Town Topics

Georgina Andreu

Georgina Andreu, 80, of Lawrenceville, died February 16 in the University Medical Center at Princeton.

Born in Havana, Cuba, she was the daughter of the late Jose and Conception Berdeal Iglesias.

She is survived by her husband of 58 years, Juan Andreu; a daughter, Maria Elena Westermeier of Princeton Junction; and four grandchildren.

The funeral service was held at The Mather-Hodge Funeral Home.

Burial will be private and at the convenience at the family.

Karen Besser

Karen Besser, 48, of Hinsdale, Ill., died February 14 in Hinsdale. Raised in Princeton, she was a 1973 graduate of Princeton High School.

A performer in local theatrical productions during high school, she maintained her love of theater in college and throughout her adult life.

A graduate of Tufts University in 1978, she lived in Richmond, Va., New York City, Boston, and Chicago.

She was a media buyer for such clients as Blue Man Group, Wendy's, and Michael Dukakis's presidential campaign.

She is survived by her parents, William and Ruth Besser of Princeton; two children, Jenny and Jess; and three brothers, Andrew of Pacific Palisades, Calif., Richard of Atlanta, Ga., and Mitchell of Cape Town, South Africa.

A service will be held to celebrate her life at the Princeton Jewish Center on Nassau Street on Thursday, February 19 at 1:30 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to The Princeton Hospice Fund, c/o Princeton Area Community Fund, 15 Princess Road, Lawrenceville 08648; or Women in Recovery, c/o Andrew Besser, 330 Washington Boulevard, Suite 707, Marina Del Rey, Calif. 90292.

Tobias Musicant

Tobias "Ted" Musicant, 82, of Plainsboro, died February 9 at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.

He served in the Army during World War II, seeing action in England.

An artist from childhood, his paintings were exhibited in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Pennsylvania Academy, the Philadelphia Print Club, and the Newark Museum, among other venues. He also had one-man shows at Heffers Gallery in Cambridge, England, and the Contemporary Arts Gallery in New York City.

He and his late sister Alice, also of Plainsboro, were longtime members of the Arts Council of Princeton, where they also exhibited.

In addition to his paintings, Mr. Musicant worked in enamels and made silver jewelry. With his sister, he wrote a children's book, The Night Vegetable Eaters.

A celebration of his life and art will be held on Saturday, February 21 at 5:30 p.m. at Sally Lunn's Tearoom, 164 Nassau Street.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, 195 Little Albany Street, New Brunswick 08901.

Arrangements were under the direction of The Kimble Funeral Home.

Ingrid Olson Rose

Ingrid Olson Rose, 84, of Princeton, died February 12 at University Medical Center at Princeton.

Born in West Orange, she grew up in Maplewood, graduating from Upsala College and from the School of Social Work at Rutgers University.

She worked as a social worker for the Newark Board of Education. Prior to that, she served as Church secretary at the Lutheran Church of the Messiah in Princeton.

She is survived by three children, Christine Hobbs of Washington, D.C., Nelson Rosit of Grand Forks, N.D., and Christopher Rose of Princeton; a sister, Astrid Shapiro of Cherry Hill; and two grandchildren.

A graveside service was held on February 17 at Trinity All Saints' Cemetery, Princeton.

Memorial contributions may be made to Nature Conservancy, 200 Potterville Road, Chester 07930; or to the Natural Resources Defense Council, 40 West 20th Street, New York, N.Y. 10011.

Arrangements were under the direction of The Kimble Funeral Home.

Carl F. Rupert

Carl F. Ruppert

Carl F. Ruppert, 95, of Lawrenceville, died February 11 at St. Joseph Skilled Nursing Facility in Lawrenceville.

Born in Pleasant Ridge, Wis., he had been a resident of the Princeton area since 1986.

He was a retired self-employed barber in Chicago, Ill.

An avid ballroom dancer, he also enjoyed card playing and horse racing.

Husband of the late Marie Blazek Ruppert, he is survived by a daughter, Marliss M. McGuiness of Princeton Junction; three grandchildren; and a great-grandson.

A mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on February 14 at St. Paul's Church. Interment was in St. Paul's Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to The Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, 72 Escher Street, P.0. Box 872, Trenton 08605; or to St. Paul's Church, 214 Nassau Street, Princeton 08542.

Arrangements were under the direction of The Kimble Funeral Home.

Mary E. Valentine

Mary Eleanor "Nellie" Valentine, of Durham, N.C., died February 3 at home, surrounded by her family. Born in Pittsburgh, Pa., she had been a longtime resident of Princeton before moving to North Carolina.

She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh, where she was president of Kappa Alpha Theta.

She was a teacher at All Saints' Nursery School and the director of alumnae affairs at Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart.

An emergency room volunteer at Princeton Hospital for many years, she was also on the board of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Princeton chapter.

She is survived by her husband of 57 years, John A. Valentine Jr. of Durham, N.C.; two sons, John III of Hillsborough, N.C., and Timothy of Pecos, N.M.; two daughters, Susan E. Valentine of Princeton and Megan E. Valentine of Pittsboro, N.C.; and three grandchildren.

Memorial gifts may be made to the NAACP Legal Defense Educational Fund, Princeton Committee, c/o Nannette Gibson, 47 Locust Lane, Princeton 08540.