Sandra I. Rabinowitz

May 17, 1931–September 3, 2026

Sandie Rabinowitz, 95, of Princeton, died on September 3, 2026, from natural causes, in her home of 63 years.

Born in Richmond Hill, Queens, she moved in 1952 to Princeton with her husband, Irv, then a graduate student at Princeton University. She and Irv were early members of the Jewish Center of Princeton, where she remained a member for life. It was there that she met some of her lifelong friends and celebrated many joyous events with her family and friends.

She and Irv purchased their one and only home on Glenview Drive (Glen Acres), Princeton, in 1963. This recognized historic neighborhood of 15 houses is where she and her family formed lifelong friendships with their neighbors of diverse racial and religious backgrounds. Together, these families created a community that was seemingly impervious to racial divides, yet grounded in fighting for civil rights, voting rights, women’s rights, no nukes, and anti-torture. Sandie’s home on Glenview Drive was always open to friends from near and far. She was warm, hospitable, interested and interesting, and always ready with food and drink and lively conversation.

Sandie was an avid reader, traveler, and adventurer. In 1963, she and Irv and their 7-year-old daughter, Sarah, traveled to Kanpur, India, where Irv helped create the computer science center at the first campus, in Kanpur, of the now 23 Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT). There, they adopted Rachel as an infant. On their way to and back from that 18-month adventure, they circled the globe.

Later, Sandie and Irv spent two separate sabbatical years at the Technion in Haifa, Israel.

Between travels and adventures, Sandie worked as an administrator at The Jewish Center and Crosstown 62, among other organizations. She was the consummate volunteer, active in Princeton Hadassah, the Princeton Hospital, Recording for the Blind, and the League of Women Voters. She could often be seen at rallies in Princeton fighting for equality, immigration rights, and human rights.

She and Irv were founding members of Community without Walls, a life-sustaining group dedicated to helping people age in place successfully and with dignity.

After Irv died in 2005, Sandie picked up her life and continued to expand it. She made new (and younger) friends. She continued her book groups, including a Yiddish group, and a movie group; audited classes at Princeton University; traveled to London and Mexico; and continued fighting for equality and justice.

Sandie was one of the most accessible and accepting people one could ever meet. She made friends easily and never let them go. No matter how much time had passed, friends were always welcome, and they would pick up the relationship instantly. She was loyal, devoted, tenacious, loving, and funny.

Sandie always put family first. She was a wonderful mother and grandmother. Nurturing, generous, thoughtful, and a good listener. Home was filled with love, food, and fun.

She is survived by her daughter Sarah Gluck (Arnie), of Skillman; daughter Rachel Rabinowitz (Elissa Diamond), of NYC; her granddaughters, Elisheva Gluck and Shira Gluck; and great-granddaughter, Lizzie. Her funeral was held on September 6, 2026, at The Jewish Center, with burial at Princeton Cemetery.

Donations may be made to: ACLU; Partners in Health; The Jewish Center of Princeton, or Temple Beth-El, Hillsborough.

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John Brayton Bronzan

John Brayton Bronzan, of Monmouth Junction, NJ, died peacefully at home on September 22, 2026, after years of declining health due to Parkinson’s disease. He was 89.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, CA, John was a Boy Scout and pianist who enjoyed nature. He attended Stanford University, graduating in 1959 with a B.S. in physics with distinction and departmental honors. He then studied at Princeton University and received his Ph.D. in physics in 1963. He completed his post-doctoral studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and taught as an associate professor at MIT until 1971, when he took a faculty position at Rutgers University, becoming a full professor. After 35 years of research and teaching, with more than 70 published papers, he retired as professor emeritus in 2006.

In his younger years John enjoyed exercising and running. He hiked and backpacked extensively, summitting Mount Kilimanjaro and hiking the Haute Route from Chamonix, France, to Zermatt, Switzerland, with his wife. He was an enthusiastic amateur astronomer and enjoyed live opera, traveling, and bridge with his husband. Together they also volunteered with the Hyacinth Foundation, New Jersey’s largest HIV/AIDS service organization.

