March 5, 2025
By Anne Levin
Avian influenza, better known as bird flu, has shown up in Princeton. The positive test of a deceased bald eagle, found near Prospect Avenue and Lake Carnegie in December 2024, was announced by the municipality on February 28.
According to the press release issued that day, there are no known exposures to humans or pets in Princeton. But the situation is being monitored.
“The Princeton Health Department is urging residents and poultry owners to take precautions following a recent outbreak of H5N1, or avian influenza,” reads the release. “H5N1 is a highly contagious airborne respiratory virus that spreads easily among birds through nasal and eye secretions, and manure. The New Jersey Department of Health continues to respond to the ongoing outbreak of the virus across the state.” more
By Donald Gilpin
Voter turnout in Princeton was lower than many expected in the 2024 November election, and most New Jerseyans would agree that more people should participate in the democratic process by casting their ballots, but why numbers are down and what to do about it is a subject of widespread disagreement.
The question of voter turnout becomes particularly important in the context of New Jersey’s current campaign for a new governor, with 10 confirmed candidates, endorsements flowing in, primaries in June, and the General Election in November.
Mercer County Democratic Committee Chair Janice Mironov, who is also the mayor of East Windsor, declined to single out any particular town or county, but cited a number of factors that diminished participation in the 2024 election. more
By Anne Levin
In an effort led by Princeton Councilman Leighton Newlin, the governing body is planning to pay tribute to Thomas Alfred “Tommy” Parker with a proclamation at its meeting on March 10. Also planned in honor of the longtime Princeton resident is the declaration of March 19 — Parker’s 73rd birthday — as Tommy Parker Day.
Known for his work on civil rights, his management and mentoring of Princeton’s American Legion Post 218 baseball team, his leadership of the Princeton Democratic Municipal Committee and the Princeton Community Democratic Organization, and his years as president of Princeton’s Service Employees International Union Local 175 while employed by Princeton University, among other distinctions, Parker has been devoted to community service throughout his life.
In recent years, Parker has suffered two strokes and the loss of his oldest son, Tuumaa. He lives on Leigh Avenue, in the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood where he grew up, with his wife, Joanne. more
PREPARING FOR A PARTY: Princeton Nursery School (PNS) on Leigh Avenue is getting ready to celebrate its 96th anniversary on Friday, along with the birthdays of its oldest two alumnae, Marilyn Yates, who will be 94, and Barbara Banks, who will be 95. Pictured above are PNS teachers and students with community partner Shirley Satterfield (seated) and PNS Executive Director K. Leanna Jahnke (standing center). (Photo courtesy of Princeton Nursery School)
By Donald Gilpin
With a parade through the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood on Friday, March 7, carrying balloons and decorated signs, the 48 students of Princeton Nursery School (PNS) and their teachers will be celebrating the birthdays of PNS’ oldest living alumnae, along with the 96th anniversary of the founding of the school.
First stop for the parade will be the home of Barbara Banks, who lives right behind the Leigh Avenue school, then the parade participants will continue down John Street to the home of Marilyn Yates. more
By Anne Levin
A traditional forest can take up to 100 years to mature. But a microforest — a diverse set of native plants and trees on a small plot of land, usually in an urban setting — can take as little as 15 years to reach full growth.
With that in mind, Princeton Council passed a resolution at its February 24 meeting authorizing submission of an application for a Sustainable Jersey grant of $10,000, to cover costs related to the town’s first such project. The 5,000-square-foot site is on an underutilized area of grass and invasive plants at Quarry Park, next to Princeton Housing Authority’s Lloyd Terrace at Spruce Circle affordable housing complex.
Partners in the project include the Princeton Recreation Commission, the Princeton Shade Tree Commission, the Princeton Environmental Commission, Sustainable Princeton, and the Princeton Housing Authority. more
LIVES OF THE ENSLAVED: Morven Museum and Garden recently reopened its exhibition “Historic Morven: A Window Into America’s Past,” which has been updated with new information about individuals enslaved by the Stockton family. Research and archival consultant Sharece Blakney is shown leading a tour of the exhibition. (Photo courtesy of Morven Museum and Garden)
By Donald Gilpin
Morven, built in the 1750s, has been the home of many of New Jersey’s most prominent citizens, starting with Richard Stockton, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, followed by four more generations of Stocktons, Robert Wood Johnson Jr., and then five New Jersey governors as the state’s first Governor’s Mansion before becoming a museum in 2004.
