Gaylord “Rusty” Johnson III

Gaylord “Rusty” Johnson III, C.F.A., passed away on May 28, 2020 at his home in Skillman, New Jersey after living with pancreatic cancer for over two years. He was surrounded by his family and his brothers, and was regularly visited by dear friends and neighbors whose generosity and kindness during the past two years was truly remarkable. The family is deeply comforted by the knowledge of how many lives Rusty touched in such a positive way.

Rusty was born in Houston, Texas, on August 31, 1963 and graduated from Kinkaid High School in 1982. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Washington & Lee University in 1986. He remained very close to his Washington & Lee classmates through his life, especially his Kappa Alpha brothers. Rusty spent his senior year of college studying abroad in Taiwan, which led to six years of working in Hong Kong as a sell-side equity analyst, two years in Bangkok, Thailand, a year in New York City, and finally in 1994, a move to Harding Loevner Management in Somerville, New Jersey, where he was a partner until his passing. Rusty joined Harding Loevner as one of the original portfolio managers on their emerging market strategy and remained in that role until 2018. His impact went beyond investment expertise; his passion for his work and his commitment to excellence helped create the strong corporate culture of which he was so proud. 

Rusty is survived by his wife of 23 years, René McCurry Johnson and his two daughters: Samantha Kate, 20, a junior at Washington & Lee, and Caroline Alys, 16, a junior at the Peddie School. Rusty is also survived by his mother, Helen Morgan Johnson of Denver, Colorado, his step-mother, Pamela Barber Johnson of Pearland Texas, his brother Thomas Morgan Johnson (Gina, Thomas, and Eric) of Houston, Texas, his brother Douglas Paton Johnson (Christin, Davis, and Clayton) of Lakewood, Colorado, his aunt Gail Serrell of Houston, Texas, his uncle Joe Morgan (Carol, Colleen, Katie) of Lakewood, Colorado and his in-laws William and Kathy McCurry of Rocky Hill, New Jersey and Jim McCurry (Brenda, Aidan, and Blythe) of Isle of Palms, South Carolina. Rusty was predeceased by his father, Gaylord Johnson, Jr.

Rusty was dearly loved by his friends and neighbors — particularly his neighborhood “brothers” on Van Zandt Road, and his fishing, hunting, tennis, and ice hockey friends in Houston, Princeton, and Wellington, Florida. He was an avid fisherman who loved to fish for everything from small crappies behind his house in Florida, to big marlin in Cabo. Rusty loved to play tennis, was known for a wicked, unreturnable serve, and became an avid golfer in his later years. 

Rusty lived his entire life at “show pace.” Never one to waste time or sit still, he loved to putter in the garden with his plants and bird feeders, fritter in the house (i.e. throw out things belonging to his wife and daughters), and his favorite birthday gift was always a dumpster in the driveway. Rusty loved hanging out with friends, grilling in the backyard or grabbing a beer at the Tiger’s Tale. He absolutely hated fancy food, particularly small portions. Rusty loved to travel and firmly believed in the transformative power of travel for young people. To that end, Rusty started a scholarship at Washington & Lee to fund summer study abroad programs, with a focus on non-traditional destinations. Rusty loved animals, and will be greatly missed by his two dogs, four cats, and a herd of horses he could never exactly tell apart.  

Rusty was incredibly proud of his daughters, and loved to watch them compete in show jumping or field hockey (Sam) or basketball and field hockey (Caroline) and was thrilled to introduce both girls to scuba diving.Rusty hated cold water and cold weather. And, until the very end, he had absolutely appalling taste in both music and movies. He was widely known for his “Rusty-isms,” his fantastic sense of humor, and his warm heart.  

In his memory, the family asks that you gather your friends and family, pop a cold Coors Light or New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, put your feet up by an outdoor fire (preferably an excessively smoky one, built with random objects the fire department would prefer you not burn), and tell tall tales of fishing exploits or exotic street meals from far-flung lands.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider donating to HomeFront (1880 Princeton Avenue, Lawrence Township, New Jersey 08648) an organization Rusty and René have long supported, or the Rusty Johnson ‘86 Endowment for Study Abroad at Washington & Lee (c/o William Greer, Development Office, Lexington, VA 24450), or the Basser Center for BRCA at Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center (www.basser.org/events-giving/make-gift).  

