Norbert Wetzel

Beloved husband, father, grandfather, colleague, teacher and, therapist, Norbert A. Wetzel, ThD, died at his home in Princeton, New Jersey, on April 27, 2025. He was 88 years old.

Norbert was born September 16, 1936, in Berlin, Germany, to Dr. Anton Wetzel and Maria (Kübel) Wetzel. During World War II, he spent his childhood in the peaceful village of Fehlheim on his uncle’s farm. After the war, his parents moved to Stuttgart, where Norbert attended gymnasium (high school). He completed a doctorate in Theology at the University of Innsbruck in Austria where his dissertation addressed crisis intervention and suicide prevention. During this period he was also ordained as a Catholic priest.

Norbert’s lifelong career of integrating counseling and social justice began shortly thereafter in Frankfurt, where he managed a suicide hotline and provided ongoing counseling. In the late 1960s, he became a leader in the radical priest movement in West Germany, which advocated for a progressive reimagining of the Catholic church. A growing commitment to counseling and frustration with the Catholic church led him to leave the priesthood and to pursue further training in family therapy. In 1975, he attended a postgraduate clinical training program at the Ackerman Institute for the Family in New York City, where he met his partner in love and work, Hinda Winawer, an Ashkenazi Jew from Brooklyn. The couple eventually moved to Princeton and were married in their backyard in 1979.

Norbert’s professional career was long and varied, but always dedicated to understanding and supporting people within their bio-psycho-social context. He and Hinda founded the Princeton Family Institute, where Norbert would go on to provide short- and long-term psychotherapy to families, couples, and individuals for over four decades. Later, they founded the Center for Family, Community, and Social Justice, which trained mental health and human services professionals to support and facilitate the development of children, adolescents, and adults within their families and communities in nine school districts across New Jersey. In the context of this work, Norbert developed the Kaleidoscope of Contextual Lenses, a practical tool in his model of Context-Centered Family Systems Therapy, an alternative to positivist linear, biologically-oriented thinking. In addition to training and counseling, Norbert taught for decades at the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University. He authored several books and published many professional articles over the years, most recently in 2024.

Outside of his work, Norbert was a thinker known for his kind and gentle demeanor, a man who delighted in the small beauties and joys of this imperfect world, including a cardinal at the bird feeder, strong coffee, and good bread. He was an avid bicycle rider who did multiple long-distance cycling rides, including 500 miles in six days in Alaska to support AIDS research. A naturally curious person, Norbert traveled extensively, but particularly loved the alps of Südtirol and Martha’s Vineyard. He was a life-long student of philosophy and lover of classical music.

Norbert was predeceased by his parents, his sister, Gudula Wetzel, and his brother, Dr. Peter Wetzel. He is survived by his wife, Hinda Winawer; his brothers Winfried Wetzel and Dr. Konrad Wetzel; his children and their spouses, Erik Steiner and Tara Grote; Kurt Steiner and Amy Biltekoff; Sarah Winawer-Wetzel and Catherine Deneke (and his grandchildren Noah and Ezra); and Andreas Winawer-Wetzel. He leaves behind a legacy of many grateful students and colleagues.

A funeral and remembrance of life was held at Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church on Thursday, May 1, followed by a private burial in Princeton Cemetery and shiva at the family home. Memorial donations may be made to the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen.

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Carol Ann Fulmer

On Saturday, April 26, 2025, Carol Ann Fulmer passed away after a prolonged illness at Carnegie Senior Living in Princeton, NJ.  At age 85, she died peacefully surrounded by her family.

Born and raised in Claremont, NH, Carol Ann was a natural caregiver. Her desire to care for others led her to Grace New Haven School of Nursing at Yale where she became known for her intellect, sensitivity, and love of poetry and language. She graduated in 1960 and began her nursing career at Yale New Haven Medical Center in New Haven, CT. Soon her adventurous spirit and thirst for new experiences took her to Denver, CO, where she spent some time at the University of Colorado Medical Center doing research for the National Institutes of Health.  In 1962 Carol Ann returned to the East Coast to accept the position of head nurse on the Professors ward at Yale New Haven Medical Center. It was a fortuitous move as it was at this time she met a pathology resident, fresh out of Yale Medical School, who would become her husband in 1966.

After a move to New York City and working as assistant to a leading researcher at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital, Carol Ann and Dave settled in Princeton, NJ, to start and raise a family. Their three children, Katharine, Elizabeth, and Stephen, arrived in quick succession. Motherhood found Carol Ann immersed in school activities, soccer and football games, horse shows, and too many volunteer duties to count. To many of her children’s friends she became a 2nd mom and the Lambert Drive open door policy found her home full of activity and laughter. As her children became more independent, she began a new career as a travel agent. As travel had always been a passion, this new position opened opportunities for her and her family to enjoy many years of adventures to beautiful beaches, ski towns, exotic locales, and international cultural destinations.

When her children grew into adulthood, Carol Ann was thrilled that they all settled in New England. A perennial Red Sox fan, she was able to return to her beloved Fenway Park on many occasions to cheer for her now winning team with a cold beer and a Fenway Frank. Annual family vacations soon grew to include her seven grandchildren who were a constant source of pleasure and wonder. Each summer brought an oceanside holiday on Block Island or Maine where three generations of Fulmers enjoyed time spent together creating indelible and treasured memories. Carol Ann could also be counted on to spoil her grandchildren with her elaborate holiday efforts. Her Easter egg hunts, complete with hundreds of toy filled plastic eggs and her famous “Bunny Cake,” were unparalleled.

