Memorial Service

Bill & Connie Tate

A Memorial Service to celebrate the lives of Bill and Connie Tate will be held on Monday, November 25 at 4 p.m. at Trinity Church, 33 Mercer Street, Princeton.

Constance Tate

Constance Klein Tate, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, passed away peacefully at home on October 13 at the age of 88. Born on September 24, 1936, in Gross Pointe, MI, Connie grew up in Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Washington, DC. She graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1954 and pursued her passion for nursing at Grace New Haven School of Nursing and Boston University.

In 1964, Connie met Dr. William James Tate III, a medical resident at Yale New Haven Hospital. They married that same year and moved to Pittsburgh, PA, and Morgantown, WV, before settling in Princeton, NJ, in 1969 to raise their family. Bill passed away in May 2020.

As her children grew older, Connie returned to nursing, dedicating 15 years to caring for students at McCosh Infirmary at Princeton University. She also worked as a substitute nurse in Princeton schools and for Hoffman LaRoche, supporting clinical trials. She proudly completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) in the early 1990s.

An avid traveler, Connie’s adventures began in her early 20s when she spent a summer riding a scooter through Europe with her younger sister. In the early 1970s, she drove from New Jersey to Costa Rica twice in an unairconditioned VW Beetle with graduate student friends. Later, she and Bill completed the 192-mile coast-to-coast walk in England and joined Bill on Yale Alumni Chorus trips to Armenia, Georgia, Turkey, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.

Connie pursued lifelong learning with enthusiasm, auditing courses in history, politics, and literature at Princeton University, often arriving early on registration day with Bill so they could secure their first choices. She also discovered a passion for painting, finding joy in icon writing classes at Trinity Church through The Prosopon School of Iconology.

Connie is survived by her children, William (Anne Christine), Abigail Reynolds (Spencer), and Sarah Constable (Ian); her sister Carole and brother Fred in Florida; and her grandchildren, Spencer, Sydney, Peyton, and James Reynolds, and Emma and Matthew Tate.

A celebration of the lives of Connie and Bill Tate will be held on Monday, November 25, at 4 p.m. at Trinity Church in Princeton.

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Paul M. Lion III

December 7, 1934 – November 3, 2024

Paul Michel Lion III, 89, of Gainesville, Virginia, passed at his home early in the morning of November 3, 2024. Mike, as he was universally known, was born in Washington, DC, the only child of Paul Michel Lion Jr. (USNA 1925) and Louise Chandler Lion.

Growing up in a Navy family, Mike attended the Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC, from kindergarten through sixth grade, when they moved to Westchester County, New York. He graduated from White Plains High School in 1952, then competed for and won a Presidential appointment to West Point, entering just eight days after his high school graduation. Mike excelled at West Point, achieving a standing of 12 of 480 on the graduation Order of Merit List. Mike was active in the Debate Council and Forum, the Russian Club, and as a staff member of the cadet magazine, the Pointer. 

After graduating from West Point in 1956, Mike married his beloved Jane Sanford of Mount Vernon, NY. Upon completing training at Ft. Belvoir, Mike and Jane moved to Germany, where they began their family of four sons: David, James, Thomas, and William. Mike served in Germany until the end of his commission in 1959.

Upon returning to the U.S., Mike and Jane then settled in Princeton, NJ, their home for over 20 years. Mike entered the graduate school in Princeton University, achieving a Masters in of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering in 1963, a Master of Materials Science degree in 1964, and a Ph.D. in AE in 1965.  Mike was named a Post-Doctoral Fellow at Princeton, also working as a consultant for Systems Technology.

In 1966 Mike was named an Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering, initially teaching courses in optimization theory and stability theory while also serving as principal investigator for a NASA contract on optimum space trajectories. In 1970 he advanced from Assistant to Associate Professor, then in 1974 to full Professor of Civil Engineering.

Intrigued by changes in society circa 1970, Mike looked to apply his research to less esoteric and more practical optimization challenges that would directly benefit people.  In 1972, Mike developed the concept of a graduate program in Transportation, to be jointly supported by the School of Engineering and Applied Science, the School of Public and International Affairs, and the School of Architecture and Urban Planning.  Upon approval from the Board of Trustees, he obtained start-up funding from the Ford Foundation, and the Transportation Program accepted its first graduate students in the Fall of 1972. The program continues as one of the University’s most respected interdisciplinary programs. Upon his handing over the reins of the Program to his former grad student and hand-picked successor, several of his students created a scholarship fund in his honor.

Mike left the University in 1979 to continue putting his technical skills and theoretical knowledge to practical use. He served the U.S. Railway Association, Snavely King & Associates, and the Technical Resources Center of Arthur D. Little Inc., with a focus on improving the efficiency of the USPS.  He retired as Vice President of Washington Operations for ALK Associates, a firm producing software for the transportation industry.

During their Washington years Mike and Jane lived in McLean, VA. They also had a cottage in Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard where they summered. In 2005 they moved to Gainesville, VA, where they gained many friends in a senior-focused community.  Mike’s friendships from West Point were precious to him and Jane, remaining lifelong companions and adventurers. 

