Donna Winslow

July 23, 1948 — February 22, 2020

Donna Finch was born prematurely in Atlantic City, New Jersey.  A rush to be part of a great scene would be a theme in her life.

An only child, and disabled when these things weren’t much spoken of, Donna worked to overcome her limitations and volunteered at Navajo reservations in the early ‘70s; worked tirelessly for POW/MIAs in the ‘80s; volunteered at the Bradley Food Pantry in the ‘90s; and crocheted blankets for soldiers at Walter Reed in the ‘00s. She never failed to run a Girl Scout Cookie campaign or show up to schools to support the plight of indigenous peoples, having fostered a little boy, Curtis, who she loved deeply.

Donna was very briefly survived by her husband, Bill; her daughter, Liz; and her grandchildren who could do no wrong, Tristan, Cora, and Aaron. Services were private.

In lieu of flowers or cards, donations to the Native American Rights Fund or the United Jewish Federation would honor her legacy.

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William Dyer Winslow

June 21, 1945 — February 26, 2020

Bill Winslow grew up a chameleon. One minute he at age 8 was founding the Darien Cub Scouts; the next the family was out of money and squatting in Maine; the next after that, he was back in his mother’s Deep South home feeding an alligator out back in the bayou they’d named Owen. And Bill thus learned to improvise, adapt, and overcome.

Bill Winslow was a wonderful man full of contradictions. He was graduated from Deerfield Academy on scholarship, went to Vietnam where a man he’d saved in a firefight gave Bill his MOH Service ribbon from that same fight in thanks, and sold bar soap for 30 years in the South Bronx for Procter and Gamble. He achieved 70% market share by being the unofficial gunsmith of minority store owners who couldn’t depend on the cops for protection in the ‘70s, while pursuing a second career at night in exposing cases of stolen valor.

Bill spent his retirement alternating between cowboy action shooting and doting on his grandchildren.  He is survived by his daughter Liz, and grandchildren Tristan, Cora, and Aaron.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the charity named in his will before he had grandkids to consider — Gay Men’s Health Crisis, largely in honor of his own dad — would make Bill happy to continue doing right.

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Rose Rozich Bonini

1925 — 2020

Rose Rozich Bonini a resident of Princeton, NJ, for over 60 years, passed away peacefully at the age of 94 on Sunday June 14, 2020 of natural causes in Bala Cynwyd, PA, surrounded by her family.

Rose was preceded in death by her loving husband of 62 years William E. Bonini, parents Evan and Agnes Rozich, and sister Mary Rozich. She is survived by their four children and spouses, seven grandchildren, one great-grandchild, one step-grandchild and spouse, and two step great-grandchildren.

Born in her home on August 29, 1925 in Farrell, PA, Rose was a first generation American raised by her parents in a bilingual home, fluent in English and Serbo-Croatian. She grew up in a richly multi-ethic small-town community where she enjoyed tap dancing, roller skating, hours of reading at the local library, and commuting on foot about town. Graduating 1^st in her class from Farrell High School in 1943 she was recruited and offered an academic scholarship to Youngstown College graduating with a B.S. in Chemistry in 1948 to become the first college graduate in her family. After college she attended the University of Chicago and the University of Wisconsin, Madison where she earned a Master of Science Degree in Zoology in 1951. She was just shy of a PhD in Biochemistry at Wisconsin, when her graduate work was disrupted to return home to care for her dying mother.

In 1952 she met the love of her life Bill Bonini in Madison at a Geology graduate-student party. They married on December 4, 1954 at the Georgetown Lutheran Church, in Georgetown, Washington, DC. The newlyweds settled in Princeton, NJ, where Bill was on the faculty at Princeton University and raised their four children. At age 50 after their youngest child started school full-time, Rose went back to work and had a rewarding career as Manager of Information Services at Carter-Wallace research laboratories in Cranbury, NJ, where she used her extensive science background to do online medical and pharmaceutical document research and indexing as their research librarian. She was always deeply grateful for her career at Carter-Wallace.