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

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Edward P. Neuburg

Edward P. Neuburg died of natural causes on May 23rd at Morris Hall Meadows nursing home in Lawrenceville, NJ.

Ned Neuburg was born in 1925 in Larchmont, New York. He attended the Fieldston School and Swarthmore College. After serving in the US Navy during World War II, he was graduated from Swarthmore with a Bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 1948, and in 1950 married classmate Helen (“Greenie”) Green. He obtained a Master’s degree from the University of Chicago and taught for a year at the University of Vermont. He had begun work on a PhD at Harvard University when he was called back into service for the Korean War and was eventually sent to Washington, D.C., where he became a cryptanalyst and computer programmer at the Naval Security Station. This later became the National Security Agency where Ned remained, raising a family in the Washington metropolitan area, with stints at GCHQ in Cheltenham, England, and at the Institute for Defense Analyses in Princeton, NJ. He retired from the NSA in 1988, and returned to IDA, working as a consultant and adjunct until 2013.

His titles at the NSA included Chief of Mathematical Research, Chief of Speech Research, Deputy Chief of Research, Chief of Research, and Scientific Advisor. In 1980 he received the Exceptional Civilian Service Award from the Department of Defense. He published many papers in technical journals, was involved in administering the ARPA funding that led to the first successful computer speech recognition programs, and created the first computer algorithm for changing the rate of a sound without changing the pitch.

He is survived by his wife, Greenie, by his two sons, Matthew and Ethan, by his daughter, Amy, and by his grandson, Nicholas.

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Dr. Helen H. Martinson

Beloved Grandmother, Retired Dutch Neck Elementary School Principal, and Princeton University Teacher

Helen Jean Harveycutter Collier Martinson died at age 88 on Monday, May 18, 2020 at Stonebridge Senior Living after a brief illness of pneumonia and COVID-19.

Helen led a wonderful and full life. She was born on October 26, 1931 at Garfield Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C., to the late Eunice and Alfred Harveycutter. Helen Jean graduated from George Washington University in 1953 and soon afterwards, she met the love her life, Merrill F. Collier, on a blind date. What followed immediately afterwards was a profound, storybook romance with a soft-spoken man from Bethel, Ohio, and they were married in 1956 at the U.S. Naval Academy’s Dahlgren Chapel. On April 10, 1963, an unimaginable tragedy struck when Lieutenant Merrill Collier and all hands on the USS Thresher (SSN-593) were lost at sea during routine depth-testing exercises which forever changed Helen’s and her children’s lives.

Helen chose to enter the education sphere first teaching kindergarten at Wicoff Elementary School in Plainsboro, NJ, then became Assistant Principal at Dutch Neck Elementary School in West Windsor, NJ, after earning an M.S. in Education in 1981 from Bank Street College in New York City. Helen became known for her dedication, talent, and affinity for supporting and encouraging those around her and became Principal when a redistricting brought new growth opportunities. Helen and team created a “Camelot” — a new vision for an entirely new school within the walls of an old building, to hire all new staff and to design an entirely new curriculum developmentally appropriate to create the optimal environment for learning and nurturing young children.

Helen won two grants from the Geraldine Dodge Foundation, which supported her attendance at the Harvard Graduate School of Education summer institute on the “Art and Craft of Principalship” with some of the most respected authorities on effective school leadership in the world, and another to train teachers on alternative assessment. In 1993, Redbook Magazine selected Dutch Neck as one of the nation’s top elementary schools. She credited the “entrepreneurial nature” of her staff for the many success at Dutch Neck for earning the recognition as one of “America’s Best Schools.” The same year, Helen was honored as a National Distinguished Principal by the National Association of Elementary School Principals who selected 60 elementary and middle school principals across the U.S. for outstanding contributions to their schools and communities. In her early sixties and while working, Helen earned a Doctorate in Education (Ed.D.) in 1999 from Columbia University Teacher’s College in New York City.

