Dorothy Mills Highland

Family, friends, and the many people whose lives she touched mourn the loss of Dorothy Mills Highland. Dottie (as she was known to friends) passed away peacefully at her home in Skillman surrounded by family on July 9, 2020, following a 13-year-long battle with carcinoid cancer syndrome. She loved life, and she did so unapologetically, fully, and with unceasing
curiosity and awe that made life’s many challenges and joys worth sharing. 

Dottie was born on January 11, 1946 in Brooklyn, New York. The first child of James and Sally Mills, she attended school in Elmont, NY, where she met her future husband, Joseph, at the age of 15. Together they attended Hofstra University and married shortly after their senior year, in June 1966. Dottie went on to receive a Master’s in Educational Psychology from the University of Minnesota, and a JD degree from American University College of Law.

Over the years she taught elementary school, practiced law, raised three children, traveled the world, and in her later years worked as a docent at the Princeton University Art Museum, where she took a special interest in introducing children to the arts. Dottie met each season of life with kindness and generosity of spirit that made her welcome everywhere she went. She is dearly missed by the friends and family whose lives she brightened. She is survived by her husband Joseph, children Rebecca (Mark), Michael (Christine), and Vladimir, and her brother Donald, as well as three grandchildren. 

It was Dottie’s request that any donations in her memory be made to UNHCR (United Nations High Commission on Refugees) or Princeton University Art Museum — specifically for programs bringing the arts to children.

Funeral services were held at the Princeton Cemetery in Princeton, New Jersey.

Given the pandemic restrictions at the time of Dottie’s death, the family is now asking people who knew Dottie (especially those who did not have a chance to honor her at the time of her death) to offer words that might have been shared under different circumstances. The family plans to collect these remembrances in the form of a book as a way to memorialize and always
remember Dottie.

If you knew Dottie, please feel free to send remembrances of any length to rememberingdottie@gmail.com.

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Michele Miller

Michele Miller, 74, of Skillman, NJ, passed away on Monday, April 25, 2022. She was born in Hoboken, NJ, lived in various places across the United States, and ultimately resided in Skillman, NJ, for the past 30 years. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and received her Masters in Teaching at the College of New Jersey. She worked at Princeton House as a special education teacher for several years. Michele was a loving wife and mother and raised her children Larry and Kristin.

Michele had many wonderful qualities. She was smart, funny, empathetic, compassionate, generous, and incredibly loving. She was a fantastic cook, and a great dancer. At her core, Michele cared the most about her family.  She enjoyed being home cooking meals for her family, going to soccer games, and having holiday gatherings.

Predeceased by her parents Michael and Lucille (Fazio) Bongiovanni; she is survived by her husband of 44 years Lawrence E. Miller; son and daughter-in-law Lawrence M. and Ann Marie Miller; daughter and son-in-law Kristin and Alexander Rakow; grandchildren Annabelle and Noah Rakow; and sister and brother-in-law Gail Bongiovanni and Everett Nissly.

Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at St. Paul’s Church, Princeton. Burial was held in Princeton Cemetery. Arrangements were under the direction of Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, Princeton.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to either Hands Together  (handstogether.org) or Memorial Sloan Kettering (mskcc.org) in Michele’s memory.

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Joan S. Crespi

Joan Claire Striefling Crespi, 91, of Blue Bell, PA, passed away peacefully on April 27 after several years of declining health.

Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Joan received her BA in English from the University of Michigan where she won multiple Hopwood awards for Drama and Poetry. After receiving her MA from Stanford University, she moved to New York City where she worked as a copy editor at Esquire magazine for several years. Joan was introduced to her future husband Irving by a mutual friend in the spring of 1968 and moved to Princeton when they married that August. Joan resided in Princeton until 2009 when she moved to a retirement community closer to her daughter in Pennsylvania.

Joan always said that getting married and having children was the best thing she’d ever done. She dedicated herself to raising her children and was very proud of their accomplishments. Joan loved learning and was always reading or writing. She wrote several plays and spent countless hours reading the New York Times and clipping articles that she could incorporate into writing ideas so that her work would remain relevant in an ever-changing world. She also traveled extensively both nationally and internationally. As her children grew older, she returned to her roots as a writer, writing for several local publications including the Princeton Packet and U.S.1, where, among other articles, she wrote numerous reviews of local theater productions.

In her later years she was a loving grandmother to her six grandchildren and enjoyed traveling and celebrating holidays with her family. 

Predeceased by her husband Irving, Joan is survived by her son Robert and his children Ian and Rebecca of Hoboken, NJ, and her daughter Judy, son-in-law Charles, and their children Joseph, Abigail, Jessica, and Zachary of Skippack, PA. 

Graveside services were held in Princeton Cemetery, Princeton, NJ.

In lieu of flowers the family suggests contributions to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL.org).

Extend condolences and share memories at TheKimbleFuneralHome.com.

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Steven Michael Miller

Steven Michael Miller of Princeton, 77, passed away on Monday, April 25, 2022.  He was born in Philadelphia on February 8, 1945, and resided in Princeton for the last 28 years.

Steve was a graduate of Philadelphia’s Central High School, the University of Chicago (B.A.), the University of Washington (M.S.) and the University of Pennsylvania (Ph.D.).  He retired from the N.J. Department of Health in 2010, where he worked as an environmental scientist for 27 years.  He was a member of the Communications Workers of America union.

After retiring, Steve rediscovered his adolescent hobby of amateur radio. He was relicensed as KD2DUL and made new contacts near and far. He also served terms on the Princeton Environmental Commission and the Princeton Board of Health. 

Steve was predeceased by his parents, Edward and Esther (Rosen) Miller, and his sister Phyllis Forman. He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Olga Boyko, and his children Pauline and Edward Miller. He also leaves behind his sister Ruth Miller, brothers-in-law Gary Forman and John Boyko, and nieces and nephews Amy Forman and Jeff and Harrison Fischer of Decatur, GA, and Ben, Lorine, Carter, and Max Forman of Doylestown, PA. 

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 7, 2022, at the Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, 40 Vandeventer Avenue, Princeton NJ 08542.

In lieu of flowers, Steve would be glad to have donations made to Puppies Behind Bars (puppiesbehindbars.com), Trenton Rescue Mission (rescuemissionoftrenton.org), Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (trentonsoupkitchen.org), or Isles, Inc. (isles.org).