During her years in Princeton she enjoyed membership in the Princeton University League, the League’s Garden Club, the Orchid Society, and her community Bridge Club.  In their younger days Bill and Rose were regulars at all the home Princeton football and basketball games. Together, they loved the arts, collecting original artwork that filled the walls of their home, and attending the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. She also loved to sew, making clothing for herself and her family. She could not have been prouder of her four children who attended Princeton University and her delightful grandchildren and step-grandchildren, all of whom gave her much joy. Above all else, she loved her family and often reflected that she had a wonderful life.

Rose is survived by her four children and sons- and daughters-in-law: John A. Bonini and wife Loretta A. Estabrooks of Holmes Beach, FL; Nancy M. Bonini and husband Anthony R. Cashmore of Penn Valley, PA; James P. Bonini and wife Patricia C. Bonini of Frisco, TX; and Jennifer A. Bonini and husband Scott N. Miller of Laramie, WY. Seven grandchildren: Christine A. Ryan (Bonini) and husband Trevor N. Ryan, Megan E. Bonini, Caroline A. Bonini, James P. Bonini Jr., Sam D. Miller, Keegan A. Miller and Margaret M. Miller. One step-grandchild: Shivani M. Cashmore and husband John E. Nevergole, one great-granddaughter Adeline M. Ryan, and two step great-grandchildren Nolan A. and Siona M. Nevergole.

Services will be private and a family memorial will be held at a later date. Arrangements are under the direction of Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, Princeton, NJ.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in her memory by mail or online to either: Youngstown State University Foundation, College of Science Engineering Technology and Math, Department of Chemistry, 655 Wick Avenue, Youngstown, OH 44502 or online at http://ysufoundation.com/giving; or the University of Wisconsin Foundation, Department of Biochemistry Fund-132151050, US Bank Lockbox 78807, Milwaukee, WI 53278-0807 or online at https://secure.supportuw.org/give.

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Harriet Cooper Robertson

Harriet Cooper Robertson was born on May 30th, 1931 in Baltimore, Maryland, and she died in Princeton, NJ, on May 7th, 2020 of the coronavirus. Our mother fought a battle with dementia and Alzheimer’s for over 20 years, but she was a beacon of light for many family, friends, and Princeton residents and establishments who knew her through these difficult years, with her endearing smile, laugh, and kisses of joy. We are grateful for the gift of an extraordinary mother who was loving, bright, clever, creative, and full of life. We reflect fondly on all of the opportunities she gave to improve the lives of so many people throughout her life and for her unceasing dedication to the Princeton community since 1966.

Harriet was the daughter of J. Crossan Copper, Jr. and Eleanor Chalfant Cooper. Harriet grew up in Baltimore where she studied at the Calvert School, and she went on to Foxcroft School in 1949, and later graduated Summa Cum Laude from Bryn Mawr College in 1953. Post-Bryn Mawr, Harriet married Pieter Fisher, and moved to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and started a family. Shortly thereafter, Harriet moved to New York state, where she coached middle school athletic teams, combining her love for athletics and working with youth; both of which were to become a recurring theme in Harriet’s life. In 1966 Harriet moved to Princeton, the town which would become her lifelong home. In addition to auditing art and music classes at Princeton University, Harriet’s life became one of giving to others, as she became increasingly involved in the Princeton community, where she shared her leadership, time, and energy: supporting and working hands-on with family crisis issues, Princeton Hospital Fetes, Princeton Day School, the NJ Symphony, and the Arts. Harriet was a giver and a doer in countless organizations, but she was especially passionate about her involvement with Planned Parenthood and Corner House, a drug and alcohol prevention and treatment center for troubled youth in Princeton. For over 25 years, Harriet was involved in every aspect of Corner House as a revered leader, board member and eventual President. On June 11, 2008, the town of Princeton celebrated Harriet’s vision and generosity with a Proclamation from the Office of the Mayor, “to applaud the magnanimous and philanthropic Princeton Township resident for 25 years of service to Corner House.”

