Donald G. Dickason
Donald Garrett Dickason, 75, of Princeton, died July 17 at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.
Born in Wooster, Ohio, he was raised in the Midwest and graduated from Champaign (Illinois) High School in 1949. He received his bachelor's degree in economics in 1953 from Cornell University, where he was an NCAA champion wrestler. He earned a master of arts in education from Cornell in 1968.
Following three years of service in the United States Navy, he worked in industry until 1963 before returning to Cornell to begin a career in college admissions. He served as Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at Cornell, Dean of Admissions at Pennsylvania State University, vice president of Peterson's Guides, and Vice President of Enrollment Management at Drexel University. He had been a longtime resident of Ithaca, N.Y., before moving to Princeton.
He was the first president of the New York State Association of College Admissions Counselors, and was elected president of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) in 1973-74. In 1983 he received the Gayle C. Wilson Award, the highest member tribute given by the Association, to recognize his years of service in the community and counseling profession.
A frequent author, he published numerous articles on enrollment, admissions, and collegiate athletics for professional journals. Much of his work was focused on enrollment and demographic changes, and on minority admissions. A lifelong advocate for higher education, he continued in his retirement to consult with schools, colleagues, and individual students on college admissions practices.
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A devoted member of Nassau Presbyterian Church, he was an elder and deacon, and served enthusiastically in numerous leadership capacities. He was also a member and past president of the Rotary Club of Princeton, and was recognized with three Paul Harris Fellow Awards for outstanding contributions. He enjoyed his participation in the Old Guard of Princeton, where he served as membership chairperson. He also relished his involvement with the Trenton Children's Chorus, where he served as college admissions advisor to the student members.
An avid amateur genealogist, he was working at the time of his death in the new field of genealogical DNA.
In February, he spearheaded his cherished "Valentines of Food" project to benefit the Crisis Ministry of Princeton and Trenton. Partnering with schools, organizations, community members, and a local supermarket, he and his volunteer crew were able to provide 23 tons of food for local families.
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Mr. Dickason's true passion was his family. He was a firm believer in a lifetime of learning, both for himself and for his children. He delighted in wordplay, bad jokes, family trips, and vigorous debate. His children and grandchildren knew that their father and grandfather would be the most enthusiastic cheerleader on every sideline.
He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Chi Psi Fraternity, the Illinois State Wrestling Hall of Fame, the Cornell Wrestling Hall of Fame, and the Cornell Athletic Hall of Fame.
He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Janet Wisely Dickason; three children and their spouses, Holton and Deborah Dickason Falk of Drexel Hill, Pa., Timothy and Diana Dickason Carroll of Wellesley, Mass., and Peter and Lisa Dickason of Hingham, Mass.; a sister, Patricia Rasmussen of Kingston, N.Y.; his twin brother, John of Coral Gables, Fla.; and seven grandchildren.
A memorial service and reception will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, September 16 at Nassau Presbyterian Church, 61 Nassau Street.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made either to Cornell University Wrestling/Don Dickason Scholar Award, c/o Coach Rob Koll, Bartels Hall, Campus Road, Ithaca, N.Y. 14853; or to the Trenton Children's Chorus/College Support Fund, 61 Nassau Street, Princeton 08542.
Arrangements are under the direction of The Mather-Hodge Funeral Home.
Gary Brasor, 63, of Ewing, died July 30, surrounded by his family.
He was born in St. Albans, Vt., to Marguerite and Winston Brasor.
A graduate of Deerfield Academy, he received a B.A. from Bowdoin College and a Ph.D. from The University of Indiana. As a Fulbright Scholar from 1965 to 1967, he studied in France at the University of Bordeaux and taught American Studies at the University of Lyons.
He taught French language and literature at Indiana University, St. Mary's College of Maryland, and Howard University (1967-1979). He also worked as a technical writer for Digital Equipment Corporation, Wang Laboratories, and Polaroid Corporation (1980-95). For the past ten years he served as associate director of the Princeton-based National Association of Scholars.
