Gillian Wendy Slater-Godfrey

Gillian Wendy Slater-Godfrey was an extraordinary woman. From her birth in London on June 14, 1929 to her peaceful passing in Connecticut on October 8, 2021, she had the gift of connecting with others. In fact, Wendy’s generosity of spirit led her to always know what an intimate moment required to make it memorable, by either offering loving advice, compliments, witticisms, intellectual insights, lines of poetry and song, and if you were very lucky — a dirty limerick or two!

Trained as an occupational therapist at Dorset House, Oxford and St. Lloys, Exeter, Devon in 1952, she combined the gift of connection with her creative talents. Wendy, or Gillian as she referred to herself professionally, had a long career as an occupational therapist including working in the Napsbury Surrey County Psychiatric Hospital and Netherne Psychiatric Hospital in the U.K., the Princess Margaret Hospital for Children in Trinidad, as the senior art therapist at Deveraux Ranch School in Goleta, California, to teaching art at the British School of Brussels. From Europe, Gillian came to Princeton where she first became involved with the AAMH creating the Boarding Home Outreach Program. This position allowed her to bring love and compassion to those who society overlooks. All these years of experience led to her final and most significant professional achievement of her life, which was the first director and creative force behind the Suzanne Patterson Center / Princeton Senior Resource Center. Gillian created the center as a place of genuine community where everyone was welcome and they knew it. She brought her unique ability to emanate an energy of light, learning, collectivism and ultimately love to people’s lives. In fact, so significant was her impact on the center that upon her retirement in 1994 the then Mayor of the Borough of Princeton, Marvin R. Reed, issued a Proclamation, declaring May 5, 1994 as “Gillian Godfrey Day”!

After her retirement, Wendy further developed her passions and gifts as a gardener, an artist, and a writer, all of which continued to flourish and evolve even up to her last moments, demonstrating that one is never too old to live life creatively and to its fullest. Furthermore, she never stopped creating community wherever she went, including in Willimantic, CT, where she spent much time with her daughter, her daughter-in-law, and their friends, all of whom who quickly became her friends as well.

Predeceased by her husband of 58 years, Dr. Leonard E. A. Godfrey, Wendy leaves behind her son Nicholas Godfrey, his wife Allison, and their two children Slater and Alta of Boston, MA; and her daughter Dr. Phoebe Godfrey, her wife Tina, of Willimantic, CT, and their son Dylan Fedora of Brattleboro, VT. Her beloved cat Cleome now has a new happy home and lives on “Godfrey Street” in Willimantic. It would be an understatement to say that she will be missed by us and all who knew her, but at the same time the love she gave continues to grow, to bear fruit, and will do so far into the future.

Finally, it must be said that up to her last moment, Wendy lived her life according to her deeply seated values of compassion, empathy, generosity, equity, respect, grace, and dignity.  In homage to her favorite poet, William Blake and his poem “Jerusalem,” she never ceased from mental fight, nor did her sword sleep in her hand, and there is no doubt that she has returned to England’s green and pleasant land. 

Those who would like to support Wendy’s lifelong commitment to social justice and the empowerment of those in need may make donations in her name to any of the following nonprofit organizations: The Guardian (online newspaper that she supported); CLiCK Willimantic (co-founded by her daughters); The Children’s Home Society of New Jersey (run by her neighbor and friends); The Suzanne Patterson Center / Princeton Senior Resource Center (where she worked); the AAMH of West Windsor Township (also where she worked); or any other of their choice.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, December 11, 2021 at the Nassau Inn from 12:30-3 p.m. in the Palmer room. Please RSVP to celebrationofwendy@gmail.com.

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George D. Cody

George D. Cody, of Princeton, N.J., died on September 28, 2021, after a long illness. He was born on May 16, 1930, in Flushing, Long Island, New York. He graduated from Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx and received his undergraduate degree in Physics (AB, Summa Cum Laude) from Harvard University in 1952. He received his PhD from Harvard in Solid State Physics in 1957. In 1958 he held a John Parker Fellowship from Harvard and spent that year at the Clarendon Laboratory at Oxford University.  