But Morven has also been home to many people who are much less well known, who were enslaved by the Stockton family.
With the recent reopening of its permanent history exhibition,” Historic Morven: A Window Into America’s Past,” Morven Museum and Garden, located at 55 Stockton Street, has provided extensive research updates in three of the museum’s first-floor galleries, and the lives of the enslaved residents of Morven are portrayed in much greater depth and detail. Morven’s “Window Into America’s Past” reveals a much more expansive and complex landscape than has been seen in the past. more
By Stuart Mitchner
Now what is love, I pray thee tell?
It is that fountain and that well
Where pleasure and repentance dwell.
—Sir Walter Raleigh
(may i touch said he how much said she a lot said he)
—e.e. cummings
Raleigh’s poem “A Description of Love” begins and ends Pleasure and Repentance (Pergamon 1976), the Royal Shakespeare Company’s “Lighthearted Look at Love” created and compiled by former RSC Director Terry Hands. The subject of acting and actors, love and lovers brings to mind Sunday night’s Academy Awards, where Morgan Freeman delivered a memorial tribute to Gene Hackman (“Our community lost a giant, I lost a dear friend”) and four Oscars went to Sean Baker’s Anora, a zany throwback to the screwball comedy romances of Hollywood’s Golden Age.
My favorite Hackman film is Arthur Penn’s extraordinary neo-noir Night Moves (1975), which features one of his strongest performances as the driven, benighted, very human private eye Harry Moseley. At the moment, however, I’m remembering him as Harry Caul sitting alone in the wreckage of his room playing tenor sax at the end of Francis Ford Coppola’s The Conversation (1974). more
“CARRIE”: Theatre Intime and the Princeton University Players have staged “Carrie.” Directed by Chloe Webster; and music directed by Jenia Marquez, the musical was presented February 27-March 1 at the Hamilton Murray Theater. Above: Carrie (Christie Davis, center right), who is used to being an outsider, enjoys attending her prom with Tommy (David Getz, center left) — unaware that she is about to be the victim of a cruel prank (as evidenced by the bucket above her head) and humiliated in front of her onlooking classmates. (Photo by Elena Milliken)
By Donald H. Sanborn III
Stephen King’s novel Carrie (1974) portrays Carrie White, a bullied high school senior who is secluded and abused by her religiously overzealous, puritanical mother. Carrie discovers that she has telekinetic powers, with which she exacts vengeance on her classmates (and others) when she is humiliated by a cruel prank at her prom.
The plot is a dark and bitter inversion of the Cinderella story, with the archetypes easy to spot. Carrie obviously is a variation on Cinderella. Margaret, her mother, becomes the wicked stepmother, and the taunting classmates are the stepsisters. A sympathetic gym teacher becomes the fairy godmother, while another student, Tommy, reluctantly fills the role of the prince (despite being in love with Sue, another classmate).
Carrie was adapted into a 1976 film, with a screenplay by Lawrence D. Cohen. Subsequently the novel and film were adapted into a musical, for which Cohen wrote the libretto. Dean Pitchford (the screenwriter of Footloose, and the co-writer of several songs for Fame) wrote the lyrics, with Michael Gore (Pitchford’s Fame collaborator) composing the music.
By Nancy Plum
The stage at Richardson Auditorium looked a bit like an instrument warehouse last Friday night, jam-packed with chairs, percussion, two harps, and several keyboard instruments in anticipation of Princeton University Orchestra’s winter concert. With all these possible players, there might have been a potential for sound cacophony, but the University Orchestra performed its annual “Concerto Concert” with clarity and melodic refinement while showing off the immense talents of two students. Conducted by Michael Pratt, Friday night’s performance (which was repeated Saturday night) showed freshman violist Jisang Kymm and sophomore pianist Sarah Yuan to be experienced well beyond their years in the Orchestra’s presentation of Alfred Schnittke’s Concerto for Viola and Orchestra and Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor.
