Emily Ramsdell Clapp Gillispie

Emily Ramsdell Clapp Gillispie, 95, of Princeton, passed away on April 8 after a brief illness. She is survived by her husband of 64 years, Charles C. Gillispie, and a cousin, Edward Atwater of Rochester, N.Y.

Born in Rochester on 14 October 1917, Emily Ramsdell Clapp was the daughter of William D. Clapp and Frances Atwater Clapp. She was a member of the class of 1935 at George School in Newtown, Pennsylvania, and of the Class of 1939 at the University of Rochester, where she graduated with an AB in English, with a minor in art history. Immediately after graduation she served as executive secretary to organize the inauguration of Helen Bragdon, newly elected president of Lake Erie College. In 1940 and 1941 she first worked for R. H. Macy’s at the Bamberger store in Newark, and then served in a secretarial capacity in the law offices of R.T. Vanderbilt in New York City. Early in 1942, Emily Clapp returned to Rochester, where she held the post of co-director of the USO, the United Services Organization, the major facility serving the off duty needs of enlisted men at the nearby Samson Naval Training Station at Geneva. After the war, in 1945-46, she was recreation director at the naval station on Lake Champlain at Plattsburg, N. Y. In 1946 she moved to Boston to accept the position of assistant placement director at Simmons College.

Emily Clapp and Charles Gillispie met in the summer of 1938, when they were members of a student group that travelled to Britain and the Continent under the auspices of the Experiment in International Living. They remained in touch thereafter and throughout the war years and were married at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Rochester on January 29, 1949. Emily came to Princeton with Charles, who had joined Princeton University’s faculty.

In Princeton, Emily Gillispie worked as editorial assistant for the Jefferson papers from 1950 until 1954. From 1955 until 1958 she was administrative assistant to Vice-President Quay of the Princeton Theological Seminary. Other than her wartime service at the USO, the professional position she most enjoyed was that of editorial secretary of The American Scientist, the Sigma Xi journal, which was under the direction of Dean Emeritus Sir Hugh Taylor, who served as editor until 1969. Throughout Charles Gillispie’s academic career, his wife’s editorial skills were of inestimable benefit in the preparation of all his writings.

After Dean Taylor’s retirement, Emily Gillispie returned to her student interest in the history of art. She then joined with others of the University League, wives of members of the University, who founded the docent organization of the Princeton University Art Museum. She served a term as chairman of that volunteer organization from 1972 until 1974, and remained active giving tours, guidance, and museum talks through the 1990s.

A private burial will take place on April 13 in Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia. A celebration of Emily’s life will be held later this spring; details to be announced. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Princeton University Art Museum, McCormick Hall, Princeton, New Jersey 08544. Please designate “In support of Education and Outreach Programs, in memory of Emily Gillispie.”

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

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Pedro Jose Vazquez

Pedro Jose Vazquez, 81, a proud and loving father of two sons, Silvio and Claudio, and two grandchildren Joey and Little Pedro, passed away Wednesday, March 27, 2013 in Cape Coral, Florida. Pedro was born November 27, 1931, in San Gregorio, Santa Fe Province, Argentina and moved to Princeton with his family in 1968. Pedro will most be remembered for his strong work ethic, glowing smile, and great hugs.

Pedro was a kind, polite, and gentle man who spent much of his life working during the day as a machine operator for Dietzgen Corporation, and in the evenings running his business, PJV Maintenance, cleaning offices at the Princeton Medical Group. In his later years Pedro worked at the dining center of the Princeton University Graduate School until retiring last year. He was loved by many of the students and staff, who would often seek him out for his contagious smile that he brought to everyone who came to know him.

Pedro was a wildlife enthusiast and a wonderful photographer. He enjoyed fishing and following his beloved Boca Juniors Soccer Club of Buenos Aires as well as the Argentine National team. He was proud of his Argentine culture and he was proud to be an American citizen.