He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Harabin, and his children, Julia Harabin, Wyman Crosby, Calvin Collins, and Mary Allerton.
A memorial service will be held today at Princeton Presbyterian Church in West Windsor at 11 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Brasor Family College Fund.
Margaret Hayes ("Peggy") Prescott, 61, of Princeton, died July 25 at home of metastatic breast cancer after contending with the disease for more than seven years.
Raised in Norwich, N.Y., she graduated from Pembroke College at Brown University and subsequently earned a M.Div. at Princeton Theological Seminary. She also did graduate work toward a Ph.D. in women's religious history at Rutgers University until she was diagnosed with cancer in 1999.
Her interest in the role of women in religious history led to her co-authoring a workbook on feminine imagery in the Bible, which was used in the Episcopal Church in conjunction with the introduction of more feminine imagery into the Book of Common Prayer. Her graduate work focused on the motivations and work of a small group of women active in a variety of social service movements in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
She had a personal passion for social justice, which led to her first volunteering to lead the Outreach Committee at Trinity Episcopal Church in Princeton and then becoming Minister of Outreach at the church. In that capacity she was active in the founding of Housing Initiatives of Princeton (HIP), a ministry dedicated to providing transitional housing to families in need. She was honored by HIP's and Trinity Church's naming of HIP's transitional housing facility at 11 Mercer Street in Princeton after her.
She loved entertaining family and friends with sumptuous meals, and was known for preparing and serving elegant and sophisticated desserts. She also loved to travel. Her many vacations to France and Italy were arranged with restaurants in mind, and more often than not, dinner reservations preceded airline tickets.
She is survived by her husband of 40 years, David Prescott; two daughters, Katherine Prescott of Gardiner, N.Y. and Elizabeth Prescott of Brooklyn, N.Y.; her parents, Kenyon and Alice Hayes of East Dennis, Mass.; and a sister, Caroline Ewart of Reston, Va.
A memorial service will be held on September 9 at 11 a.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church, 33 Mercer Street, followed by a reception.
Memorial contributions in lieu of flowers may be made to the Crisis Ministry or Housing Initiatives of Princeton in care of Trinity Church.
James Beauchamp Warren, 84, of Princeton, died July 28 at home. He was a direct descendant of John Beauchamp, a principal financial backer of the Mayflower, and two members of the Maryland 400 Militia who fought at the side of George Washington in the Battle of Long Island in Brooklyn Heights.
Born in Eagle, Colo., he farmed, ranched, and worked in lumber camps during the Depression years.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1940. Attached to the 5th Air Force in the South Pacific as an aircraft engine mechanic, he volunteered as engineer and top turret gunner on B-17s because of the crisis caused by high combat casualties. Between the ages of 18 and 21 he was awarded three medals for exceptional heroism, the Distinguished Flying Cross once and the Presidential Unit Citation twice. He was officially credited with shooting down two enemy aircraft in defense of his crew. He was one of only a few airmen attached to the 65th Squadron of the 43 Heavy Bombardment Group to survive the early days of World War II.
After the war he obtained a B.S. in business administration from the University of Denver despite suffering from typhoid fever. He became a certified public accountant. He was a former senior accountant at Arthur Anderson & Co., controller of Educational Testing Service, president and CEO of the Kraus-Thompson Organization, vice president of finance of The Seagrave Corporation, and vice president of finance and treasurer of the Heinemann Electric Company. During his career he was honored by the Wall Street Journal as the youngest executive vice president of any company listed on New York Stock Exchange to that date.
He devoted his life to God, country, and family.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 61 years, Sophie Marie Warren; three sons, James, Donald, and Mark; three daughters, Lynn Warren, Barbara Clarke, and Catherine Latella; nine grandchildren; and two great-grandsons.
A mass of Christian burial was held August 1 at St. Paul's Church. Interment with military honors followed at Princeton Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Paul's Church, 214 Nassau Street, Princeton 08542.