Schnittke’s 1985 three-movement Concerto for Viola and Orchestra diverged from the traditional concerto structure of alternating fast-slow-fast sections and reversed this order, with outer “Largo” movements bracketing a central “Allegro.” Like many of his Soviet contemporaries, Schnittke collaborated with the finest performers of his day, and the virtuosity and intensity of the Concerto reflected its tribute to a leading violist of the time. Viola soloist Jisang Kymm opened Schnittke’s work with introspection and attention to detail. Taking his time in the reflective texture, Kymm effortlessly executed the numerous double stops and insisted on the score’s dissonance against an unsettled orchestral accompaniment. more
ELMO AND FRIENDS: “Sesame Street Live! Say Hello” comes to State Theatre New Jersey on Sunday, March 16 at 2 p.m.
State Theatre New Jersey presents “Sesame Street Live! Say Hello” on Sunday, March 16 at 2 p.m. The live show will bring the beloved characters from the show Sesame Street to life in a brand-new interactive production.
Elmo, Abby Cadabby, Cookie Monster, and their friends sing, dance, and play alongside furry friends, all while the audience follows Elmo’s puppy, Tango, in a game of hide and seek.
“We are overjoyed and honored to be collaborating with Sesame Workshop to bring a brand-new tour of ‘Sesame Street Live’ to stages across the U.S. and Canada,” said Round Room Live Founder and Co-President Stephen Shaw. “Round Room Live has a long history of exciting, innovative, and engaging productions, and we’re thrilled to combine our dedication to premium, unforgettable entertainment with the beloved characters of Sesame Street in an interactive musical adventure that will create memorable experiences for families of all ages.” more
PHILLY AND IRISH: Poor Man’s Gambit is all about the traditional Irish culture of the Philadelphia area. The group comes to Christ Congregation Church on March 21.
On Friday, March 21 at 8 p.m., the Princeton Folk Music Society brings Poor Man’s Gambit, a Philadelphia-based Irish music band, to Christ Congregation Church, 50 Walnut Lane.
The multi-instrumentalist group includes Deirdre Lockman (fiddle and vocals), Corey Purcell (button accordion, cittern, bodhran, vocals, and dance), and Joseph Carmichael (guitar, whistle, flute, and vocals).
Lockman and Purcell are steeped in the traditional Irish culture of the Philadelphia area. Both started as step dancers in childhood. Lockman studied at the DeNogla Academy of Irish Dance in New Jersey, and both went on to dance competitively at national and international levels. In time, however, they found their true calling in Irish music. more
DIRECT FROM BELFAST: The Shamrock Tenors Come to State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick on March 15.
On Saturday, March 15 at 8 p.m., State Theatre New Jersey presents Shamrock Tenors as part of the group’s North American tour. Tickets range from $39-$99.
Based in Belfast, Shamrock Tenors features performers from both sides of the community across Northern Ireland, with vocalists and multi-instrumentalists from London’s West End and beyond. The show features some of Ireland’s most beloved classic songs in five-part harmony, including “Danny Boy,” “Whiskey in the Jar,” “The Parting Glass,” and “Wild Rover.” more
Matt Lopes
State Theatre New Jersey and Stress Factory Comedy Club present “Comedy Night Live!” on Friday, March 7 at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $25-$35.
Performers include Matt Lopes, Brian Scolaro, Patty Rosborough, and Vinnie Brand.
Lopes is the house comedian at the Stress Factory Comedy Club in Bridgeport, Conn., and the co-host of the “You Should Be Worried” podcast. He’s worked in stages at New York Comedy Club, Stress Factory NJ, Funny Bone Comedy Club, and has amassed over 25,000 followers across his social media.
Brian Scolaro
Scolaro has appeared on Shameless, Abbott Elementary, Night Court, Dexter, Mad Men, Law And Order: SVU, Bones, Castle, Grey’s Anatomy, The Middle, Men Of A Certain Age, and Girl Meets World, and has also had recurring roles as Brian on A Million Little Things, Uncle Bill on Ten Year Old Tom, Doug on Sullivan and Son, Sergio on Kroll Show, Goblin on Wizards Of Waverly Place, and many roles on Life and Times of Tim. He is known as Stuart, a regular cast member, on FOX’s Stacked, and Gordon on NBC’s Three Sisters.
Rosborough got her start in New York City appearing with the improv troupe Future Schlock, and in the Off-Broadway production of Gay Dracula. Her first stint on television was with Jon Stewart on Comedy Central’s Short Attention Span Theatre. She has been seen on Showtime, Comedy Central, and on BBC’s The World Stands Up.