From 1958-1976 Dr. Cody was employed at RCA’s David Sarnoff Laboratories, where he was engaged in research in semiconductors, thin films, and superconducting materials. He was the recipient of RCA’s David Sarnoff Gold Medal in Science for major technical contributions in 1962 and 1964. Dr. Cody is the co-holder with Dr. Benjamin Abeles of the basic patent for the Ge-Si thermoelectric material that powered the Voyager, Galileo, and Cassini space crafts, and with Dr. Abeles he received the Franklin Institute’s Ballantine Medal in 1979 for the research leading to this invention, as well as membership in the New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame.

In 1976, Dr. Cody joined Exxon’s Corporate Research Laboratory, where he was engaged in research on the optical properties of thin film amorphous semiconductors and localization of structure-borne sound. In 1996 he received the Exxon Golden Tiger award for “continuing creativity and innovation in passive acoustics, monitoring of fluidized beds, and direct detection of hydrocarbons and breakthrough research.”  He retired as Scientific Advisor (Fellow) at Exxon’s Corporate Research Laboratory in 1999.

Dr. Cody had more than 100 publications and 13 patents. He was a Fellow of the American Physical Society and a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. He was a member of the Chemistry Department Visiting Committee at Princeton, and the Physics Department Visiting Committee of the University of Texas. He was a Visiting Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at Rutgers University from 1999 to 2005.  

George was married to Francesca Benson for 45 wonderful years. Their children include George Cody of Chevy Chase, Md.; Lisa Cody Winter of Basking Ridge, N.J.; Monica Cody of Reston, Va.; David Stonaker of Lawrenceville, N.J.; Laura Stonaker of Tampa, Fla.; and nine grandchildren: Brielle, Christopher, Kyle, Samantha, Katie, Maddie, Sean, Lily, and Quinn. 

George was also a member of the Old Guard of Princeton and the Community Without Walls.

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Joseph L. King

Joseph Lacey King, 88, of Princeton and Point Pleasant Beach, passed on October 29, 2021 with his wife at his side.

Born in Dobbs Ferry, NY, on October 16, 1933, he was the eldest son of Joseph and Celestine King. Joe grew up in Hopewell, NJ, and attended Princeton High School, where he met his future wife and dance partner of 68 years, Kathryn (Cuomo).

Joe enlisted in the Navy during the Korean War. He subsequently attended Rider College. Joe was employed by the D. Van Nostrand Publishing Company. When the D. Van Nostrand Company was purchased by Litton Industries, Joe became Litton’s Eastern Distribution Manager. His interests in woodworking, carving, and building eventually led him to pursue a full-time career as a carpenter. In 1975 he renovated the historic Grovers Mill, marking the start of his long-held small business.

Joe is survived by wife Kathryn King of Princeton; sister Celestine Long of Lawrenceville; and his three children Cheri-Ellen (David) Crowl of Farmingdale, NJ, Patrick (Lindsay) King of Belle Mead, NJ, and Michael (Joanna) King of Rochester, MN. Grandchildren Caitlin (James) Rumbaugh, Lacey (Mychal) Jensen-Lida, and Katie King; and great-grandchildren Jordan Rumbaugh, Cameron Rumbaugh, and Scarlett Jensen-Lida.

Joe was creative, curious, gregarious, and individualistic. He enjoyed fishing, boating, and golf, and simply being in the company of good friends. He was especially devoted to his family.

A Memorial Visitation will be held from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Saturday November 6, 2021 at Mather Hodge Funeral Home, 40 Vandeventer Avenue, Princeton. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Saturday November 6, 2021 at St. Paul’s Catholic Church, 216 Nassau Street, Princeton. Burial will follow in St. Paul’s Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad.