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Mary L. K. Beilman

Mary Louise Kilgore Beilman, 93, of Vero Beach, Fla., and Princeton, died April 10. She was chairman of the board of The Princeton Packet Inc.

Born in Greencastle, Ind., she had been a Princeton resident since 1942.

A 1929 graduate of Greencastle High School, she received a bachelor's degree with a major in English from DePauw University in 1933. At DePauw, she was a member of Alpha Phi and Kappa Kappa Kappa sororities.

After college, she was a high school teacher of English and public speaking in the Greencastle public school system until her 1938 marriage to Bernard Kilgore. Mr. Kilgore, one-time chairman of Dow Jones & Company, purchased The Princeton Packet in 1955 and added five newspapers to that group before he died in 1967 at age 59. The Packet group, which now includes 18 publications, remains in the Kilgore family.

Mrs. Beilman, an active Packet board member who was involved in many Princeton community organizations, married Robert D. Beilman, a retired Pan American World Airways pilot, in 1973.

A former member of the board of trustees of Princeton HealthCare System, Mrs. Beilman was also a former board member of the Friends of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. She was a former president of the Women's Auxiliary of the University Medical Center at Princeton and served as co-chair of the Princeton Hospital Fete in 1960.

She was a member of the Nassau Presbyterian Church.

She was a member and former president of The Present Day Club, a charter member of the Bedens Brook Club, and a former member of Springdale Golf Club and Pretty Brook Tennis Club. She was previously active in the Princeton area chapter of the American Red Cross.

She maintained residences in Princeton, Vero Beach and Coral Gables, Fla., Nantucket, Mass., and Twin Lakes, Pa.

She was active in the Nantucket Garden Club, a member of the Nantucket Yacht Club, a member of the Wharf Rats, and a former member of the Sankety Golf Club. She was also active in the Coral Gables Garden Club.

Daughter of the late Kathryn and Dr. James A. Throop, she is survived by her husband, Robert; a daughter, Kathryn Kilgore of Key West, Fla.; two sons, John Harvey Kilgore of Tuxedo Park, N.Y., and James Bernard Kilgore of Princeton; three grandchildren; two stepdaughters, Roberta Francesconi and Marina Beilman; and eight stepgrandchildren.

Funeral arrangements, under the direction of the Strunk Funeral Home in Vero Beach, will be private. A memorial service will be held at a later date at the convenience of the family.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made to The Princeton HealthCare System Foundation, 253 Witherspoon Street, Princeton 08540.

Landon Peters

Landon Peters, 75, of Princeton, died April 9 of a cerebral hemorrhage.

Born in Montclair, he graduated from Governor Dummer Academy in 1948 and Princeton University in 1952. He then served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War.

He worked for the Bank of New York as a securities analyst, retiring after 25 years as executive vice president and treasurer. He was a senior manager of the YMCA Retirement Fund from 1982 to 1986 before joining the investment firm Delafield, Harvey, Tabell from 1986 to 1991. He was director of both the Adams Express Company and Petroleum and Resources Corp. from 1974 until his death. He joined the Seeing Eye board of trustees in 1971, serving for 30 years, and was awarded the Buddy Award upon his retirement for outstanding service.

He was a member of the Pretty Brook Tennis Club, Springdale Golf Club, and The Nassau Club. In Edgartown, Mass., where he spent his summers, he was a member of the Edgartown Yacht Club and the Edgartown Reading Room.

He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Florence; four sons, Eric and John of Vineyard Haven, Mass., David of Hopewell, and Christopher of Dallas, Tex.; three sisters, Lorna Garron of Weston, Mass., and Sheila Peters and Marion Peters, both of Phoenix, Ariz.; and five grandchildren.

A memorial service was held April 12 at Trinity Church.

Memorial contributions may be made to The Seeing Eye, Inc., P.O. Box 375, Morristown, N.J. 07863.

Arrangements were under the direction of The Mather-Hodge Funeral Home.

Paul K. Perry

Paul K. Perry, 95, of Princeton, died April 7 at the University Medical Center at Princeton. He was the developer of the polling methodology used by the Gallup Poll.

Born in Camden, he grew up in Philadelphia and Rochester, N.Y. He graduated from Tufts University in 1933 and moved to Princeton in 1935, where he remained until his death.

A public opinion and market research statistician, he worked in association with Dr. George Gallup for 45 years, beginning in 1935 when he came to Princeton to work for the American Institute for Public Opinion, better known as the Gallup Poll. In 1942, he moved to Audience Research, Inc., another Gallup company which conducted audience research for the motion picture industry. There, he pioneered methods for extrapolating a movie's eventual gross revenue from the film's public awareness, interest, marquee value, and audience enjoyment, through work with test audiences.

After the predictive failure of the 1948 Dewey vs. Truman presidential election, where all polls showed a Dewey victory, Mr. Perry assumed responsibility for the polling methods and subsequent election results prediction for federal elections for the Gallup Poll. Beginning with the Congressional elections in 1950, for which he accurately projected a Republican gain of 28 seats in the House, success in this area became his defining role in the field of public opinion surveys. He developed the Gallup statistical sampling and control methodology which enabled the Gallup Poll to continue its accuracy in subsequent Congressional and Presidential elections. He is also credited with the creation of the Likely Voters Index, a seven-question survey that is still considered the most valid method of predicting whether an individual will really vote in an election.

During the 1950s he continued as vice president and research director of Audience Research, Inc., and in 1958 succeeded Dr. Gallup as president of the Gallup Organization, a position he maintained until his retirement in 1979. He also continued his role with the Gallup Poll in election years and was chiefly responsible for its polling record in determining the final division of the popular vote between 1950 and 1980. In 1983, he was presented the American Association of Public Opinion Research Award in recognition of his contributions. Throughout his career, he published articles in the Public Opinion Quarterly.

Predeceased by his wife of 53 years, Ruth Grandison Perry, he is survived by two daughters, Ruthmarie Thomas of West Windsor and Alice Strong of Princeton; two sons, Paul of New York, N.Y. and Mark of Charlottesville, Va.; seven grandchildren; and two step-grandsons.

Members of the family wish to express their gratitude to Gintaras Franka for the care and devotion he gave to Mr. Perry during the last four and one-half years of his life.

Graveside services and interment in Princeton Cemetery will be private. Memorial contributions may be made to the Princeton First Aid & Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 529, Princeton 08540.

Arrangements are by The Kimble Funeral Home.

Linda E. M. Olson

Linda Emma Marie Olson, 91, of Boulder, Colo., formerly of Princeton, died November 15 at HospiceCare Center of Boulder and Broomfield Counties in Louisville, Colo.

Born in Bronx, New York, she was a graduate of Wadleigh High School in New York, N.Y.

She was a retired secretary for the Mathematics Department at Princeton University. She was a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church.

Predeceased by her husband, Carl V. Olson, in 1993, she is survived by two sons, Bruce of Reston, Va. and Clint of Louisville, Colo.; a daughter, Freya Olson of Erie, Colo.; a sister, Agnes Jiggins of Delray Beach, Fla.; and five grandchildren.

A graveside service will be held this Saturday, April 16, at 2 p.m. at Princeton Cemetery, with the Rev. Christine Reed officiating. A reception will follow at the Hoffman residence at 31 Broadripple Drive, Princeton.

Memorial contributions may be made to Golden West Foundation, 1055 Adams Circle, Boulder 80303.

Arrangements were by M.P. Murphy & Associates Funeral Directors, Boulder.

Thomas Gibney

Thomas Gibney, 56, of Princeton, died April 9 at home, surrounded by his family. Ocular melanoma was the cause of his death.

Born in Mt. Vernon, N.Y., he was raised in Bronx, N.Y., Asbury Park, N.J., and Hawthorne, N.Y. He attended Stepinac High School in White Plains, N.Y. and graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1972 with a bachelor of science in humanities.

In 1975 he moved to Princeton where he worked for Princeton University until his death, at the Princeton University Library, the Department of Astrophysical Sciences, and finally, for the past 22 years, as a computer programmer at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory.

He was a player of many instruments and a respected singer of traditional songs. He appreciated the songs of Ireland, where his parents were born, but was especially known for his singing of the ballads and songs of the United States and Britain. He made many solo appearances at folk festivals, but also sang with several groups. As part of the Angel Band he recorded with Lisa Neustadt and Jean Redpath; and as Poor Old Horse, with his friends David Jones and Heather Wood, he released a recording called "The Curate's Egg" in 2004.

He also enjoyed many other kinds of music. With money earned as the singer in a rock and roll band at MIT he purchased recordings of the classical music which had inspired him since grade school. He played fiddle with several bands, performing for contra dances such as those held by the Princeton Country Dancers.

Son of the late Patrick Gibney, he is survived by his wife, Patricia; two sons, Michael and David, both of Princeton; his mother, Mary, of Norwood, Mass.; and three sisters, Mary Jane of New York City, Eileen of Norwood, Mass., and Kate of Tarrytown, N.Y.

A memorial service will be held at 2:30 p.m. this Saturday, April 16, at the Princeton University Chapel.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK), P.O. Box 872, Trenton 08605.

Arrangements are under the direction of The Kimble Funeral Home.

Mabel Lolly Dey

Mabel Lolly Dey, 82, of Monroe Township, died April 4 at the University Medical Center at Princeton.

Born in Monmouth Junction, she was a graduate of Princeton High School, class of 1940. She had been a resident of Plainsboro and Princeton Junction from 1922 to 2000 before moving to Meadow Lakes.

She was a volunteer for the American Red Cross and also served as a volunteer for many years at the Medical Center at Princeton.

She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Dutch Neck and West Windsor Keenagers, and a former member of Princeton Chapter O.E.S. No. 91.

The daughter of the late Leroy and Mabel MacKenzie, she was predeceased also by her husband, Lawrence C. Dey. She is survived by two sons, Charlie of Princeton Junction and Alan of Cranbury; a daughter, Linda McDonald of Sarasota, Fla.; six grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

A memorial service was held April 8 at First Presbyterian Church of Dutch Neck, Princeton Junction. Private burial took place at Dutch Neck Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to First Presbyterian Church of Dutch Neck, 154 South Mill Road, Princeton Junction 08550; or to a charity of the donor's choice.

Arrangements were under the direction of The Mather-Hodge Funeral Home.

Catherine C. Cook

Catherine Coleman Cook, 90, of Pennswood Village, Newtown, Pa., died April 2, surrounded by family and friends.

Born and raised in the Lawrenceville area, she lived in Princeton from 1957 to 1992.

She graduated from Trenton State College in 1937 with a B.A. in kindergarten and primary education. She was the first in her class to be hired and her first teaching position was to organize and teach the first kindergarten in Little Silver, N.J. She went on to teach for more than 33 years, the majority of them teaching kindergarten at Slackwood School in Lawrence Township. She retired in 1973.

She was a member of Nassau Presbyterian Church until she moved to Pennswood Village in 1992. She was active in the Mercer County Retired Teachers Association and a longtime member of PEO, an organization dedicated to helping women further their education. After moving to Newtown she continued her love of teaching by volunteering in the first grade at the Newtown Friends School.

Predeceased by her husband, Frederick A. Cook, and two grandchildren, Adam and Darren Woodhull, she is survived by a daughter, Carol C. Woodhull of Washington Crossing, Pa.; and two brothers, Dr. William H. Coleman of Newtown and James Coleman of Ocean City.

A graveside service at Thompson Memorial Cemetery will be private. There will be a memorial service at Pennswood Village, Penn Hall, 1382 Langhorne-Newtown Road, Newtown, at 11 a.m. on Thursday, April 21.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Pennswood Village Worship Fund, 1382 Langhorne-Newtown Road, Newtown, Pa. 18940.

Arrangements are under the direction of the FitzGerald-Sommer Funeral Home, Yardley, Pa.

Siang-Yuan Chen

Siang-Yuan Chen, 68, of Princeton Junction, died April 2 at home.

Born in Jiang-Su, China, he attended Taiwan University before emigrating to the United States to receive a master's degree in accounting from Appalachian State University. Recently retired, he had worked as an accountant for a number of investment firms.

He was an accomplished collector of antique oriental art, deriving great joy through his appreciation of the workmanship and beauty of intricate sculptures and artwork.

He is survived by his wife, Freda; a daughter, Sharon; a son, Andrew; and two grandchildren. The funeral service was April 9 at The Kimble Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Parkinson's Disease Foundation, 710 West 168th Street, New York, N.Y.

Eugenie M. Canning

Eugenie Marie (Loscalzo) Canning, 76, of Lawrenceville, died April 8 at home.

Born in Philadelphia, she was a resident of South Brunswick for 34 years before moving to Lawrenceville in 2004.

Known to her friends as Jean, she grew up in Philadelphia where she attended Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls and Chestnut Hill College, where she graduated with a B.A. degree in 1949. She went on to earn a master's degree in special education from Rutgers University.

Prior to marriage, she worked as a teacher in the Philadelphia School district for six years. She rejoined the workforce in the early 1970s when she worked at the Northeast Regional Resource Center, a federally funded program charged with developing education initiatives for the mentally challenged. She then served as a special education consultant for various public schools in New Jersey and founded The Jersey Kids on the Block, an educational puppeteering program.

She was a lay Marianist (Society of Mary) and active for 35 years in local, national, and worldwide Marianist programs. She was an officer in the Marianist Family Council as well as the Marianist Lay Network of North America. She served as a board member for many years on the Association for the Advancement of the Mentally Handicapped of Princeton, and on multiple school boards, PTA committees, and local Girl Scout Troops. In 1999, she was honored by the Princeton Knights of Columbus with the Christian Service Award for a lifetime of dedicated service to church, community, and country.

The daughter of the late Eugenie and David Loscalzo, she is survived by her husband of 48 years, Richard; her children Sheila Canning of Kingston, Paul Canning of Unionville, Conn., Denise Winters of Salt Lake City, Eileen Schwagerl of Rockville Centre, N.Y. Jerry Canning of Mount Vernon, N.Y., Michael Canning of Richmond, Va., Dan Canning of Pembroke Pines, Fla., and Theresa Canning Zast of Brooklyn, N.Y.; a sister, Patty Jo Griffin of East Stroudsburg, Pa.; a brother, George Loscalzo of Merced, Calif.; and 14 grandchildren.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on April 12 at St. Paul's Church. Burial followed in Holy Cross Burial Park, South Brunswick.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls, 1000 West Lycoming Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19140; or to The Marianists, c/o Mary Memorial Statue, P.O. Box 488, Cape May Point, N.J. 08212.

Arrangements were by The Kimble Funeral Home.

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