Brand is the host of the evening and owner of The Stress Factory Comedy Clubs located in New Brunswick, and Fairfield County, Conn.
State Theatre New Jersey is at 15 Livingston Avenue in New Brunswick. Visit stnj.org for tickets.
“JOHN WILLIAM HUNT, 1946”: This portrait by John Folinsbee is part of “Janet Marsh Hunt’s Creative Family Tree,” on view at the New Hope Colony Foundation for the Arts in New Hope, Pa., March 8 through April 13.
Janet Marsh Hunt, a painter and gifted printmaker, was a beloved gallerist and friend to artists for decades before her passing in 2023. As the managing partner at the Coryell Gallery in Lambertville, she mentored hundreds of artists. She was also descended from generations of prominent poets, painters, printmakers, and influential teachers at celebrated art schools.
The New Hope Colony Foundation for the Arts opens the exhibition “Janet Marsh Hunt’s Creative Family Tree,” on Saturday, March 8, from 1to 4 p.m., at 2594 River Road, New Hope, Pa. The exhibition can be seen on Saturdays and Sundays, from 1 to 4 p.m., through April 13. more
“GALVANIZE”: This photograph by Danielle Austen is part of a new exhibit on view at Gallery 14 Fine Art Photography in Hopewell March 8 through March 30. A reception is on March 9 from 1 to 3 p.m.
Gallery 14 Fine Art Photography in Hopewell has works by guest exhibitors Danielle Austen and Richard Armington, along with Gallery 14 members, March 8 through March 30. A Meet the Artists reception is on Sunday, March 9 from 1 to 3 p.m.
Austen is an award-winning professional fine art photographer specializing in creating intimate portraits of the environment, with a particular emphasis on abstracts found within the landscape. She holds a BFA in fine arts from Cornell University and an MS in communication photography from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. Her artistic endeavors include being chosen for seven artist-in-residency programs, six within the National Parks. Over her 25-year career, she has earned numerous awards in local, national, and international competitions. Her work has also been showcased in over four dozen national and international juried exhibitions and numerous group and solo exhibitions, notably at the Monmouth Museum. As an educator, Austen offers classes, workshops, and private consultations and presents on various topics to photographic societies throughout the region. more
Watercolor paintings by Indrani Choudhury are featured in a solo exhibition on view through April 1 at Small World Coffee, 14 Witherspoon Street. An art reception with refreshments is on Friday, March 7 from 6 to 8 p.m.
“BEST FRIENDS”: This painting by Richard Worzel is part of the Phillips’ Mill Community Association’s Second Annual Mill Members Art Show and Sale, on view March 8, 9, 15, and 16 from 12 to 4 p.m. at Phillips’ Mill in New Hope, Pa.
Members of the Phillips’ Mill Community Association in New Hope, Pa., will be in the spotlight at the Second Annual Mill Members Art Show and Sale. The exhibition will be open for two consecutive weekends, March 8 and 9, and March 15 and 16, from 12 to 4 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated.
The show will feature more than 500 works of art by over 170 artists, all members of Phillips’ Mill Community Association. An array of fine art and crafts will be represented in the non-juried show including paintings and sculpture, jewelry and textiles, mixed media, ceramics, photography, and works on paper. more
SEVEN UP: Princeton University women’s lacrosse player Haven Dora, left, looks to unload the ball against Hofstra last Saturday. Junior attacker Dora dished out a program-record seven assists for a second straight game as the Tigers rolled to a 20-4 win over the Pride. No. 13 Princeton, now 3-1, hosts Penn State on March 5 and Harvard on March 8 in its Ivy League opener. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
By Bill Alden
Haven Dora wears No. 7 for the Princeton University women’s lacrosse team and last week that number took on an added significance for the junior attacker.
On Wednesday, Dora tallied a program single-game record seven assists to help Princeton edge Delaware 15-14. Three days later, Dora matched that feat, getting seven assists as the Tigers rolled to a 20-4 victory over Hofstra in improving to 3-1.
“I am really proud of that,” said Dora, reflecting on the record.“Every single game, I am trying to come out with a team win and if that is what it takes, I am going to keep assisting my teammate. Hopefully at some point. I can break it and get eight. I am looking forward to the rest of the season.” more
DRIVING FORCE: Princeton High girls’ basketball player Anna Winters drives to the hoop last Thursday as fourth-seeded PHS defeated 13th-seeded Trenton Central 61-54 in the first round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Central Jersey Group 4 tournament. Junior guard Winters scored a game-high 25 points in the win. The Tigers went on to lose 65-34 to fifth-seeded Franklin last Monday in the quarterfinal round of the tourney to end the winter with a 19-10 record. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
By Bill Alden
Anna Winters went scoreless in the first quarter as the Princeton High girls’ basketball team fell behind 10-7 to Trenton Central last Thursday in the first round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Central Jersey Group 4 tournament.
In the second quarter, junior guard Winters and fourth-seeded PHS got into a groove, outscoring the 13th-seeded Tornadoes 22-3 to seize control of the contest. more
ON THE STICK: Princeton High boys’ hockey player Brendan Beatty, left, goes after the puck in recent action. Last week, senior star and captain Beatty scored two goals as 16th-seeded PHS fell 9-3 to top-seeded Bridgewater-Raritan first round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) South Public sectional tournament. The loss left the Tigers with a final record of 7-12. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
By Bill Alden
Knotted in a 2-2 stalemate with the West Windsor-Plainsboro hockey co-op after two periods in the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Tournament quarterfinal round, the Princeton High boys’ hockey team raised its game.
Outscoring West Windsor 4-0 in the third period, PHS prevailed 6-2 in the February 5 contest to book a spot in the CVC semis. more
RARE AIR: Princeton Day School girls’ hockey player Aerin Bruno surveys the action in a game earlier this season. Last Friday, senior defender and team captain Bruno helped spark a superb defensive effort as top-seeded PDS defeated eight-seeded Summit 5-0 in the quarterfinal round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Girls’ Ice Hockey State Tournament. The Panthers, now 12-2-1, will face fourth-seeded Morristown-Beard in the state semis on March 5 at the Codey Arena in West Orange with the victor to advance to the state final on March 10 at the Prudential Center in Newark. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
By Bill Alden
Aerin Bruno’s right shoulder was heavily taped but she smiled through the pain after helping the Princeton Day School girls’ hockey team defeat Summit 5-0 last Friday in the quarterfinal round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Girls’ Ice Hockey State Tournament.
With PDS having been seeded No. 1 in the tourney and getting a first-round bye, Bruno and her teammates were chomping at the bit to finally get going in the competition. more
STATE OF PLAY: Stuart Country Day School basketball player Lia States, center, heads to the basket in recent action. Last Friday, freshman guard States scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to help 11th-seeded Stuart upset sixth-seeded Calvary Christian 50-33 in the first round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) South Jersey Non-Public B tournament. On Monday, Stuart fell 78-43 to third-seeded Wildwood Catholic in the quarterfinal round of the tournament. The Tartans ended the winter with a 6-15 record. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
By Bill Alden
As the Stuart Country Day School basketball team geared up to make its debut in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public tournament, Tony Bowman was encouraged by the way his squad was coming together down the stretch.
Playing at Kent Place in its regular season finale on February 25, Stuart rolled to a 54-30 win.
“I think that is the best they have played all year,” said Stuart head coach Bowman. “They listened very well, that was probably our best defensive game.” more
default
CLIMBING HIGH: “We believe that new heights can always be reached not only on our walls, but in all parts of life. The best way to achieve these heights is to be together.” This mission statement of The Gravity Vault Princeton emphasizes its focus on meeting challenges vigorously, with skill and dedication, thus accomplishing a rewarding and meaningful result. Shown is the indoor rope climbing wall at the company’s Plainsboro Plaza location.
By Jean Stratton
“It’s a chance to flirt with adventure; an opportunity to break from the ordinary; a really meaningful alternative to a tired fitness format.”
Sound intriguing?
Not to keep you in suspense: it is rock climbing!
Michael Morand, co-owner of The Gravity Vault Princeton, is an enthusiastic advocate of this challenging and exciting activity, and wants to share its benefits and advantages with everyone.
