Peter Gruen

Peter Gruen of Lawrenceville, formerly of Princeton, died peacefully last Thursday, August 3, 2017 at Compassionate Care, the Robert Wood Johnson In-Patient Hospice in Hamilton. He was 74. He had contended with prostate cancer for many years. His family was at his side.

Mr. Gruen was an Adjunct Professor of Classics at The College of New Jersey for 14 years. He graduated cum laude from Rutgers University where he was also a Henry Rutgers Scholar. He received his master’s in Greek literature and his doctorate in philology from Columbia University. In 1971-72 he was a fellow of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens. In 1973 he joined the faculty of Manhattanville College in Purchase, N.Y. There he became a tenured professor and chair of the Classics Department. He taught Latin and Greek and classical literature in translation. He was the author of several published academic papers.

In 1983 he gave up his tenured position to write. He studied playwriting at Carnegie-Mellon in Pittsburgh. While there he wrote the book and the lyrics for the musical, Just Desserts, in 1989. He wrote many other short and full-length plays. His play, For Anne, won the Off-Off Broadway Play Festival in 1991 and was included in an anthology of plays published by Samuel French that year. In 2008, The End of My Tour, was produced at The Passage Theater in Trenton and performed by his son, Swann.

Even while writing, he continued to teach part–time because he loved working with students. His course in Classical Mythology at The College of New Jersey was so popular that it needed two sections every semester. He retired due to his health in 2015.

Peter John Gruen was born in Newark, the son of the late Fred and Helen Gruen. He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Anne Elliott of Lawrenceville and New York; a daughter, Skye Elliott Gruen of New York; a son, Swann Elliott Gruen of Brooklyn; a brother, John F. Gruen of New York; and five nieces and nephews. And the many relatives, friends, and students whose lives he profoundly touched.

There will be a memorial service at Trinity Church, 33 Mercer Street, in Princeton on Friday, September 29th at 2 p.m.

Memorial contributions may be made to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York and Compassionate Care Hospice Foundation in Newark, Delaware.

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Ariel Eden Malberg

Ariel Eden Malberg died at age 27 on August 12, 2017.

Ariel was born in Libertyville, Illinois and was a lifelong resident of Princeton. She attended the Hart School of Music in West Hartford, Connecticut. Ariel enjoyed music, gardening, the culinary arts, and especially cooking and baking for her family and friends. She took pride in volunteering many hours for homeless people. Ariel was a great all- around athlete, excelling in swimming, a talented artist, and loved taking care of her cat “Littlefoot.” She will be sadly missed by all.

Surviving are her parents Alta and Dr. Marc Malberg, seven aunts and uncles, and 16 cousins.

Funeral services were held at noon on Monday at Temple Beth El, 67 Route 206 North, Hillsborough. Arrangements were by Bruce C. VanArsdale Funeral Home, 111 Gaston Ave, Somerville. Interment followed at Temple Sholom Cemetery, Chimney Rock Road, Bridgewater.

Donations can be made to the IHN Fund at Temple Beth El (Caring for the Homeless).

To send condolences to the family, visit www.brucecvanarsdalefuneralhome.com.