He is survived by his former wife, Nelida Sira Vazquez of New Jersey; two loving sons, Silvio Eduardo and his wife Tara of Santa Barbara, Calif., and their children Joey and Pedro; Claudio Steven and his wife Meredith of Lambertville; a sister, Maria Haydee and her husband Osvaldo of Argentina; a brother, Luis and his wife Ada of Miami, Fla.; as well as many nieces and nephews.

Memorial services will be held at Trinity Church, 33 Mercer Street, Princeton at 11:30 a.m., Saturday, April 13, 2013. Following the service family and friends are invited to gather at the Vazquez home in Skillman.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in honor of Pedro to one of the following:

Princeton University Graduate School, Annual Giving, P.O. Box 5357, Princeton, N.J. 08543; or Trinity Church, 33 Mercer Street, Princeton, N.J. 08540.

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Charles R Cochrane, Jr.

Charles R Cochrane, Jr., 83, of Princeton, died Friday, April 5, 2013 at home. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., He was a lifelong East Brunswick and Princeton resident. He was a United States Navy Korean War Veteran. Charles was employed for many years as vice president of American Re-Insurance, Princeton. Son of the late Charles R. and Nancy (Adee) Cochrane, husband of the late Anne Cochrane, he is survived by a daughter and son-in-law Leslie S. and Christopher J. Neugent, two sisters-in-law Phyllis Regan, Ellen Fraser, two grandchildren Ryan and J.J. Neugent, two nephews Stephan and Michael Fraser.

The funeral service will be held 2 p.m. on Friday, April 12, 2013 at the Mather-Hodge Funeral Home 40 Vandeventer Avenue, Princeton. Burial will follow in the Princeton Cemetery.

Friends may call on Thursday, April 11, 2013, from 5-7 p.m. at the funeral home.

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Dorothy Richards File

Dorothy Richards File, 88, of Plainsboro, passed away on Monday, April 1, 2013 at the Merwick Care and Rehabilitation of Plainsboro.

Born in New York City, she was a resident of Lawrenceville for 45 years before moving to Pennington. Dorothy was a loving and devoted wife, sister, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt and friend. Her love of children and commitment to education led her to a career as a 3rd grade teacher at St. Joachim’s School in Trenton. Dorothy retired from Educational Testing Service, where she was employed in the Financial Aid Service Division. She was an active member of the Lawrenceville Garden Gate Garden Club and the Lawrenceville Historical Association. Dorothy had a fierce dedication to education and those less fortunate. She served on the board of directors of the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation where she devoted endless time and energy to the organization dedicated to providing need-based scholarships to children of Marines killed or wounded in combat.

Daughter of the late John W. and Mary Bowman Richards; wife of the late Joseph File, to whom she was married 60 years; sister of the late Vincent Richards and Florence Brady; she is survived by her children Joseph C. File, Laurel M. File, Jeannette File-Lamb and husband, Craig; her sister Patricia Paxton; her grandchildren Meghan Kreger-Poller and husband, Michael, Blair E. Lamb, Charles F. File, Michael M. File, Carl R. Kreger III and Trevor J. Lamb and wife, Carole, her great-grandchildren Samuel and Joseph Poller and Grayson Lamb; and several nieces and nephews.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Thursday, April 4 at St. Ann’s Roman Catholic Church, Lawrenceville. Calling hours were private. Interment was in the Veterans section of Greenwood Cemetery, Hamilton. Arrangements were under the direction of Poulson Van Hise Funeral Directors, Lawrenceville.

Memorial donations in Dorothy’s name may be made to the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, 909 N. Washington Street, Suite 400, Alexandria, Virginia 22314.

For directions or to leave a condolence message for the family please visit www.poulsonvanhise.com.

