March 29, 2023

Obituaries 3/29/2023

Zygmunt Andrevski

Zygmunt Andrevski, a longtime Princeton resident, passed away on March 12, aged 90, after a long illness. He was born in Poland and as a child lived through the German invasion during WWII. He emigrated to the U.S. in 1959. An avid pilot and parachutist, he flew MiG planes for the Polish air force and flew gliders, Pipers, and Cessnas in the U.S. for pleasure.

He worked at General Instruments in New York before moving to Princeton in the early 1970s to work for David Sarnoff Laboratories as a mechanical engineer. Over 25 years at Sarnoff he worked on many groundbreaking inventions and enjoyed meeting and collaborating with colleagues on many projects and received Sarnoff’s Outstanding Achievement Award. He was awarded 27 international patents for his work including work on the CD player and flat panel television. He was part of a team awarded a Technical Emmy Award for camera technology.

He enjoyed painting, sailing, and skiing in his free time and attended St Paul’s Church regularly. He was a role model to many, generous with his friends, and lived his life with humility and dignity.

He is survived by his wife Anna who lives in Lawrence, and daughter Agata and two grandchildren who live in London.

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Sheila W. Johnson

Sheila Warfield Johnson died on March 9, 2023 at home in Stamford, CT, after a long battle with ovarian cancer.

She was born in New York, NY, on December 2, 1943 to Eleanor and Collister Johnson, and attended Ms. Porter’s School and Smith College. She majored in French Literature, studying abroad her junior year at the Sorbonne in Paris, and was a member of the Octavians singing group. After graduating in 1965, she worked at Life magazine where she spent seven years as a member of the editorial staff.

In Far Hills, NJ, rarely a day went by in the Johnson household without a song. Sheila’s father “Coddy” sang with the Yale Whiffenpoofs and often gathered with his three brothers who lived nearby to make music. She was a soprano with a bell-like tone and a natural gift for performing. While raising her family in Princeton, NJ, she became an original member of the Boudinotes, a female a cappella group that performed both locally and nationally for over a decade. She also worked as a research assistant to William Bundy, a foreign affairs advisor to presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, who at the time was writing A Tangled Web, a book on Nixon foreign policy.

After her second marriage ended, she moved to Hopewell, NJ, and joined the coed singing group Jersey Transit. Sheila vigorously pursued a passion for gardening, thanks in part to the influence of her beloved mother, “Elle,” who held positions in the Garden Club of America and was known to encourage strict use of Latin botanical names. In 1996, Sheila became a New Jersey Master Gardener and attended NYU’s Rusk School to study horticultural therapy.

In 2007, Sheila met and married Harry Wise, whom she described as the love of her life. After a few years in Manhattan, the couple moved to Stamford, CT, where they enjoyed a life filled with music — Sheila on vocals and Harry on the piano. She also sang with the Greenwich Grace Notes and joined the choir at St. Luke’s Church in Darien. Sadly, Harry passed away in 2014, but Sheila remained in Stamford, living near her children.

In recent years, Sheila traveled to Paris to serve as a judge for several rose competitions and took trips to Europe with friends as well as with her kids and grandkids. She continued to enjoy a cherished family tradition of gathering each summer on Martha’s Vineyard where her parents, siblings, and cousins had spent time since the 1960s.

She is survived by her son Eben MacNeille, daughter Alisa MacNeille Kuhn, four grandchildren, her sister Lee Auchincloss, and brother Collister Johnson, Jr. Her maternal grandfather, Malcolm Muir, was president of McGraw-Hill Publishing Company and created Business Week magazine in 1929. He also served as editor-in-chief, publisher, and chairman of the board at Newsweek magazine.

Sheila’s determination at the end of life was inspirational. She never openly complained as she pushed through life-prolonging treatments to gain more time with friends and family. Last summer she enjoyed one last swim in the Atlantic Ocean. Her lyrical spirit, strength, and joie de vivre will be ever present in our hearts.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at leopgallagherstamford.com for the Johnson family.

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Michelina Federico

Michelina Federico, 89, of Princeton died on Wednesday, March 22, 2023 at home. Born in Pettoranello del Molise, Italy, she has been a longtime resident of Princeton. She was a member of St. Paul’s Church, Princeton. She was a part of the church’s Rosary club. Michelina was an avid gardener who took great pride in her backyard garden and flower beds. She enjoyed knitting scarves and blankets for family while watching her favorite television shows. Michelina was always delighted to visit her loved ones and never showed up empty handed as she was always prepared with her homemade pizzelles. She loved to cook and entertain, spending many occasions at her home hosting family and friends over the years and up until her final days.

Daughter of the late Giuseppe and Bambina (Toto) Pirone, wife of the late Benito Federico, mother of the late Anthony V. Federico, mother-in-law of the late Lisa M. Federico, sister of the late Adalgisa Ucci, Fiorina Ucci, Lucia Carnevale, and Rosina Parmigiano she is survived by two daughters Maryann Federico, Rosa Anne Federico; two brothers Umberto Pirone and his spouse Giovannina, Vittorio Pirone and his spouse Vincenzina; one sister Alberina Nini and her husband Sebastiano; six grandchildren Anthony Federico and his wife Rose, Corey Kimball and his wife Marina, Heather Kimball, Ashley Dimitriadis and her husband Theoharis, Christopher McDonald and his wife Grace, Patrick McDonald and his wife Renee; and four great-grandchildren Hunter Kimball, Dylan Kimball, Tiana McDonald, and Anthony Federico. She also has many extended family and friends that she loved and cherished very much.

