Anita Langsam Cohen

Anita L. Cohen was born in New York City to Phillip Langsam and Lillian Langsam nee Rosen on April 15, 1923 and grew up in Far Rockaway, NY. She passed peacefully at her home of 66 years on Littlebrook Road North in Princeton on February 23, just two months short of reaching 100.

She received her undergraduate degree at Brooklyn College and her Masters in Social Work at Western Reserve College (now Case Western Reserve University). She then worked for the Long Island College Hospital and Maimonides Hospital as a medical social worker. She married Samuel Cohen in 1947. In 1950 the couple moved to Biloxi, MS, where Sam was setting up LORAN radio navigation stations for the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. This is where their first child Carolyn was born.

After the war Anita and Sam moved to Brooklyn where their second child Michael was born. While in Brooklyn, Sam received his law degree with credentials to practice as a patent attorney. The family moved to the Princeton area where Sam began his career at RCA and their third child Alan was born. The family purchased a lot on Littlebrook Road and had a house designed by Sam built in 1957 where Anita and Sam resided till their deaths.

When the children were old enough, Anita went to work for the Lawrence Township NJ School District as a school social worker where she spent 19 years. Anita was active in many local organizations including: Princeton Senior Resource Center, Littlebrook School Grand-Pals (reading to kindergarten students), an active member of The Jewish Center Princeton, The Jewish Center Senior Drop-In Lounge, B’nai Brith (renamed Jewish Women International), Princeton University Friends of Foreign Students, and the Wonder of Word Play poetry group where she participated in meetings up until shortly before her passing. Anita was an accomplished poet and sculptor working in bronze (wax) and stone pieces both figurative and abstract.

Anita is predeceased by her husband Sam (at age 101) and her two brothers, Edwin and Mortimer Langsam. She is survived by her children, Carolyn (Chris), Michael, and Alan (Manok); grandchildren Bran (Qiyang) Mahoney and Penny (Evan) Abbaszadeh; great-grandchildren Corbin and Jack; step granddaughter Emma Donau (Colin Sinclair); step great-grandchildren Milo and Lucie; and many nieces and nephews.

The family will be having a private remembrance. Anyone wishing to honor Anita with donations may make them to Princeton Senior Resource Center, the Princeton Public Library, or The Jewish Center Princeton.

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Georgia Triantafillou

Georgia Triantafillou of Princeton, NJ, passed away peacefully in the loving arms of her two children after a hard-fought battle with cancer on March 5, 2023 at 72 years of age. Born in 1950 in the small town of Spercheiada in Greece, Georgia grew up in a humble house without electricity. Despite adverse conditions, she devoted herself to her studies — especially mathematics — and achieved the fourth-highest marks in all of Greece on the national qualifying exams for university admission. She went on to win a series of state scholarships which enabled her to study mathematics at the National University of Athens and to then pursue a PhD in Bonn, Germany, in the field of algebraic topology. While in Bonn, she met her future husband and father of her children, the physicist Vladimir Visnjic.

Georgia came to America in the ’70s for her first postdoc at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. During her time there, she developed a love for Princeton as well as friendships that have lasted to this day. While her academic career would take her to numerous universities around the U.S. and Europe, she eventually settled down permanently in Princeton in 1996 with her family. 

As a mathematician, Georgia published many influential papers in the field of algebraic topology and presented her original research at numerous international conferences. In 1990, she became the first woman in Greece to ever be elected full Professor of Mathematics at the National University of Athens. For the past few decades, she served as Professor of Mathematics at Temple University, where she was an exceedingly popular instructor whose excellence and effectiveness in teaching difficult subjects has been recognized through teaching awards. Her students often joked that “she made sense out of nonsense.”

Georgia was a committed member of the Greek church in Hamilton and a pillar of the local Greek community. She spearheaded and co-founded a bilingual Greek-English preschool, where she served pro bono as director for several years for the good of the children and the community. She also served for many years as president of the organization Hellenic Vision, which promoted Hellenic culture through exhibits, lectures, and concerts. 

She was the matriarch of a highly academic family, with both children receiving PhDs from Princeton University. Her whole life was centered around education for all ages, including her grandchildren, who were her stars in the last few years.

She is survived by her husband Vladimir Visnjic, her two children Katerina and Vanya (“Jack”), and four granddaughters, all of whom adore her and will carry her memory with them forever. 

At her request, the funeral will take place in her hometown in Greece. A small private viewing will be held at the Mather-Hodge Funeral Home in Princeton on Wednesday, March 8. 

