1937-2024

The Reverend Doctor Robert Merrihew Adams, 86, died peacefully in his home in Montgomery, NJ, on April 16, 2024. Bob was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Septembr 8, 1937 to Margaret Baker Adams and Reverend Doctor Arthur Merrihew Adams. He is survived by his nephew Prof. James D. Fearon (Teal Derrer) and niece Mary Fearon Jack (Wellborn Jack, III) and great nieces and nephews, Sadie and Ben Fearon, and Sarah, Spencer, and William Jack. Bob was predeceased by his beloved wife of 51 years, the Reverend Doctor Marilyn McCord Adams.

As a child Bob exhibited remarkable curiosity and concentration and when he found a topic of interest, he explored it to its depth and shared his observances with whomever he could captivate — most frequently his sister Janet, who was his constant companion throughout childhood. Bob was fascinated by the behavior of wild animals, in particular elephants and birds. He became a life-long “birder,” taking his binoculars whenever he travelled in hopes of adding to his life list.

In 1955 Bob graduated from East High School in Rochester, NY, and as the top student in the state was named a Regents Scholar. He matriculated to Princeton University in the fall where he developed his interest in philosophy. His inspiration during this period included Hilary Putnam, a young Assistant Professor at the time. After graduating in 1959 the next three years were devoted first to the study of theology, for two years at Oxford and then one year at Princeton Theological Seminary, from which he graduated in 1962. Bob then became pastor of a small Presbyterian church in Montauk at the eastern tip of Long Island, where he continued to study philosophy and theology.

In 1965 he entered the doctoral program in philosophy at Cornell University. There he met Marilyn McCord, and they were married in 1966, the beginning of more than 50 years of close companionship and mutual inspiration. At Cornell he wrote a doctoral dissertation on philosophy of religion that featured an interpretation of Anselm’s ontological argument for the existence of God. His advisors included Norman Malcolm and Nelson Pike.

In 1968 he and Marilyn took faculty positions in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. After four formative years there, he and Marilyn joined the Department of Philosophy at UCLA in 1972. This was to be their longest academic appointment, more than 21 years. At UCLA Bob developed his mature views in philosophy of religion, metaphysics, ethics, and history of modern philosophy. There he wrote his celebrated Leibniz: Determinist, Theist, Idealist (Oxford University Press,1994), and drafted much of his great work on theological ethics, Finite and Infinite Goods (Oxford University Press, 1999). In 1993, Bob and Marilyn moved to Yale University, Bob as Professor and Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Marilyn as Professor of Historical Theology in the Yale Divinity School. Bob was instrumental in transforming a struggling department into one of the best ten worldwide, where it remains today. At UCLA and Yale Bob was an inspiring teacher for undergraduate and graduate students. He advised many doctoral dissertations, notably in history of modern philosophy.

In 2004 Bob and Marilyn moved to Oxford, where Marilyn took a position as Regius Professor of Divinity and as Canon of Christ Church Cathedral. Bob was officially retired, but continued his work on theological ethics, specifically on what was to be his third major book, A Theory of Virtue: Excellence in Being for the Good (Oxford University Press, 2008). In 2009 Bob and Marilyn returned to the United States, taking a joint position in the Department of Philosophy at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. In 2013 they retired from that position and moved to Princeton, where they served as distinguished research professors at Rutgers University from 2013-15. Marilyn passed away in 2017, of pancreatic cancer. Her loss was difficult for Bob in his remaining years. He brought to publication her final book Housing the Powers: Medieval Debates about Dependence on God (Oxford University Press, 2022), collaborating with Cecilia Trifogli on one of the chapters. In that same period Bob completed his fourth major book, in metaphysics: What is, and What is in Itself: A Systematic Ontology (Oxford University Press, 2022).

In addition to advancing the areas of philosophy that interested him, Bob was a longtime member of the Board of Trustees for the Newcombe Foundation and the Board of Trustees for Princeton Theological Seminary. He served on the Seminary’s investment committee for over 30 years.

Bob devoted his life to the study and teaching of philosophy, and to a better understanding of God and being. He loved gathering with other philosophers and having robust discussions. He and Marilyn were devoted to their students. He will be greatly missed by his family, friends, fellow philosophers, and theologians.

A Memorial Service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 11, 2024 at the Seminary Chapel at Princeton Theological Seminary, 64 Mercer Street, Princeton, NJ 08542.

Memorial Service
Peter Edwin Bulkley Erdman

A memorial service and celebration of the life of Peter Edwin Bulkley Erdman will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 18, 2024 at Nassau Presbyterian Church, 61 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ. A longtime resident of Princeton and Stonebridge at Montgomery, Peter passed during a brief hospitalization on December 20, 2023. He was 95 years old.

Peter was the third of five sons born to Lucy Kidder Bulkley and Dr. Charles R. Erdman Jr. He was raised in Princeton and in a summer home in Edgartown, MA. He was educated at Miss Fines and Princeton Country Day schools (graduating in 1943), Phillips Exeter Academy (Class of 1946), and Princeton University (Class of 1950).

Peter married Hope English Erdman (“Patsy”), daughter of William H. and Margaret English of New York City and Edgartown, MA. He and Patsy moved to Princeton in 1955, four children began to arrive, and they built their home on Russell Road where they lived for 48 years prior to moving to Stonebridge at Montgomery in 2004.

Peter is preceded in death by his wife Patsy and his brothers Charles R. Erdman III and Harold Bulkley Erdman. Peter is survived by his four children, Margy (and Jim) Becker, Caroline Hare, William P. Erdman, Andrew E. Erdman; seven grandchildren; and his brothers David and Michael Erdman and their families.

On-site church parking for the memorial service will be limited to family. Street parking for visitors is available downtown and covered parking available at the Chambers or Spring Street parking garages. The full obituary is available at the Mather-Hodge Funeral Home website at matherhodge.com.