Mike enjoyed a Perfect Manhattan, and rooting for his Redskins, the Yankees, the Princeton Tigers, and especially, his alma mater. “Go Army!” was a common call on fall weekends in the Lion’s den.

Mike was a brilliant technical analyst, professor, and mentor. He launched hundreds of students on their careers, teaching them to use what he taught to define and solve the problems in transportation, logistics, and other applications of operations research. He was a broad and deep reader, ever-expanding his knowledge and understanding of the world, and then to apply that understanding to help someone or solve a problem.

But more than that, he was a friendly, funny, charming man who took serious interest in others, and in sharing what he knew, what he thought, and what he found humorous. He was a champion of puns and of “Dad jokes” to his boys. In their youth he acted as an Indian Guide chieftain, their Little League baseball coach, and a very vocal advocate for their academic and athletic endeavors. His grandchildren called him Pops. 

Mike was predeceased by his son, William. He will be deeply mourned by his wife of 68+ years, Jane, and three sons, David, James (Aisha), and Thomas (Cynthia); a granddaughter, Alexa (Andrew) and a great-granddaughter due in December; a grandson, Nicolas; and many cousins and their families.

Services were held on Saturday, November 16, 2024, at 2 p.m. at Greenwich Presbyterian Church in Nokesville, Virginia. Memorial contributions may be made to The P. M. Lion Senior Thesis Fund at Princeton University by contacting Jane Maggard, Associate Dean, Development, School of Engineering & Applied Sciences; or to the Generation to Generation Fund of the Greenwich Presbyterian Church, 15303 Vint Hill Rd, Nokesville, VA 20181.

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Gratina LaFauci

Gratina A. LaFauci (nee Zoccola), 93, of Princeton, NJ, passed away on Monday, November 11, 2024, at Ciel Assisted Living of Princeton in Monmouth Junction, NJ.

Born in Princeton, NJ, Gratina was a lifelong resident of Princeton.

Gratina was employed by Princeton University and was on the Firestone Library staff for 49 years, before retiring.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Michael, and her parents, Josephine and Peter Zoccola.

Gratina is survived by her sister, Donna Zoccola Soultoukis and her brother-in-law Dimitrios Soultoukis, of Yardley, PA; three stepsons and their spouses: Michael and Donna LaFauci, Jr., Thomas M. and Sonia LaFauci, Gerald and Donna Watko; a stepdaughter, Michele LaFauci; and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews.

Visitation was held on Saturday, November 16, 2014, in the Kimble Funeral Home, 1 Hamilton Avenue, Princeton, NJ, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Paul Catholic Church, 214 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ. with interment in St. Paul Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Arthritis Foundation (arthritis.org) or Meals on Wheels of Mercer County (mealsonwheelsmercer.org).

Extend condolences and share memories at TheKimbleFuneralHome.com.

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Betty Grae Fishman

December 6, 1923 – November 11, 2024

Betty Grae Fishman passed away peacefully on November 11, surrounded by her loving family, just three weeks before her 101st birthday.

Betty was a celebrated leader, advocate, educator, and champion of the arts in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Throughout a life of achievement, she received numerous honors, including an honorary PhD from Saint Francis College, the Governor’s Award for highest service in 1971, and the declaration of Betty Fishman Day by the mayor of Fort Wayne in 2004. She was an active member of the Achduth Vesholom Congregation, a sustaining member of the Delta Gamma Sorority, Designer Craftstmen, and the Ex Libris Book Club. 

Betty was born on December 6, 1923, in Defiance, Ohio, at the home of her grandparents, William and Viola Wagner. Her parents were Marguerite Lunger and Dr. Guernsey Reiner Lunger. She spent her early childhood on her grandparents’ farm, where the natural surroundings sparked a lifelong love of gardens, plants, animals, and woodland forests.

At the age of five, Betty moved to Hicksville, Ohio, to live with her mother and step-father, Arlie Smith, a widower with three daughters, who owned the local lumber yards. She was a spirited child and did well at school, showing talent in both drawing and writing.

Betty graduated as Salutatorian from Hicksville High School and went on to attend Miami University in the fall of 1942. However, with the attack on Pearl Harbor, everything changed. In the midst of wartime upheaval, Betty quickly married her sweetheart, Howard Campbell, a jazz saxophonist she had dated during summer nights spent dancing at the Cold Springs Hotel at Hamilton Lake.

Betty and Howard moved to Arizona, where he trained fighter pilots while Betty worked in canning factories. At just 20 years old and far from home, Betty embraced her new life with a sense of national pride and purpose. She and her friends worked hard, but also played hard — playing rounds of bridge late into the night and sneaking rides in fighter jets on weekends. Betty never forgot her time in Arizona, cherishing her exposure to Native American culture, and taking up interests in weaving and ceramics.