After retirement from the school district, Helen led Princeton University’s Teachers as Scholars program, a partnership between Princeton University and surrounding school districts with the objective to provide scholarly and intellectually engaging professional development opportunities for teachers, then was asked to lead within Princeton University’s Program in Teacher Preparation, a uniquely designed interdepartmental course of study that prepares Princeton University students, both undergraduate and graduate, to become certified to teach at the elementary and secondary levels and participate in direct collaboration with area classroom teachers through structured, practical field experiences, including full-time practice teaching that Helen arranged given her experience and contacts within the teaching community, before moving to Stonebridge Living facility in Skillman where she was quick to develop new valued friendships.

Helen is profoundly missed by all those who knew her. She was elegant and gracious, an amazing leader, mentor and educator who rose above adversity countless times, no matter how daunting, and loved fun and laughter and Long Beach Island.

Helen was preceded in death by her son William, and is survived by her children Sherrill (Michael) of Flemington, NJ; Neal (Carol) of Trappe, PA; Merrill (formerly Kristine) of Santa Rosa, CA; and nine grandchildren Dorothy, John Paul, Thérèse, and Maria Helen; Ben (Nicole), Katherine (Craig), and William; Gregory and Jennifer; and great-grandchild Jane Marie.

 In lieu of flowers, please share your stories by posting a tribute on www.forevermissed.com/helen-jhc-martinson.

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Memorial Service Postponed
Elisabeth Borgerhoff Pomerleau

The Memorial Service for Elisabeth Borgerhoff Pomerleau, which was going to be held on June 14 at the Princeton University Chapel, is being postponed to a later date, yet to be determined. Our family keeps our loved ones in our thoughts in anticipation of gathering together to remember Beth at another better time.

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Dr. Michel Vallieres

Dr. Michel Vallieres, 74, of Princeton, died Sunday, April 26, 2020 at Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center of Plainsboro from complications related to the COVID-19 virus. Michel was a gentle gentleman with a persistent French Canadian accent and unassuming manner. He was friendly, accepting, and voraciously curious by nature. He instinctively saw the goodness and potential in people, and everyone he met liked him immediately. He leaves behind many friends throughout the world.

Michel was unafraid to experience life.  He was willing to try any food without description. He learned Spanish without taking classes and preferred to speak Spanish with Latins even if their English was better than his Spanish. He knew he could not keep a rhythm, but loved to dance anyway. He met his wife of 50 years at a Samba dance party. He was unapologetically a nerd’s nerd — fully embracing Star Trek, Star Wars, Dr. Who and, embarrassingly, was an avid fan of The Big Bang Theory sitcom, which we chalked up to English as a second language and gave him a pass. His enthusiasm for life was an example to us all.

Michel deeply loved, and was loved by, his family. He never missed his daughter’s volleyball games or his son’s hockey games as kids. He spent many hours watching hockey and football with them. He spoke with his parents in Canada almost every day until they passed. He loved large get-togethers with family and friends from around the world. We cherish so many happy memories.

Born in Quebec City, Canada in 1945, Dr. Vallieres graduated Laval University in the Spring of 1967, obtained a Masters and PhD in Physics from the University of Pennsylvania. He did post-doctoral work in England and Canada, before spending 38 years as a professor and 17 years as Head of the Physics Department at Drexel University. Dr. Vallieres was also a published author.

Son of the late Ulric and Noella (Villeneuve) Vallieres, he is survived by his wife of 50 years, Maria-Gladys (Cano) Vallieres, a son and daughter-in-law Rick and Irma Vallieres, daughter and son-in-law Nathalie and Nicholas Hand, sister Danielle Vallieres, and six grandchildren Thomas Hand, Maria Hand, Marcella Hand, Genevieve Vallieres, Jadie Tome, Joshua Tome, niece Caroline Leblanc and partner Eric Pfalzgraf, nephew Simon Leblanc and wife Valerie Drolet, nephew David Leblanc and partner Emilie Langevin.

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Glenn Mohrman

Glenn Mohrman, 94, of Lawrence Township, NJ, passed away on Friday, May 1^st, 2020. He was born in Brooklyn, NY, on January 20th, 1926 and grew up in Rockville Centre, NY. After serving in the US Army Specialized Training Program at Harvard he was assigned to the US Army Field Artillery as a radio operator, earning three battle stars in the European Theatre.

