Brooks Dyer

Brooks Dyer, 85, of Princeton, NJ, passed away peacefully at HarborChase of Princeton assisted living on February 12, 2023 with his loving wife Teena at his side. He was born in 1937 to Virginia and Bill Dyer in St. Louis, MO, and was a natural athlete with a passion for adventure.

After graduating from St. Louis Country Day School, he was nearly recruited to play baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals. He decided to follow his mother’s advice and he went on to study geology and play football at Stanford University. He loved skiing. He took a year off from college and moved to Aspen, CO, where he worked as a ski instructor. 

After his college graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. He became an A-4 Air Combat Tactics Instructor, and he earned the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Brooks was extremely well respected as a pilot and leader by his fellow Marines. After he left active duty, he continued to serve as a reservist for many years.

He flew as a commercial pilot for American Airlines for 30 years. He was a Captain, and he flew to many beautiful locations around the globe before he retired from AA in 1995. Upon his retirement, he and Teena continued to travel with the Grey Eagles. Brooks also loved riding on his classic white BMW motorcycle. He purchased a black BMW with a sidecar after he met his wife Teena, and they cruised up and down the East Coast together.   

Brooks became physically disabled when he was in his late 50s. He faced his health challenges with grace, courage, strength, and a sense of humor. He played wheelchair tennis. He and Teena went on cruises together. He drove his scooter around his adopted hometown of Jupiter, Florida. He loved watching the Cardinals’ spring training every year.

Brooks loved his family fiercely. He was happiest when seated next to Teena at family gatherings surrounded by his children and grandchildren.

He was predeceased by his parents Virginia and Bill Dyer, his former wife Margaret Dyer-Weissman nee Bellis, and his brothers Frank Dyer and William Dyer Jr.  He is survived by his wife, Teena Cahill; his six children David Dyer, Matthew Dyer, Jennifer “Christy” Dyer Thrash, Andrew Cahill, James  “J.C.” Cahill, and Mia Cahill; and 12 grandchildren.

Funeral services were held on February 18, 2023 at Kimble Funeral Home, One Hamilton Avenue, Princeton NJ 08542. Burial followed at Princeton Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Wounded Warrior Project or Semper Fi Fund are appreciated.

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Elena “Elly” Petronio

Elly Petronio, nee Elena Unghy, was born in Croatia (formerly known as Fiume, Italy) in 1935. Her family later emigrated to Genoa, Italy, where she met and married her husband, Giorgio. When Giorgio was elevated to a senior management position at Johnson & Johnson in 1979, they moved to the United States and settled in Princeton. 

Elly was a frequent traveler to Europe, particularly Italy, and frequently served as a tour guide in Italy for Friends of the Princeton University Art Museum. She was an active bridge player and was, until recent years, an avid tennis player and a member of the Pretty Brook Tennis Club.

Elly was a longtime benefactor of the Institute for Advanced Studies and the New Jersey Symphony and was a generous contributor to various other Princeton charities.

Elly was a devoted member of the Stony Brook Garden Club and established the Elly and Giorgio Stony Brook Environmental Award.  She had also been a long-time member of the Nassau Club.

Elly was predeceased by her husband, Giorgio in 2004 and her parents Zlata (Racky) and Zolten R. Unghy.

A Memorial Mass will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, February 24, 2023 at St. Charles Borromeo, 47 Skillman Road, Skillman, NJ 08558. Burial of ashes will follow in Princeton Cemetery.

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

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David H. Brown, Sr.

David H. Brown, Sr., of Yardley, PA, passed away on Thursday, February 9, 2023 at home. He was 92 years old. David was born on July 12, 1930 in Manhattan, New York, to the late Henry Harrison Brown and the late Helen (née Wisherd) Brown. He was the husband to Jeannette Denison (née Taylor) Brown who survives him.

David loved music, sailing, his beautiful rhododendron garden, Princeton University, and a good party.

David graduated from Princeton University in 1953 with a degree in Chemical Engineering. David served in the U.S. Army at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah and was honorably discharged in 1957. He worked for various oil and gas companies including Getty Oil and the Atlantic Richfield Company. David later earned an MBA from the Wharton School of University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in Operations Research. He worked as an OR engineer and as an analyst at Morgan Guaranty Trust Co. He started his own business, Princeton Energy Partners, which he led for 20 years until his retirement.

A dedicated Princetonian, David served as Vice President of his class for a number of years. David often said his education at Princeton changed his life — and especially a class in musical appreciation which ignited a lifelong love affair with the arts.

In retirement, David combined his analytical skills with his passion for music. He was a founding member of The Princeton Festival. His analytical skills, astute tracking of fiscal results and success with grant writing were key contributions to the festival’s success. He was both a steward of the arts as a trustee and an enthusiastic patron of the arts over the course of his life. He especially loved opera and attended thousands of performances, traveling to music and opera festivals in the U.S. and Europe with his beloved wife of 56 years, Jean.

David learned to sail at summer camp and this interest became a lifelong joy. He raced a Lightning and later a Sandpiper catboat on Barnegat Bay as a member of the Mantoloking Yacht Club. He captained bare boat charter sailboats along with family and friends, sailing to explore the Island of Tonga, BVI, Greece, Croatia, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, and in the Chesapeake Bay.

Active and engaged to the end of his life, David served as a member of the Princeton Festival Advisory group which guided the 2021 merger of The Princeton Festival with the Princeton Symphony.

David was the father to Shawn Brown m. John McGrath; David H. Brown, Jr.; Elizabeth Denison Brown m. Hartmann Schoebel; and was the grandfather to Amy Louise Womeldorf, Finnegan Schoebel, and Kai Schoebel. He was preceded in death by his grandson, Brian Michael Womeldorf.

The family will hold a memorial gathering to honor David in early May when the rhododendrons and trees that he planted and tended with devotion will be at their most glorious. It is a time of year that he cherished at his home.

Contributions may be made in David’s honor to The Princeton Festival c/o The Princeton Symphony Orchestra.

Private services are entrusted to Swartz-Givnish Life Celebration Home, (215) 968-3891.