Just opened last December in the Plainsboro Plaza at 10 Schalks Crossing Road in Plainsboro, the 17,500-square-foot facility offers a complete range of indoor climbing opportunities, as well as yoga classes and a fully-equipped gym. more
Alan Rauch
Alan Rauch, 70, of Princeton passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center surrounded by his loving family.
He was born in Astoria, Queens, NY, on July 18, 1954, the youngest child of Grace and Julius Rauch. At a young age the family moved to Hollis Hills, Queens, and Alan was proud to call that home. Alan graduated from Martin Van Buren High School and later SUNY New Paltz with a BA in Biology. He then went on to obtain a Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, NJ. After completing a residency at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (formerly Middlesex County Hospital), Alan established a solo dental practice in Somerset, NJ, where he treated patients for 40 years. Alan was beloved by his many patients, known for his kindness, generosity, and most of all skill as a “painless dentist.” Over the years Alan became active in the RV Tucker Gold Foil Study Group and passionate about the use of gold as a restorative dental material. In 2007, while still maintaining his private practice, Alan joined the faculty of Penn Dental Medicine as a Clinical Assistant Professor and held that position until 2021. His love of teaching was apparent to the many former students who continued to reach out long after their graduation.
In 1983 Alan met his future wife, Julie Bien, on a blind date set up by his brother-in-law Mark Sonnenshein. After a whirlwind courtship, Alan and Julie married on February 25, 1984. The couple welcomed their first child Rebecca in 1986, and she was quickly joined by brother Benjamin and sister Sarah. The family moved to Princeton from South Brunswick in 1990 and Alan resided there until the time of his death. Alan loved family life and was active for several years as a Little League coach for his son’s team. At Alan’s urging, the family traveled to many American national parks on their summer vacations. Alan loved the New York Yankees and accumulated a large baseball card collection. He was also an avid Lionel train enthusiast and spent many hours perfecting a home train layout. Over the years Alan used his carpentry skills on many types of home improvements and masonry jobs, with his crowning achievement being the Rauch family treehouse. Alan was very proud of his three children and never tired of hearing about their accomplishments. When the role of grandfather became his, Alan truly came into his own and reveled in spending time with Hannah, Emily, and Neil.
Alan is survived by his wife of 41 years, Julie Bien Rauch; his children Rebecca Rauch Hart (Benjamin Hart), Benjamin Rauch (Melissa Rauch) and Sarah Rauch; grandchildren Hannah Hart, Emily Hart, and Neil Rauch; sister Linda Sonnenshein; brother David Rauch (Evelyn Rauch); brothers-in-law Jeffrey Bien (Heather), Joseph Bien (Juel), David Bien (Maggie) and Andrew Bien (Betty); many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews; as well as a vast number of friends who supported him over the years. When Alan was diagnosed with a severe medical condition in 2021, several friends, Michael Mann, George Lane, and Robert Twomey, made sure that he continued to live life. Alan is predeceased by his parents Julius and Grace Esther (Katz) Rauch, and brother-in-law Mark Sonnenshein.
A Visitation will be held from 10:30 to 11 a.m. on Thursday, March 6, 2025, at The Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, 40 Vandeventer Avenue in Princeton, NJ. A Funeral Service will follow at 11 a.m. A graveside service for immediate family will be held at the Princeton Cemetery. Friends are encouraged to join the family for a luncheon reception at the Nassau Inn, Princeton, at 12:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Myotonic Dystrophy Foundation (give.myotonic.org/campaign/622795/donate) or to the charity of choice.
———
Sabry Joseph Mackoul
Sabry Joseph Mackoul, 84, reposed in the hope of the Resurrection on February 25, 2025, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. A 40-year resident of Princeton, Sabry leaves behind a legacy of kindness, wisdom, and generosity, and many circles of people who loved him, admired him, and will miss him deeply.
Sabry Mackoul began his career in banking as a teller for United Jersey Bank, was selected for a management training program, and through his career rose to the upper echelons of bank management, at different times heading the retail and the commercial divisions and serving as president and CEO of United Jersey Bank, prior to a series of mergers and acquisitions. At the time of his retirement, Sabry was Senior Executive Vice President and member of the management team of Summit Bancorp, Summit Bank. He served on many professional and advisory boards, including as Chairman of the New Jersey Bankers Association. A Veteran of the Air Force reserve, Sabry was called to active duty and served through the Pueblo crisis.
