Jeffrey William Raser

Jeffrey W. Raser, of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., passed away on Sunday, November 12, 2017 in the peaceful presence of his wife of 30 years, Mary Schowalter Raser.

Jeffrey (Jeff) was born December 12, 1960, in Evanston, Illinois. He was raised by his loving parents Thomas W. Raser and Edith Peters Raser in Princeton, N.J. He graduated from Princeton High School in 1979 and then went on to graduate from Franklin & Marshall College in 1983 with a B.A. in Government. He is an alumnus of the Chi Phi Fraternity.

Jeff worked passionately in the Biopharmaceutical industry for the majority of his career. Prior to his passing, he was serving as the President and CEO of Nuerana Pharmaceuticals and Executive Director of OrPro Therapeutics, Inc. Previously, he has served as the SVP of Sales and Marketing for Somaxon Pharmaceuticals and Women’s First HealthCare, SVP of Corporate Development and Marketing of CancerVax, and held a number of positions at Roche Laboratories. He will be missed by his many colleagues who had the opportunity to work with him throughout his career.

Jeff loved nothing more than spending time with his family. Alongside his wife Mary, he eagerly vested his entire heart and unwavering support into each of his children’s various passions. He cherished the beaches of Martha’s Vineyard and Del Mar over any place else. Jeff adored cooking family dinners, watching college football, discussing U.S. history and politics, watching his children participate in sports, and introducing his many friends to one another.

Jeff is survived by his wife Mary, and his four children — Stephen, Elizabeth, Charles, and John Raser — who will carry on their father’s legacy, each in their own remarkable way.

He is also survived by his step-siblings Peter, Diane, Robert, and Susan Mooney; and his step-mother, Florence Raser. He was preceded in death by his parents Thomas and Edith Raser.

Jeff’s charismatic energy will remain as a constant presence in the life of all of his family and friends. His glimmering eyes, wonderful smile, deep laugh, eloquence, and love will never be forgotten.

A memorial service will be held at the Village Church in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., on December 9th at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Jeffrey W. Raser Memorial Fund and sent to The Village Community Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 704 Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067.

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Jonathan Michael Selikoff

Jonathan Michael Selikoff, 47, our sweet, gentle, kind, and much-loved dadin, husband, son, and friend, passed away on November 23, 2017 of ALS.

Jon faced the disease with his trademark humor, meeting its many challenges with courage and grace. Upon diagnosis he declared his intent to live as fully as possible, and did so, attending nine Bruce Springsteen shows (plus assorted others); zip lining and communing with sloths, monkeys, and burglars in Costa Rica; cheering through countless Yankees games; connecting with his many friends; and, more than anything, making each moment count.

Jon had a great love for design and typography, which he expressed through his graphic design studio and his letterpress business, which he often described as his “midlife crisis.” He listed his position at both businesses as “Owner/Janitor,” and amassed a collection of hundreds of pieces of wood type, thousands of pounds of paper, countless fonts, and several tons of limb- and-life-threatening printing presses. His eye for color was a regular point of contention between him and his wife Lauren, who couldn’t tell one slate blue from another, despite the fact that they were “obviously very different” according to Jon. Despite her obvious flaws, they loved each other deeply every day of their more than 20 years together.

His great passions were Yankees baseball, live music (particularly Bruce Springsteen), thrashing friends in epic games of Words with Friends, and spending time with his family. Before his passing, his father Joel was his best friend and confidante. His mother Isabelle was his first great love, his unwavering supporter and his rock for each day of his 47 years. His greatest love was his adored son Sam. Watching Sam sing onstage, teaching him guitar and photography, going to concerts together and just sitting and talking about life — moments with Sam were the greatest joys of Jon’s life.

Born and raised in New Jersey, Jon graduated from Peddie School, Emory University, and Portfolio Center. He is survived by his wife Lauren; his son Sam, 11; his mother Isabelle of Princeton; his uncle and aunt Paul and Barbara Mohl of Dallas; his brother-in-law Brett Shanahan, father-in-law John Shanahan and mother-in-law Kathryn Shanahan. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made to the ALS-NY chapter.