Following a divorce in 1972, Harriet married David Frothingham. Harriet loved her extended and growing family, and delighted in additions to her brood. Harriet’s home on Arreton Road became a haven for countless young people, and everyone relished in the laughter and straight talk that became an important part of the late ’60s and early ’70s. Our mother’s home was filled with flowers and mementos of her extensive travels. This included an annual trip to Scotland highlighting hiking on her “beloved Isle of Skye,” and her winter expeditions to Palm Island in the Grenadines where she enjoyed snorkeling the reefs by day, and leading a line dance to the beat of the steel bands by night. Harriet will be remembered as a gentle and luminous spirit who left a lasting impression on all those she met. 

After becoming widowed in 1986, Harriet continued her worldly travels, and in 1991 she married David A. Robertson, a retired professor from Columbia Barnard College who predeceased her in 2004.

Harriet is survived by her children: Ellen M. Fisher of York, Maine and Pieter A. Fisher, Jr. of Querétaro, México, her daughter-in-law Karla Flores, and her stepchildren: Will Frothingham, Carrie Frothingham, daughter-in-law, Pamela Frothingham, five grandchildren, and four step-grandchildren. Harriet is also survived by her sister Louisa Dubin, a niece and nephews, and many cousins. Her brother, Jack Cooper and stepson, David Frothingham Jr. predeceased Harriet. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Corner House in Princeton, New Jersey.

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Sally Kuser Lane

Sally Kuser Lane died June 7 at her family home in Bay Head.  She was 95 and had battled declining health since September.

A striking woman who was an athletic 5 feet, 11 inches tall, she was the first grandchild of James and Sarah Mullen Kerney (for whom she was named), and a grandchild of Fred and Teresa Doelger Kuser. Her maternal grandfather was editor, publisher, and owner of the Trenton Times. Her paternal grandfather, brewmaster of Peter Doelger Brewery in New York, retired to his summer home, now Hamilton Township’s Kuser Farm museum.

The oldest of three children of R. George and Mary Kerney Kuser, she grew up in Lawrenceville. Her father was a Trenton stockbroker and her mother was chairman of the board of the Trenton Times until the paper’s sale to The Washington Post in 1974. Sally attended Miss Fine’s School in Princeton, and graduated from Mary Lyon School in Swarthmore, Pa.

She married lawyer Arthur S. Lane when she was 22. He was 14 years older and they had met at her parents’ pool when she was eight and he captained the undefeated 1933 Princeton football team. Their 50-year marriage produced seven children, who attended Miss Fine’s School or its successor, Princeton Day School. For 35 of those years, the Lanes lived in Harbourton. Art became a county and then a federal judge, then general counsel at Johnson & Johnson as their first child started college. He went back to practicing law in Princeton, with Smith, Stratton, Wise, Heher & Brennan, after reaching J&J’s executive retirement age. By then they had moved to her parents’ home in Princeton, although she continued to be a regular at the Pennington Quality Market.  A year after Art’s 1997 death, Sally returned to Lawrenceville, parking her current red car outside Morris Hall for 21 years. When her health began to deteriorate, she moved to The Meadows in October, relocating in March to the shore house, where she’d spent August for 35 years.   

She had a wide acquaintance. The annual Christmas card pictures, begun with one child and mailed to a global list, recorded the aging of parents and children before expanding with their marriages and christenings, then their children’s. An inveterate sender of postcards while traveling, she celebrated birthdays, graduations, and anniversaries of family and friends with cards. Knowing that a grandchild, great-grandchild, or child of friends was going to sleep-away camp for the first, she sent a card a day to ward off homesickness. Young relatives got a parade of birthday cards. 