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Peter S. Mueller

Dr. Peter Mueller, of Princeton, passed away on Friday March 29, 2013, at the age of 82 years, surrounded by his family. He is predeceased by his parents, Dr. Reginald Sterling Mueller and Edith Louise Welleck of New York, N.Y., his younger brothers, Dr. Mark Mueller and Sterling Mueller, his younger sister Anne Foote, his son in law Murray Self and grandson Jory Self. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Ruth Antonia (Shipman). He is also survived by four children, six grandchildren, three sisters and numerous nieces and nephews: Anne Mueller of Jericho, Vt. and her 2 sons Milo and Aran, Peter (Lynn) of Andover, Mass. and their daughter Lauren, Paul (Ingrid) of Winchester, Va. and their three children Nicholas, Ryan and Anna Elise, and Elizabeth of Princeton, sisters: Rosamond Dauer of Asheville, N.C., Ginger Rundlof of The Plains, Tex., and Jeane of Bradenton, Fla.

Dr. Mueller was born in New York City. He attended Phillips Exeter Academy class of 1948, Princeton University class of 1952, and University of Rochester School of Medicine class of 1956. He completed his internship at Bellevue Hospital in New York in 1957 and then became a clinical associate at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda Maryland where he studied fatty acids and lipid metabolism in relation to cancer, and published numerous papers on this topic. He also met his wife Ruth Shipman of Chevy Chase, Md. who worked at NIH and they were married in Chevy Chase in 1959. After pursuing his research goals for six years he entered the psychiatry residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore (1963-1966). During his residency he continued his research on insulin and glucose metabolism.

After residency, he joined the faculty at Yale as an assistant professor of psychiatry and practiced there until 1972. During this time he published extensively on the role of fatty acid metabolism and insulin resistance in psychiatric disease. Also, in response to his father’s diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), he began studying the role of lipid and glucose metabolism is neuro-degenerative disorders. In 1972 he was recruited by the College of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Rutgers medical school as a clinical professor to help build a department of psychiatry. While working in his clinical practice he noted that some of his patients experienced relapses and mood variations at certain times of the year and theorized that this was due to seasonal light variation. He shared his ideas with researchers at the National Institutes of Mental Health. In collaboration with researchers there, he helped describe seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Later, he speculated that seasonal light wavelength variation was the cause and described a seasonal energy syndrome. Another notable contribution to neuropsychiatry, during this period, was his successful treatment of neuroleptic malignant syndrome, a severe (and poorly treatable) reaction to a common psychiatric medications that previously had a very high mortality rate.

Although he left full time academic work in the early 1980s and began his private practice in Princeton, he continued to pursue his research interests clinically and publish and speak about his areas of interest. He developed a reputation for successfully treating many patients who had been poorly responsive to conventional treatments. His multiple honors over the years included: American Psychiatric Association Physician Recognition Awards in 1979, 1982 and Exemplary Psychiatrist of the Year Award in 1994. He also held multiple patents for novel uses of current medications.

Dr. Mueller also served in the U.S. Public Health service actively with the title of Surgeon from 1959-1963 and Senior Assistant Surgeon from 1957-1959 and was in the inactive reserves until 1996, with the title of Commander.

A memorial service will be held at a later date and in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad or a charity of your choice.

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

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Marie Louise Stokes

Marie Louise (Weedie) Stokes, 98, died peacefully at her home in Lawrenceville on April 2, 2013. Born on April 29, 1914 and raised in Easton, Pa., she was the daughter of the late Sara and Frank Reeder, Jr. She moved to Princeton in 1936 upon her marriage to W. J. B. Stokes II, who predeceased her in 1991.

Mrs. Stokes was very active in the Princeton area community. She was a member of the Historical Society of Princeton, the Lawrence Historical Society, and Historic Fallsington. She volunteered at a wide range of area organizations, including Mercer Street Friends, Planned Parenthood and Friends of the Lawrence Library. She was a former member of the Countryside Gardeners of Doylestown, Pa., the Women’s Club of Lawrenceville and a current member of The Present Day Club.

