Van Zandt Williams Jr.
January 24, 1944 – August 7, 2026
Van Zandt Williams Jr., 82, of Naples, Florida, and Princeton, New Jersey, passed away peacefully on August 7, 2026, in Naples with Myra, his wife of 58 years, by his side. Born on January 24, 1944, in Greenwich, Connecticut, Van graduated from The Hotchkiss School and Princeton University. He then earned a Ph.D. in chemistry from Yale University, where he met and married fellow doctoral student Myra Nicol.
Van began his career at Union Carbide before changing course in 1980, when he became Vice President for Development at Princeton University. Over the next 22 years, he led two record-breaking capital campaigns, helping to secure more than $2 billion in support. Princeton has characterized the success of these campaigns as catalytic in enabling transformative changes at the University, including the no-loan financial aid policy adopted
in 2001.
Colleagues admired Van for his warmth, integrity, optimism, and extraordinary ability to inspire generosity. He believed deeply in the power of education to change lives. A highlight of his life was the endowment by his Princeton classmates of the Van Zandt Williams Jr. Class of 1965 Professorship in Chemistry.
Outside of his professional career, Van put his Eagle Scout rank to work, serving as a volunteer and leader in every community he joined. Environmental conservation and thoughtful stewardship of land and water were lifelong interests that inspired Van’s dedication to numerous civic and community organizations. He served as chairman of the Hillsborough Township Planning Board, where he helped advance a pioneering regional effort to protect groundwater resources in the Sourland Mountain area. He later chaired the Middlesex Somerset Mercer Regional Council, promoting cooperation among communities confronting the challenges of growth and development.
In Princeton, Van continued his commitment to conservation, the arts, and education, devoting more than two decades to organizations including the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association (now The Watershed Institute) and McCarter Theatre Center, where he served on their boards. He also served on the board of DeVry University and led the board of Compassion & Choices, a national nonprofit advocating for greater autonomy and dignity in end-of-life care. He participated in the hands-on crew of Friends of Princeton Open Space that constructed trails, built boardwalks and stream crossings, and improved access to nature.
In Naples, Van brought his leadership to many organizations including serving as Chair of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, Director of the Moorings Park Foundation, and Secretary of the Princeton Club of Southwest Florida.
Never one to sit idle, Van was an avid gardener, a passionate sailor, a skilled woodworker, and a lifelong stargazer. He will be remembered for his unwavering devotion to the institutions and people he loved. He was a remarkable husband who provided steadfast support to Myra as her career took her around the world. As a father and grandfather, he will be remembered for sharing his knowledge, taking great pride in the accomplishments of members of his family, and bringing his quick wit and wonderful humor to family gatherings.
He is survived by his beloved wife, Myra Williams; daughters, Christine Fitzgibbons and Robyn Heeks; six grandchildren; and his brother, Richard Williams.
A memorial service will be held at the Princeton University Chapel on September 11 at 1:30 p.m.
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Mario Antimo Petrecca
Mario Antimo Petrecca, 93, of Princeton, passed away on Saturday, August 29, 2026, at his home, surrounded by his loving family.
Born in Pesche, Italy, Mario immigrated to the United States in 1960 and made Princeton his home thereafter. He retired in 1998 after more than 35 years of dedicated service
to Princeton University, where he worked in the Athletic Department Grounds Crew.
Mario was a member of St. Paul’s Church, the Princeton Italian American Sportsman Club, and Roma Eterna. He was a loving husband and father, an avid gardener, loved sitting on the beach, and was able to fix just about anything around the house.
He was the beloved son of the late Gaetano S. and Matilde Petrecca. He was predeceased by his sisters, Adele Tamasi and Vanda Mercante, and brothers-in-law, Domenico Tamasi and Dino Mercante.
Mario is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Vincenzina (Iannelli) Petrecca; his three sons and daughters-in-law, Roberto and Jeannette Petrecca, Steven Petrecca and Jennifer Cohan, and Daniele and Eva Petrecca; his two sisters and brother-in-law, Silvana Petrecca and Luciana and Richard Bellantoni; and his seven grandchildren, Isabella, Ava, Luca, Milla, Liliana, Nicolas, and Jerika.
Visitation will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, September 3, 2026 ,at the Mather-Hodge Funeral Home.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Friday, September 4, 2026 at St. Paul’s Church, 216 Nassau Street, Princeton.
Entombment will follow at Franklin Memorial Park, North Brunswick.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or the American Cancer Society.
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Ruth Johnston Varney
Ruth Johnston Varney passed away on August 25. She was 88.
Ruth lived happily in Princeton for the past 58 years, but she grew up on a small farm in Richmond, Ohio. When she was 11, a photographer for The Ohio Farmer happened to be driving past the family farmhouse and was so taken by the sight of Ruth and her mother picking flowers that he stopped to take a few photographs. One of those pictures graced the cover of the magazine in 1948.
Ruth was a gifted musician. She played the clarinet, sang, and could sit down at a piano and sight-read virtually any piece of music. She played piano
for the choir at her high school where she was voted Homecoming Queen her senior year.
Ruth graduated from The Ohio State University with a B.S. in Nursing in 1959, and it was there that she met the love of her life, medical student James Varney. They married in 1960 and moved to Portland, Oregon, where Jim completed his medical residency. Ruth worked as a public health nurse and in the pediatric clinic of the University of Oregon Medical School.
Later, Ruth devoted herself to raising their three children, James, Ann, and David. Her family was the center of her life, and she took great joy in watching her children grow up and, later, her grandchildren at her home in Princeton.
Ruth was a devout Christian and a longtime member of All Saints’ Church, where she served on the vestry. She volunteered throughout her life, particularly enjoying delivering meals to the elderly through Meals on Wheels. Gardening was a passion, as was travel. She and Jim visited six of the seven continents, listening to orchestras all over
the world.
She is survived by her husband, Jim; her children, James (Suzanne), Ann (Jim Rasenberger), and David; and her five beloved grandchildren, Jackson, Will, James, Liza, and Ian.
Ruth was an extraordinarily loving and caring woman. She will be forever remembered and cherished by her family and friends for her kindness, her faith, her delight in music and family, and the joy she brought to the people around her.
Arrangements are under the direction of Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, Princeton.