October 14, 2020

Obituaries 10/14/2020

Dr. Stephanie K. Chorney

Dr. Stephanie K. Chorney died peacefully in Princeton, NJ, on September 29, 2020, at age 50. She is the daughter of Don Chorney and the late Doris Chorney. Stephanie leaves her legacy to her husband Orlando, son Julian, father, sister Alison Yowell, as well as extended family, friends, and colleagues.

Stephanie was a graduate of Rutgers University and Temple Medical School. She was a licensed pediatrician, with her last position being at Penn Medicine Princeton Health Hospital, where she worked on the pediatric floor.

Stephanie was a strong advocate for the arts, health, education, equality, sustainability, and Jewish community efforts. From being the co-chair of the Princeton Environmental Commission to encouraging the Princeton Public Schools to concentrate on healthy meals, to placing separate trash and recycle containers dispersed throughout the town, she made her mark. To honor her for significantly contributing to the community, Princeton Township declared May 26, 2020 Dr. Stephanie Chorney Day. She was a wonderful wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend to everyone. Stephanie led by example that coordination, collaboration, and communication help us unite together. Her resilience inspired others as she fearlessly stood up for what she believed in and gave tireless effort to aid many. Stephanie was a beautiful person inside and out with a heart of gold and will be missed by all. We love you, Stephanie, and you will always be remembered and never forgotten.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made towards https://www.stephaniechorney.org/how-to-donate-instructions.

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Alvin Gordon

Alvin Gordon, most recently residing with his wife Felice Gordon at Windrows senior community, died at home at the age of 91 on September 28. He and Felice previously resided at 48 Woods Way in Princeton for 48 years and moved to Windrows in 2018. Prior to 1970, they lived in East Brunswick. Their younger children, Joel and Neil, both attended Princeton High School. Mark, their oldest child (deceased in 2018), attended East Brunswick High School.

Alvin was born on April 11, 1929 to Bernard and Mary Gordon in New York City. His sister Ginger, who lives in Teaneck with her husband Jim, was his only sibling. He attended Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan. He subsequently attended Queens College, and then transferred to the City College of New York. He earned his degree in civil engineering, graduating from CCNY with honors.

Alvin and Felice married in 1952. They lived in Queens for two years and then moved to East Brunswick, where he met his future business partner Sanford Nacht. Together, they founded Alsan Masons, a masonry and concrete firm, which experienced a decade of growth and success during the 1960s. Alvin and Sandy transitioned Alsan into commercial real estate development during the 1970s.

He took a break from business in 1979, and then served a two-year term as the president of the Princeton Jewish Center. In 1982, he created Gordon Construction, which was focused on building renovation projects in New York City. The company was successful, and as it grew, Alvin invited his previous partner Sandy to join him. Felice joined Gordon Construction as the director of marketing in the late 1980s. The company continued to operate until the mid 1990s, when Alvin and Felice decided to retire.

Alvin and Felice enjoyed traveling abroad and in the United States. They also loved folk dancing and playing on their tennis court that they had built at their Princeton residence, where Alvin also played with his friends. Alvin and Felice enjoyed listening to classical music and Broadway show tunes. They attended performances at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the New York City Ballet, and other venues including McCarter Theatre in Princeton. At the age of 44, Alvin successfully undertook the challenge of climbing with a group expedition to the summit of Grand Teton mountain in Wyoming. He and Felice also enjoyed participating in a book club in their later years.

Alvin is survived by his wife Felice and by his sons Joel and Neil. In addition, he is also survived by his daughters-in-law Patricia Gordon and Anna Pegler Gordon, as well as his grandchildren Bernard, Rebecca, Dora, Eli, and Talia Gordon, Maya and Naomi Pegler-Gordon, and four great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister Ginger and her husband Jim, as well as Ginger’s three sons Jeremy, David, and Benjamin.

Memorial contributions may be sent to the Jewish Center of Princeton.

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Frances Young Goeke

Frances Young Goeke, 78, of Lawrenceville, passed away peacefully on Thursday, October 8th

She was born on May 17, 1942 in Trenton, NJ; daughter of the late Frank and Mildred Young. She is survived by her loving husband of 59 years, Noel; a brother and his wife, George and Connie Young of Ewing Twp., NJ; sister-in-law, Wilma Goeke of Virginia; two nieces, Lorraine Ellerth and her husband Dan, Georgette Jung and her husband Tom; one nephew, Alan Goeke and his wife Lynn; and her great-nieces and nephews, Andrew, Jocelyn, Jackson, Jimmy, Shelby, Maxwell, and Daniella.

Frances attended Sacred Heart School and graduated from Cathedral High School in 1960. She started work for the State of NJ in 1960 and retired as a Principle Administrative Assistant to the Attorney General in 1999 after 39 years of service.    

Frances married her handsome childhood sweetheart, Noel, on September 23, 1961. They spent 59 loving years as the very best of friends. They enjoyed cruises, traveling around the U.S. and Caribbean, and her favorite vacation spot Hilton Head, SC. When they weren’t traveling, they enjoyed going to Flyers hockey games, the local theatre, dining out, and relaxing by their pool.

One of her true passions was Genealogy. She was active in the Central Jersey Genealogy Society. She published their newsletter, and took several research trips all over the U.S. and one to England with her husband and parents. Over several years she worked on her own, and assisted others in their family ancestry. 

“Aunt Fran” to many, she will be remembered for her devotion to her family and friends. Whether it be a Girl Scout patch, a school play, a religious event, a soccer or basketball game, she was always the first in line to help and support the people she loved. She had a special bond with her niece Daniella, whom she babysat from birth; she never missed a basketball game and always wore her team colors.

Funeral services have been completed under the coordination of Blackwell Memorial Home, 21 N. Main Street, Pennington, NJ. www.blackwellmh.com.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Dementia Society of America, PO Box 600, Doylestown, PA 18901. www.dementiasociety.org.