She is survived by her three daughters: Carol Stokes of Lawrenceville, Elizabeth (Jill) Halbert and her husband, Peter, of Great Falls, Va., and Robin Snyder and her husband, Donald, of Valley Center, Calif.; six grandchildren, Andrew (Susan) Tibbetts, Margaret Tibbetts, Douglas (Catherine) Halbert, Amanda (Reid) Halbert Jackson, Jonathan Snyder, and William Snyder; eight great-grandchildren; and her sister, Frances Burnett of San Diego.

A celebration of her life will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 27 at Princeton Monthly Meeting, Quaker Road and Mercer Street, in Princeton. Interment will be in the Stokes family mausoleum in Ewing Cemetery at the convenience of the family.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Planned Parenthood of Mercer, 437 E. State St., Trenton 08608 or Princeton Homecare Hospice, 208 Bunn Drive, Princeton, N.J. 08540.

Arrangements are under the direction of Kimble Funeral Home, 1 Hamilton Avenue, Princeton.

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Ronald J. Wulf

Dr. Ronald J. Wulf, 84, of Princeton, passed away Monday, April 1, 2013, at the University Medical Center of Princeton.

He was born on July 24, 1928, in Davenport, Iowa and resided there for all of his early life.

A graduate of Davenport Central High School, he went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Iowa. He served his country in the U.S. Army Chemical Corps while stationed in Japan during the Korean War. He returned to the University of Iowa on the GI bill to get his Masters in pharmacology.

Dr. Wulf began his career at Lederle Laboratories, a division of American Cyanamid in Pearl River, New York. While at Lederle, he met and married Barbara Hesselgrave, his wife of 54 years, who was the plant nurse. They had their first child (James Wulf) while at Lederle, before returning to Purdue University in Indiana to earn his PhD in biochemistry as a recipient of the American Cyanamid Award in Education. During his graduate program at Purdue his second son (David Wulf) was born and a third son (John Wulf) arrived two years later on the same day of his father’s dissertation and birthday. The family returned to the east coast and Dr. Wulf was an associate professor at the University of Connecticut in Storrs where he taught pharmacology.

The family later moved to Princeton, where Dr. Wulf took a position at Carter-Wallace in Cranbury as a director of research. He held that position until he retired after 23 years. After retirement he consulted at Carter-Wallace and later at Church and Dwight.

During his career he authored and co-authored many scientific papers and was well known for his expertise in drug safety. He served on the Fathers Association at the Hun School of Princeton, where his three sons graduated. One of Dr. Wulf’s passions was gardening and he became a Master Gardener. He also enjoyed cooking and frequently helped out at the Nassau Presbyterian Church for the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen.

He and his wife traveled extensively and participated in People to People, a scientific exchange program. For this program they visited China, Vietnam, and the Soviet Union. An avid Iowa Hawkeyes football fan, Dr. Wulf attended several Rose Bowl Big Ten championship games. He was very active in the Nassau Presbyterian Church in Princeton, serving as an elder and deacon. Ron Wulf was a beloved and active member of the community.

Predeceased by his parents Herman and Amelia of Davenport, Iowa and his sister Mardelle Schmidt of Moline, Illinois, Dr. Wulf is survived by his wife Barbara; his sister Suzanne Dengler of Davenport; his son James Wulf and wife Rhona, two granddaughters, Annalise and Jacquelene of Titusville; his son David Wulf and wife Ingrid, two grandsons, Ian and Sean of Princeton; his son John W. Wulf and wife Joanne of Bedminster.

Family and friends may attend a memorial service to celebrate his life on Saturday April 13, 2013, at 11 a.m. at the Nassau Presbyterian Church, 61 Nassau Street, Princeton. A reception will follow in the Assembly Room at the church. Born and raised in America’s heartland and always an Iowan, he will be laid to rest in Davenport, Iowa.

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