Gordon Charles Brooks
Gordon Charles Brooks, formerly of Titusville, NJ, left this world the same way he entered it: too soon. Born prematurely to Jane Howell Brooks and H. Fisher Brooks on September 2, 1952, he died on December 21, 2025 in Los Angeles, CA, after a protracted battle with kidney cancer. He was 73. He was a passionate, adventurous, creative, and capable person.
Passionate
As his crowded bookshelves show, Gordon loved American history, the LA Dodgers, Bob Dylan, and the world created by JRR Tolkien. He still had his collection of baseballs and mitts from his trips to Dodger Stadium, and watched the winning games on TV. (The ones they lost were too heartbreaking.) While waiting for surgery at the beginning of December, he gave a detailed treatise on what the Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown had gotten right and what had been fudged or altered. Harold Shore’s soundtrack for The Fellowship of the Ring brought him to tears.
Adventurous
Gordon and his brother Greg were avid, accomplished backpackers and mountain climbers. After graduating from Rutgers University (where he was president of the Rutgers Outdoor Club), Gordon moved to the Cascade mountains of Washington State where he and Greg were loggers and climbers. (No wonder our mother had grey hair!) In addition, Gordon was a manager at the Grand Teton Climber’s Ranch in Grand Teton National Park and participated in Frontier / Mountain Man Rendezvous gatherings.
Creative and Capable
Gordon wrote for, and edited, the alternative magazine “Zepher’”at Hopewell Valley High School, creating a local kerfuffle over free speech and student rights. (One of the articles or stories included a profanity.)
Classmates from Rutgers University’s anthropology classes remember him as the smartest guy in the room, with a huge vocabulary. He additionally obtained a Master’s degree from Antioch University.
As Chris Worley, of Pepperdine University, wrote: Gordon was the program manager for Pepperdine University’s Master of Science in Organization Development for over 20 years. During his tenure, he recruited, onboarded, guided, and graduated the program’s participants; he was a reliable and provocative hub in the alumni network; he was instrumental in overseeing several strategic redesigns of the curriculum. He developed a reputation for not just shepherding people through the program, but as a trusted voice of wisdom. His deep knowledge of the field and his iconic, broad-based understanding of philosophy and current affairs made for great and unusual conversations. No history of the program would be complete without some salty Gordon stories. He was a unique character.
Gordon made deerskin clothing and shoes, a muzzle loading rifle, a muzzle loading pistol, and other gear to use in his frontier reenactments. His neighbors at Village Green appreciated his ability to make and fix just about anything.
He is survived by his brother Gregory Brooks, sister-in-law Margaret Ostling (both of Leavenworth, WA), and his sister, Carol Brooks Thomas of Hamilton, NJ, as well as loving cousins on both coasts, two nephews, and two nieces. He is also survived by his fish, a California desert tortoise “Buddah,” a Russian steppe tortoise “Kosh,” and his cat, “Scamper.” Family and friends will all miss his laughter, great smile, and crazy sense of humor.
There will be two Quaker style Memorial Services. The first will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 28, 2026 at the Village Green community clubhouse, 5300 Obama Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA. The second will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 2, 2026 at Newtown Friends Meetinghouse, 219 Court Street, Newtown, PA.
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Michael John Stachowicz
May 8, 1951 – January 26, 2026
Michael John Stachowicz, 74, passed away peacefully on January 26, 2026 at Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center.
Born in Princeton and proud son of John and Mary Stachowicz, Michael lived in Princeton and Skillman until his move to Princeton Windrows in 2015.
Michael was proprietor of 206 Hardware Corporation, following in his father’s footsteps. He took such great pride in serving his community and assisting many individuals when in need. He was a member of the Montgomery Township Planning Board for many years.
Michael’s great passion for flying is known by many. Michael earned his pilot license at the young age of 16. He was at peace while traveling through the blue skies. He spent many hours either flying his planes for pleasure or transporting friends and family and navigating his hot air balloon.
Michael is survived by his sisters Victoria Socha of Darien, IL, and Marybeth Ruddy of Princeton Junction. He is also survived by his nephews and nieces that he adored: John Socha, Larry Socha, Michael Stone, Caroline Burger, and Katy Landeverde. Also, many great-nephews and great-nieces.
A Memorial Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, February 7, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Paul Parish, 214 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ. Burial will follow in the parish cemetery. Friends may call, prior to the mass, from 9:30–10:30 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Paul Parish, 214 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ 08540.
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