In recent years, she walked to the Post Office in Lawrenceville most days, a tall, white-haired woman striding unaided along Rt. 206 in the afternoon, before stopping in at Fedora Café for chai and an oatmeal raisin cookie. The Postmaster General sent her a birthday card for her 95^th birthday, as did Rose and Beth, her friends at the P.O., who processed the hundreds of greetings she received.

She continued her mother’s tradition of celebrating big birthdays with Christmas family reunions, parasailing with grandchildren and great-grandchildren for her 80th, 85^th, and 90th in Key West. She liked to plan July trips, so she could include grandchildren and great-grandchildren out of school. She returned often to Tuscany, and most recently to Ireland, but news of a grandson taking a semester in Cape Town or a great-granddaughter in Greece sent her packing. One pocket of her handbag held a supply of $2 bills, folded for tipping or slipping to a child.

Five years ago, she traveled to Oxford to see a granddaughter get her master’s and to Salt Lake City to see a grandson receive his MBA. More recently, she celebrated a grandson’s wedding in Harrogate, England, a granddaughter’s in New Orleans, three great-granddaughters’ weddings and her great-great-grandson’s first birthday. She had two 95^th parties, one on the day and one to close out the year. Princeton football, basketball, and lacrosse games were always on her calendar, along with New Jersey State Museum day trips. 

Princeton University, the alma mater of Art and four of their children, was a big part of her life. She was a member of the Princeton Varsity Club and the only female lifetime member of the Princeton Football Association. She and Art hosted an annual picnic for the football team for years in Harbourton and later, in Princeton. While the picnics ended with his death, she looked forward every spring to the presentation of the Art Lane ’34 Award.

She was a passionate, lifelong Yankees fan, calling to needle Massachusetts grandchildren the morning after a Yankees win over the Red Sox. She had a transistor radio that fit into a purse, enabling her to leave parties to check scores in the ladies room. A picture of Whitey Ford, autographed to her at the behest of his onetime caddy, a daughter’s suitor, remained on prominent display for decades. Sally & Art’s 40^th wedding anniversary was celebrated at Yankee Stadium, with a surprise Jumbotron greeting.

As a widow, she chose to live at Morris Hall. Never a cook, she was grateful for the meals, and for the ability to lock up her rooms and travel. But she also valued her ability to help others, pushing wheelchairs, delivering papers and running errands for those who didn’t enjoy her good health.  When she moved to The Meadows, she spoke often of missing daily Mass in the chapel, and of residents and staff left behind, although she felt blessed to be cared for and visited by people she loved. She was mindful, also, of having missed the chance to say her goodbyes at the Bay Head Yacht Club and the Nassau Club.

She is survived by seven children: Sarah Kerney Lane (Samuel Graff), of Trenton; Arthur Stephen Lane, Jr., (Marie) of Groton, Mass.; Mark Kuser Lane (Linda Axelrod), of Little Falls, N.J.; Catherine Scannell Lane (Steve Jacobs), of Colorado Springs, Colo.; Henry Welling Lane, of Bay Head; Mary Kuser Lane, of New York City; Teresa Doelger Lane (Edward Nelson) of Basking Ridge, N.J. ; sixteen grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild; a sister-in-law, Helen Lambert Kuser, of Fort Myers, Fla.; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. She was preceded in death by her brothers, R. George Kuser, Jr., and James Kerney Kuser.

Her funeral at Sacred Heart Church, Trenton, and Memorial Mass at Morris Hall Chapel, Lawrenceville, are planned when possible. At the end of her life, Sally was most concerned about the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK), 72 Escher Street, Trenton, N.J. 08609, www.trentonsoupkitchen.org; and Fernbrook Farms Environmental Education Center, P.O. Box 228, Bordentown, NJ. 08505, to underwrite camp for Trenton children, www.fernbrookfarms.com/center/support-us/urban-youth-scholarships.