Those who knew Sabry will know of his love for the game of golf. He was a longtime member of Trenton Country Club and also, after retirement, of the PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens. His love for the game led him to introduce many family members to golfing and to his vast collection of cast-off clubs. He took great joy playing with his daughter Stephanie and other family members in the annual St. Mary’s parish and Pennington School Alumni golf tournaments. His competitive nature and skill were legendary; younger golfers knew not ever to count out Sabry and his teammates. Sabry, aka “the assassin,” was a formidable force in tournaments.
Patriarch of the family, Sabry’s deep attachment to the Christian Orthodox faith was the foundation of his character, inspirational to the generations that follow him. He was raised by his parents Theodore and Nellie Mackoul in an Orthodox home, visited by bishops and patriarchs over many years. Sabry served in many church advisory and leadership roles, and at the time of his passing was a parishioner at St. Mary’s Antiochian Orthodox parish in Bay Ridge, New York.
Sabry leaves bereft his wife of 42 years Anne Glynn Mackoul, and his two daughters Candice Marie Mackoul (Ryan Flanagan) and Stephanie Anne Mackoul, as well as his sister Kathleen Mackoul Haselmann (Ralph Haselmann), his brother Theodore Ramsey Mackoul, many sisters and brothers-in-law, nephews, nieces, cousins and friends, one of whom described him as “a man with a heart so big, so generous and so full of life” who will be sorely missed.
Condolences were received on Monday, March 3, 2025 at Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, 40 Vandeventer Avenue, Princeton, NJ. The Orthodox funeral was served on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at Mother of God Orthodox Church, 904 Cherry Hill Road, Skillman, followed by interment at Sts. Peter and Paul Cemetery, 1166 Millstone River Road, Hillsborough, NJ.
The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations in Sabry’s memory be made to either St. Mary’s Orthodox Church, 8005 Ridge Boulevard, Brooklyn, NY 11209, or Mother of God Orthodox Church, 904 Cherry Hill Road, Princeton, NJ 08540 or the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 7023, Merrifield, VA 22116.
———
Nicholas T. Ryan
Nicholas T. Ryan of Princeton, New Jersey, and Downey, California, the eldest son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Francis Joseph Ryan of the Bronx, New York, and Princeton, New Jersey, passed away February 28, 2025.
He is predeceased by his former spouse, Michele M. Ryan of Princeton, New Jersey. He leaves behind daughter Kelly K. Ryan of Princeton, New Jersey; son Richard T. Ryan of Princeton, New Jersey; granddaughter Alexa Trani of Princeton, New Jersey; grandson Nicolas Trani of Toms River, New Jersey; nephew Christopher D. Ryan of Princeton, New Jersey, currently Brookeville, Maryland, and his spouse Rachel L. Ryan of Baltimore, Maryland, currently Brookeville, Maryland; grand nieces Katherine L. Ryan and Emma Lynn Ryan of Brookeville, Maryland; grandnephew Joshua D. Ryan of Brookeville, Maryland; and brother Geoffrey T. Ryan of Florida.
Mr. Ryan was a member of the Princeton High School Class of 1968. He graduated from the Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon in 1972, and Wichita State University, Kansas in 1979, and served in the United States Army from December 1976 – December 1979. Mr. Ryan was a Physical Education and English teacher with the Los Angeles Unified School District in Los Angeles, California, from 1987 to 2019.He retired in June of 2019. Additionally, Mr. Ryan worked for Cooper and Schafer Roofing and Sheetmetal Company in Princeton, New Jersey, for a number of years.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Little Sisters of the Poor, 2100 S. Western Avenue, San Pedro, California 90732. A Funeral Mass will be on March 6, 2025, 8:45 am. at Saint Dominic Savio in Bellflower, with interment following at Riverside National Cemetery at 11:15 a.m.
———
Elizabeth Elferink Cayer
May 30, 1930 – January 6, 2025
Elizabeth (“Betsy”) Elferink Cayer, 94, of Princeton, NJ, passed away at her home on January 6, 2025. She was born in Rochester, NY, on May 30, 1930, the eldest child of Dutch immigrants John Henry Elferink and Jellina Anna (Van Niel) Elferink. Betsy grew up in Rochester, where she attended local public schools as well as the Eastman School of Music Preparatory Department, where she studied piano, harp, cello, theory, and music history. She received her A.B. (with honors) from Vassar College in 1952 and her A.M. in English from Harvard University in 1955.