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Mitzi Marks

Mitzi Marks passed away peacefully in the early hours of March 3, 2023 in Princeton, N.J. Born Millicent Rose Alter to Esther and Harry Alter in Chicago, Ill, on February 8, 1925. They named her Mitzi as Millicent seemed like such a big name for a baby. She attended Endicott Jr. College before marrying M. Morton Goldenberg of Philadelphia in 1949. She had three sons, Tony Goldenberg of Port Townsend, Wash.; Todd Alter Goldenberg of North Berwick, Me.; and Tyler James Goldenberg of West Palm Beach, Fla.

Sometime in the 1950s Mitzi was awarded a patent for a device that would enable use of the whole bottle of nail polish with no waste. A leading cosmetic company liked the device but did not want all the polish at the bottom of the jar to be accessible.

In around 1959 after she and Morton divorced, Mitzi remarried Joseph H. Markowitz, an attorney in Trenton and moved to Princeton, N.J.

In Princeton, where she remained the rest of her life, she volunteered with Princeton Hospital as a candy striper, served as a counselor at Planned Parenthood, and also volunteered for the Trenton Historical Museum. In the 1960s she gave haircuts to anyone who wanted them and donated money to Princeton Hospital.

She worked as an Interior Design Consultant through the 1980s and 1990s. Mitzi was a member of The Greenacres Country Club and The Present Day Club. Mitzi’s nephew, Jonathan Alter, and her grandniece, Charlotte Alter, have addressed the Present Day Club.

Mitzi was a lifelong fan of tennis and played well into middle age. She always said, “There’s nothing better than tennis on a beautiful day, followed by a wonderful lunch.”

Mitzi was preceded in death by her parents, both of her husbands, and her beloved brother James Alter of Chicago. She is survived by her three sons, and her faithful, loyal stepson Josh (Stacy) Markowitz of Princeton.

Her family and friends will miss talking to her on the phone and the benefits of her wise counsel.

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Edwin W. Wislar

Edwin W. Wislar, 95, of Princeton passed away on Thursday, March 2, 2023 at Penn Medicine of Plainsboro, NJ.

Edwin was born in Trenton, NJ. He attended and boarded at the Lawrenceville School of Lawrenceville, NJ, lettering in baseball and soccer, participating in the glee club, and was a member of the Woodhull House. He then attended and graduated from Yale University before joining the Marine Corps and serving in the Korean War as a Captain, where he was based on the battleship Iowa. He was a recon officer sighting enemy installations in North Korea from helicopters.

Ed married his wife Mary Elizabeth Elliott on September 15, 1957 and they had six children together. Mary passed in 1987. He had a successful career in the corporate insurance industry. After his retirement he stayed active continuing to invest in the private and public equity markets.

An avid sportsman, Ed enjoyed fly fishing throughout the U.S., Canada, and Argentina as well as small bird hunting and sailing with his friends and family. He was also a passionate golfer and founding member of the Bedens Brook Club of Skillman, NJ. He could often be found casting weekend afternoons on the Ken Lockwood Gorge in Califon, NJ, his favorite local stretch of stream, and it was here that Mary went into Labor with her first child Allison.

He was dedicated to coaching his sons’ hockey teams and attending his daughters’ events. He supported many foundations and institutions including serving on the Board of The Chapin School of Princeton, further involvement with the Newgrange School, Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart, and the Lawrenceville School.

Ed remarried Brenda Kelley in 1989 and they spent his remaining years in Princeton.

He was known by his grandchildren as “Pop Pop” and found joy having them visit, especially swimming in the family pool. At the end of each visit, his grandchildren would wave and yell out of open car windows at the top of their lungs to his delight, “Bye! See you soon Pop Pop!”

Predeceased by his parents George R. and Marion (Garston) Wislar of Amwell, NJ, and a brother George R. Wislar of Atlanta, GA.

He is survived by his wife Brenda K. Wislar; four sons and two daughters Elliott W. Wislar, George and Eileen Wislar, Adam (Tad) R. Wislar, John B. Wislar, Allison E. Wislar, Margaret E. Wislar; 11 grandchildren E.J., Mackenzie, Wes, Elliott, Matt, Mary, Jack, Lexi, Charlie, Meredith, Phoebe; and great-grandchildren.

A Celebration of Ed’s Life will be announced in the near future.

In lieu of flowers or gifts please donate to The Mary Elliott Wislar Memorial Scholarship Foundation of Princeton, administered by The Princeton Community Foundation.

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