When the war ended, Betty divorced and returned to Ohio, where she completed her studies at Ohio State University. There, she pursued a diverse academic path, studying fine arts, food science, and textiles. Along the way, she was both an honor student and a beauty queen.

In 1949, Betty married Marvin Fishman, a Jewish merchant and prominent member of the Fort Wayne community. As a young mother, she became deeply involved in the cultural life of the city. Betty’s daughters, Katie and Marguerite, fondly recall her sitting by the telephone stand, making calls from lists she had carefully compiled for various fundraising efforts.

During these years, Betty served on the board of the Fine Arts Foundation, where she played a key role in the creation of the Louis Kahn-designed Theatre of Performing Arts, now known as Arts United Center. She often shared stories of the interviewing process for this project, recalling her interactions with world-renowned architects who competed for the commission. Betty also contributed to the development of Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne, serving on the committee that helped designate its new location, and facilitated the merger of the Fort Wayne Art School with the university.

Nature was often the wellspring of Betty’s creative inspiration. Her daughters remember accompanying her to the fields of Indiana, where she would set up her easel to create plein air charcoal drawings while they played nearby. Throughout her life, her family and friends grew to depend on her knowledge of the natural world, often asking, “What bird is making that call?” or “What is the name of that tree?”

Throughout her busy life, Betty always made time for her own artistic practice, exploring a variety of mediums including painting, drawing, cyanotype, textiles, printmaking, and bead work. The Fort Wayne Museum of Art is proud to have several examples of her work in their collection.

As her children grew older, Betty pursued further education, taking classes and workshops at the Fort Wayne Art School, Penland School of Craft, and Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. In the 1960s Betty joined the ranks of women who found the role of homemaker and volunteer confining. After her divorce, she married Russell Oettel, a painter and art professor who deeply admired her and supported her passion for the fine arts. They moved to a charming log cabin nestled in the woods, where they cultivated a large organic garden. Betty grew beautiful flowers and vegetables, made pickles, jams, and jellies, and baked bread every weekend.

In this period, Betty completed her master’s degree in arts education at the University of Saint Francis, setting the stage for a fulfilling 21-year career teaching art to elementary and middle school students in East Noble, Indiana.

When she retired from teaching, Betty embarked on her next career at Artlink, where she served as the Executive Director of the nonprofit art gallery from 1990 to 2006. During her tenure, Betty transformed the small gallery into a vibrant cultural hub and a major force in the Fort Wayne community. She brought artists and community members together by establishing an artist panel to select and curate exhibitions. Betty’s gallery openings became legendary in Fort Wayne, often standing-room-only events where community leaders, artists, and art lovers gathered to support and celebrate the featured work.

Betty is survived by her two daughters, Marguerite Fishman of Pacific Grove, California and Katie Eastridge of Princeton, New Jersey; her two sons-in-law, Patrick George and Nick Eastridge; and her two grandsons, David and John Eastridge. The last big smile of her life was given to her baby great-granddaughter, Eva Rose Eastridge.

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Marie-Louise Jordi

Marie-Louise Jordi (Loulette) died peacefully on October 16, 2024 at The Greens of Greenwich in Greenwich, Connecticut. She was 93 years old.

Loulette was born on September 29, 1931 in Sion, Switzerland, to Louis DalPont and Germaine Maret DalPont. She grew up in Martigny where she spent many summers with her grandparents in the alpine village of Bruson. At a young age, she discovered her wanderlust and traveled to Hempstead Long Island where she worked as an au pair. She discovered New York City and the beauty of the Long Island Sound and Connecticut.

Upon her return to Switzerland, she joined Air France and found her true calling in the travel business. She worked in Zurich where she met her future husband, Edouard Jordi, who was working in Dusseldorf, Germany. They were wed in November of 1960 in Martigny, Switzerland, and celebrated at the iconic Chateau de la Batiaz. They soon moved to the United States where they welcomed their children Philippe and Catherine.

Loulette returned to the travel business working for Revere Travel in Princeton, NJ, and then with American Express Travel. Her vast knowledge of Europe, fluency in five languages, and love of travel brought her scores of clients who eagerly sought her advice and recommendations. Her career in travel spanned over 30 years.

Travel was one of her great passions in life that allowed her to experience many diverse cultures across the world. Her love for her Swiss family often brought her and her family back to visit her parents and siblings and their families. Loulette’s greatest source of pride were her two children and their families. After Philippe moved to Martha’s Vineyard, she would come to the island with Catherine and her family to spend the summers on the Vineyard, the start of a long family tradition.

Preceded in death by her husband, Edouard and her sister, Aurelie Berger, Loulette is survived by her children, Philippe Jordi (Randi Baird) of West Tisbury, MA, and Catherine Marcus (Drew) of Greenwich, CT; grandchildren Alexander Marcus (Lara), Olivia Parnon (Eric), Julia Marcus, Elie Jordi and Miles Jordi; and her brother Pierre DalPont.

A private memorial service will be held in Switzerland next year.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks donations be made to Vineyard Village at Home, PO Box 1356, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568.