The Funeral was held on Monday, March 27, 2023 at the Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, 40 Vandeventer Avenue, Princeton.

Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at St. Paul’s Church, 216 Nassau Street, Princeton.

Burial followed in the Princeton Cemetery.

Memorial Contributions may be made to St. Paul’s Church, 216 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ 08540.

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Carolyn Jarnmark Ringland

Carolyn “Lynn” Ringland died peacefully on March 13, 2023, at an assisted living community in Westchester County, NY, after a five-year struggle with Alzheimer’s Disease. She was 81 years old.

She is survived by her loving husband of 61 years, Jerry Ringland; beloved daughters Jodi Outland (Jim Outland) of Cape Charles, VA, and Kesti Aysseh (Gordon Aysseh) of Darien, CT; and six grandchildren, Matthew, Benjamin, and Mark Outland; Emily, Dillan, and Thomas Aysseh; together with family and friends far and near.

Lynn was the middle daughter of John and Doris Jarnmark. She was predeceased by her parents and sister Monica Barnouw. She was very close with her younger sister, Suzy Solberger of Sweden, and her many nieces and nephews, who survive her.

Lynn was born in Santiago, Chile, on January 22, 1942. At the age of 4 she moved to Sweden where she spent her childhood years, she spoke fluent Swedish for the rest of her life. She came to the United States as a young teenager, lived in California, Pennsylvania, and attended high school in Mamaroneck, NY. She went on to college at the Rhode Island School of Design and in 1962 she graduated from Parsons School of Design in New York with a degree in Graphic Design. Thereafter, she worked for several advertising agencies in New York City. Summer of 1962, she married Joseph “Jerry” Ringland, then a medical student at Cornell Medical College in New York. At the completion of his medical training in 1970, they along with their first daughter, moved to Princeton, NJ, where they resided for 50 years.

Lynn was a devoted mother of two and worked from home for many years focusing on graphic design work. She also loved to volunteer for the Arts Council of Princeton and the Doctor’s Wives Committee at Princeton Hospital contributing to many poster designs for the Hospital Fete. The highlight of her career was working for Martha Stewart Magazine, baking, and decorating cookies.
Lynn had a true zest for life, always positive and upbeat. Her trues loves included visiting Sweden, skiing, traveling, entertaining, cooking, baking, arts and crafts, playing golf, taking long walks and spending time with her children and grandchildren at their respective homes.

A private family service will be held in Connecticut. In lieu of flowers, donations in her name will be welcomed by the Alzheimer’s Association at act.alz.org.

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Lawrence “Larry” Berger

Lawrence “Larry” Berger, 69, passed away peacefully at home on Friday, March 17, surrounded by his wife Paget and his children Rebecca, Aaron, and Josh. He will be remembered by those who knew and loved him for his penetrating intellect, the passions he shared, and his perceptive kindness. Those who knew him well, and those he met only in passing, benefited equally from his humorous sweet nature and his attentiveness. He was a committed Jew, who lived his principles rather than expound on them.

Larry grew up in Brooklyn, New York. Following graduation from Harvard College, he worked as a Research Associate at the Harvard Business School, before beginning his career in accounting followed by investment banking. He aspired to be an entrepreneur and always felt that those early disciplines, plus his natural gift for connecting people and synthesizing ideas, could propel him toward developing startup businesses. His list of ventures was long and varied, before he gravitated toward Biotech and founded the successful firm Genovation BioSciences which he nurtured until reluctant retirement in 2021.

Larry’s passions were numerous and he pursued them vigorously. Chief among them were music, current events, and golf. In his lifetime Larry collected over a thousand vinyl albums and CDs. He prided himself on his extensive knowledge of genres and performers. While living in Boston, New York, and Princeton he also attended an untold number of live performances, which he claimed helped him “calibrate” his audio system at home.

Larry could expound for hours on world history and current events. He knew intimately the history of every area in which he lived or visited, favoring American Revolutionary and Civil War history. His analysis of news and events was always filtered insightfully through the lens of the past. For him, pursuing history could also mean joining a guided tour of the Battlefield in Princeton at 6 a.m. on a January morning, because it was more authentic that way.

Larry’s affection for golf began during his years in Brooklyn, competing for his high school golf team. He adored watching or speaking about golf, playing golf, and collecting equipment. On two occasions Larry journeyed to Ireland and Scotland (Old St. Andrews) to play golf, fulfilling a personal dream of his to see where the game was inaugurated.

He used his considerable gifts to penetrate and enhance every life experience. The life experience most precious to Larry was being a husband and a father. He and his wife Paget celebrated 50 years of constant companionship in 2022. Yet for Larry no role or achievement could outmatch that of being a father, reflected in the growth and development he shared with Becca, Aaron, and Josh. He is abundantly missed by his loving family and a small group of close friends, some of whom he remained close with since his college days. His generous presence and engaging conversations enriched all who knew him.

Donations in honor of Larry’s life may be made to St Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital or Magen David Adom (the Israeli Red Cross.)