While at Harvard, Betsy met and married David A. Cayer, a fellow member of the Graduate Student Council, in 1953. Betsy later taught English at the Winsor School and Beaver Country Day School in the Boston area. Shortly after their daughter Susan’s birth in 1958, they moved to New Brunswick, NJ, where Dave started his career as an assistant professor of political science (and later a university administrator in many roles) at Rutgers University, while Betsy continued graduate study at Rutgers.
Starting in 1965, Betsy taught English at the Hartridge School, an independent K-12 school for girls in Plainfield, NJ, where her talent for school administration led to her appointment as principal from 1968 to 1976. She then guided Hartridge through a school merger with a local independent school for boys, becoming the associate head of the newly formed Wardlaw-Hartridge School. (A second merger also occurred from the two schools’ affiliation: Betsy and Dave’s daughter Susan met her future husband, Robert Stout, during their high school years at the not-quite-yet-joined schools!)
Betsy later continued her career in education administration at the New Jersey Department of Higher Education, with roles in the offices of Senior Institutions, Academic Programs, Academic Affairs, and State University and Professional Schools. Subsequently, she managed a federal grant program for Bloomfield College. She also worked as an independent educational consultant until her retirement in 2005.
As a committed volunteer, Betsy served over the years as a board member for the Wardlaw- Hartridge School, Rutgers Preparatory School (where she became board president), and the White Mountain School. She also founded and managed the Plainfield/Westfield YWCA chapter of the TWIN Program, designed to honor and advance women in business and industry.
After 44 years in Plainfield, Betsy and Dave moved to the senior community of Princeton Windrows, where they were both active participants. Betsy served on multiple committees, including Finance, Transportation, and Buildings and Roads. One of her favorite roles was as a writer, copy editor, assistant editor, and ultimately, associate managing editor of the quarterly community magazine Windows on Windrows. She also found meaning and connection in the Great Books and Great Decisions discussion groups. She and Dave co-taught classes on a favorite playwright, George Bernard Shaw, both at Windrows and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute of Rutgers University (OLLI-RU).
Betsy and Dave shared a love of the arts, going regularly to classical and jazz concerts, ballet, theater, opera, and museums. They particularly enjoyed arts-related travel, with a special place in their hearts for their annual trek to the George Bernard Shaw Festival and International Shaw Society Symposium in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.
Betsy’s husband Dave passed away in November 2017. She is survived by her siblings Barbara Greenstein of Princeton, NJ, Dorothy Maples of Williamsport, PA, and George Elferink of West Orange, NJ; her daughter Susan Cayer (Robert Stout) of Madison, CT; grandchildren Amanda Stout (Kenzie Blondin) and Zachary Stout; and multiple nieces, nephews, and cousins. Betsy was incredibly loved and will be dearly missed by her family, friends, colleagues, and the many students whose lives she touched.
A celebration of life will take place at a later date. Contributions in her memory may be made to the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute of Rutgers University (olliru.rutgers.edu/donate) or to the Elizabeth E. Cayer Memorial Scholarship Endowment Fund at the Wardlaw-Hartridge School (whschool.org/endowment).
———
Edith Neimark
Edith Neimark, 96, of Princeton Windrows, died on February 25, 2025.
Professor Emeritis of Rutgers University, and founder and longtime coordinator of the Graduate Program in Developmental Psychology, before becoming Chair of the Douglass College Psychology Department. She also taught at Tulane, Goucher, NYU, and the UNM, Albuquerque.
Edith is the proud author of Adventures in Thinking, as well as several edited books, chapters, and research articles on problem solving, memory, and formal operations thought. She was a fellow of AAAS, APA, APS, NY Acad. Sci., SRCD, and Sigma Xi.
Edith served as President of the Jewish Historical Society of Central Jersey and LWV Princeton. She was an amateur artist, and she was also involved with 55+ and CWW House 3.
She is survived by a nephew, David Bloom and his wife Amy of Mt. Airy, MD, and their son Derek.
A private graveside service was held on Thursday, February 27, 2025, at the Temple Beth-El Cemetery.
Arrangements under the direction of the Mather-Hodge Funeral Home.