Glenn graduated from Dartmouth College in 1949 and Virginia School of Law receiving his LLB in 1952. While at UVA he served as Editor in Chief of the UVA Law School Reading Guide.  Following law school, he became a member of the Connecticut Bar Association and began his career with General Cable Corporation at its Rome, NY, plant specializing in labor arbitration cases. 

Glenn had an extensive career in advertising research starting in 1955 with Gallup and Robinson Inc. in Princeton, NJ, where he rose to Executive Vice President and served as Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee and Member of the Board of Directors. Continuing his career, Glenn joined Opinion Research as Vice President of Advertising in 1969 and then in 1976 joining Physicians Radio Network in NYC as Vice President of Marketing and Research. In 1983, he founded Mohrman/Scott Associates, Inc. in Princeton, NJ, a company specializing in pre-testing pharmaceutical company medical journal ads. He retired from him firm in 1995.

During his career, Glenn wrote, published, and lectured frequently for conferences of the American Marketing Association, the Association of National Advertisers and other industry associations. He lectured at Princeton University and the Harvard School of Business Administration and was a member of several Marketing and Advertising Associations and councils including the Pharmaceutical Advertising Council and the Sigma Delta Chi Honorary Journalistic Society.     

Glenn enjoyed traveling extensively with his wife, visiting more than 45 countries worldwide.  He was an avid tennis player, fly and salt-water fisherman, downhill skier and skilled sailor, spending vacations cruising the world with his family and friends. He loved classical music and tunes of the ’30s and ’40s. He was devoted to his Springer Spaniels. 

Glenn is survived by his beloved wife Waltraud (Trudy) of 36+ years, son Mace Mohrman and wife Ann Barry of South Hampton, NY,  daughter Darby O’Neill of Hopewell, NJ, and her daughters Devin and husband Joaquin Garcia, Morgan and husband Michael Barton and their two children Tanner and Blake, and sons Brooks Mohrman and his wife Veronica of Mexico City and Morgan Mohrman and wife Ashley of Duxbury, MA, and their children Clay and Chase. He is predeceased by his sister, Jean Springer of Cincinnati, OH.

Memorial contributions can be made in memory of Glenn to The Smile Train and S.A.V.E or any organization of your choice.

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Newton Everett Godnick

Newton Everett Godnick, of Princeton Junction, NJ, died peacefully on May 30 at the age of 94.

Newton is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Sherley; daughters Jenny (Deb Karvelas) and Stacy (Lisa Perricone); son Michael (Steven Cohen deceased); sister Hermine Basnight; niece Beatrice Basnight; nephews Jim Basnight and Sam Basnight (deceased); sister-in-law Flora Atkins; brother-in-law Thurston Atkins; and many cousins, colleagues, and friends.

Newton was born on May 22, 1926 in the Bronx, New York, to parents Lillian and Samuel Godnick. He graduated from Bronx High School of Science, Rutgers University BS, and New York University MS.

A kind man with an inquiring mind, his employment history reflects his diverse interests: Newton was a landscape architect with his own nursery, a buyer in retail, and chairman of the Fashion Buying and Merchandise Department at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). Newton was well respected as a leader and educator. After retiring from FIT in 1992, he maintained relationships with many students providing counsel and friendship.

His children remember him as a patient and devoted father who encouraged them to pursue their interests. He was a passionate story teller, historian, and had a marvelous sense of humor. He loved politics, baseball (especially the N.Y. Yankees), old movies, nature, and gardening. His ability to remember lyrics to popular, film, and Broadway songs was impressive.

In retirement, Newton and Sherley traveled the world and enjoyed spending time with family and friends.

At Newton’s request, no services will be held.

In lieu of sending flowers, condolences may be sent to 134 Harris Road, Princeton Junction, NJ 08550. Donations in his memory may be made to The Nature Conservancy (nature.org), Alzheimer’s Association-Greater NJ Chapter (alzheimer.org) or Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Greater Mercer County (jfcsonline.org).