In his retirement, John volunteered with the Juvenile Justice Commission, teaching math to inmates at the correctional center in Bordentown, NJ. He also drafted a book on beginning quantum mechanics. Ever the scientist, he liked to derive formulas to solve mathematical questions and share the solutions with his grandchildren, for example, how to calculate the time that the sun would rise and set depending on the date and your location on Earth.

John enjoyed spending as much time as possible with his grandchildren. He had a wry sense of humor but was an optimist who generally took life at face value. He was always nonjudgmental of those he loved.

He is survived by his husband Michael Frohlichstein; his former wife Ruth Bronzan; his daughter, Rachel Bronzan; four grandchildren who brought him great joy — Alexis Bell-Bronzan, Charlotte Bell-Bronzan, Evan Bronzan, and Leo Bronzan; and many relatives and friends. He was predeceased by his parents, Blasito and Madeleine Brayton Bronzan, and his son James Brayton Bronzan.

A celebration of John’s life will be held at a date to be announced on the M.J. Murphy Funeral Home website.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in John’s name to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research at michaeljfox.org.

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Donald McLean “Nick” Wilson

Donald M. “Nick” Wilson died on September 14. He was 97. A Princeton area resident for more than 50 years, he was deeply engaged in local civic, political, and cultural life.

Born in Sayre, Pennsylvania, in 1929, he grew up in Binghamton, New York, and attended the Adirondack-Florida School (now Ransom Everglades) before graduating from Phillips Exeter Academy in 1947. He earned his A.B. cum laude from Princeton in 1951, where his Politics Department thesis on nationalized health insurance received the department prize. He was the manager of the baseball team and a member of Tiger Inn with two of his cousins. Nick was the second of three generations of his immediate family to attend Princeton. He served as a second lieutenant in the 82nd Airborne Division and graduated from Harvard Law School.

At a Princeton prom, he first laid eyes on Vassar undergraduate and beautiful redhead, Ruth Ransom. Their attraction became a powerful bond that inspired 70 years of devotion. After marrying, he returned to Binghamton with his bride to practice law. He joined Security Mutual Life Insurance Company, where he rose to General Counsel and Corporate Secretary.

In Binghamton he served two terms as President of the Binghamton City Board of Education and as President of the Broome County School Boards Association. He also chaired the Broome County Tax Advisory Committee and served on the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Urban Renewal.

In 1974 he joined New York Life Insurance Company as Associate Counsel in its Government and Legislative Affairs Department, and the family moved to Princeton. Nick served as a Board Member of the Princeton University Art Museum, was active in local zoning matters and political campaigns, and helped run his Princeton Class reunions. He volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and served as a trustee for the Friends of Princeton Open Space. Devoted to the Princeton community for decades, he reveled in and supported Ruth’s leadership at McCarter Theatre and Morven.

His life was enriched by his appreciation of our shared humanity. Nick embraced acquaintances, colleagues, and friends from all walks of life. He had a voracious curiosity and capacity to retain information, which led him down many roads. A natural raconteur, he could talk to anyone about anything by tapping into his vast and varied store of knowledge. His humor was fast and apt, sharp but never cruel, and served him well in all his encounters. People responded to Nick. Whether it was a wry comment, the twinkle in his bright blue eyes or his obvious empathy, they quickly recognized that they had an ally and friend in him. He was there in a pinch for anyone who needed his help, and he guided them from problem to solution. Nick’s magic was that his head, heart and humor worked in beautiful concert.

His favorite roles were husband and father. He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Ruth Ransom Wilson, and four sons: Stephen M. Wilson of New Canaan, Connecticut, Donald C. Wilson and Christopher D. Wilson (Lynn) of Washington, D.C., and Timothy R. Wilson of Los Angeles. He was preceded in death by his sister Elizabeth “Betsey” Wilson King (Charles) and is survived by his brother John Collier Wilson (Gail) and many beloved nieces, nephews, cousins, and in-laws.

Arrangements are by Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, Princeton. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Princeton University Art Museum, McCarter Theatre, or Morven.

A Celebration of Nick’s Life will be held at The Nassau Club at 12 p.m. on Friday, October 23.