Threaded throughout were Carol Ann’s sewing skills. She spent countless hours over her sewing machine creating dresses, bags, and accessories that rivaled those found in high end boutiques. When her children were young, no Easter or Christmas was complete without matching holiday dresses for her daughters. The Princeton class of 1955 was also a lucky beneficiary of her creations where she applied her skills to the design of many class reunion costumes. When the grandchildren began appearing, Carol Ann was thrilled to sew beautiful dresses from vintage Lily Pulitzer fabric for her granddaughters.

Carol Ann was an enthusiastic supporter of Dave’s Princeton University class of 1955. For over 35 years she served on the reunion committee. She could often be found at the registration tent during reunions, welcoming classmates and families and assuring that they  were decked out in appropriate 1955 apparel and accessories. Carol Ann became an honorary classmate and was awarded the Order of the Claw in 1985.

Ever present was Carol Ann’s passion for reading and language. Never without a book, while traveling, nearly a quarter of her packing space was dedicated to paperbacks. No week was complete for Carol Ann without the New York Times Sunday crossword – and don’t even think about beating her at Scrabble.

Carol Ann is survived by her loving husband of 58 years, David Hoover Fulmer; her children, Katharine Fulmer of Newburyport, MA; Elizabeth Emery and husband, Richard, of Kennebunk, ME; Stephen Fulmer and wife, Whitney, of Duxbury, MA; and her cherished grandchildren; Helen, Lila, Sam, Charlie, Amelia, William and Madeline who affectionately called her NuNu.

A Memorial Service will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made in Carol Ann’s memory to Grounds For Sculpture, 80 Sculptors Way, Hamilton, NJ 08619 (groundsforsculpture.org/memorials-tributes.

Arrangements are under the direction of The Mather-Hodge Funeral Home.

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Charles A. Stryker III

Charles A. Stryker III, 85, died suddenly and peacefully on March 1, 2025, at his Sarasota home. He was born in Princeton, New Jersey, on January 14, 1940, to Ann Finnegan and Charlie Stryker. They lived at 6 Fisher Avenue and spanned three generations in Princeton.

Charlie graduated from Princeton High School in 1957 and enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. He was stationed three years just outside of London and traveled Europe on the RAF Mildenhall basketball team. He was always playing sports, especially baseball and basketball. He was a longtime member of the Harrison Street Athletic Club headed by Bob Smythe. He caught the golf bug caddying at the Princeton Springdale Golf Club.

After his four-year Air Force service, he worked and saved to go to college. A Princeton friend, the Reverend Colin L. Leitch, introduced him to Florida State University. At FSU, he majored in International Affairs with a concentration in U.S. history. Working hard, he was able to graduate in less than three years.After graduating from FSU, Charles started his marketing career. He spent 20 years as a sales executive with Xerox Corporation and another six leading Apple’s Florida’s education market.
Charles left the corporate world for academia and pursued a M.A. degree in History at the University of South Florida. He spent 15 years teaching U.S. history at Hillsborough Community College and USF. He thoroughly enjoyed teaching and influenced many students beyond his subject area with his encouragement and life experiences.
Charlie has always been a volunteer with political campaigns and community projects. He took his civic duties very seriously and made a difference. He mentored students, read to preschoolers, led organizations and served on lifelong learning boards.
He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Dr. Laurey T. Stryker; daughter Nicole Keating and son-in-law Kevin Keating, Orlando, Florida; daughter Erin Lee and son-in-law Allan Lee, Alexandria, Virginia; grandchildren Karly, Kelly; and Conrad; sisters Suzanne Meagher of Yarmouth, Mass., Cathy Brennan and Bob Brennan of Vienna, Va.; brothers Michael Stryker and sister-in-law Barbara Stryker of Houston, Texas; Bill Stryker (deceased) and sister-in-law Kathy Stryker of Malvern, Pennsylvania.
He is buried with military honors at the Sarasota National Cemetery.

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Grant Beske

Grant Beske, age 85, of Skillman, New Jersey, passed away peacefully on April 30, 2025, surrounded by his loving family. Born February 28, 1940, in Mankato, Minnesota, to Grace and Woodrow, Grant spent his childhood in the small community of Minnesota Lake.
Grant pursued his academic dreams at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, earning his undergraduate degree in 1962 and his Doctor of Science in 1965. While completing his dissertation, he married his childhood sweetheart, Carol Leininger. Shortly after defending his dissertation, Grant and Carol welcomed their first child, Kirsten. Following a move to Wilmington, Delaware, for his career at DuPont, they were delighted by the arrival of unexpected twins, Galen and Gavin. In the delivery room he famously quipped, “Now I’m going to have to buy a house,” a line that became family lore. Their youngest, Andrea, completed the family and brought even more joy and laughter to their home.

At DuPont, Grant’s early years in research yielded several patents bearing his name. He later transitioned into product development management, traveling extensively across Asia, Europe, and the U.S. West Coast to oversee projects that helped shape today’s electronics industry.

Grant and Carol enjoyed golf at Springdale in Princeton and at their vacation home in Palm Desert, California. For many years he was fond of playing in local tennis leagues and Friday-night mixed doubles alongside Carol. A lifelong learner, he maintained a vast personal library spanning science, history, religion, and science fiction — and delighted in reading J.R.R. Tolkien’s works aloud to his children.

Grant’s greatest pride was his family: his wife Carol; his four children, Kirsten (Kirt), Galen (Mitos), Gavin (Lise), and Andrea (Paul); and 11 grandchildren, who were the light of his life. Annual family gatherings — whether in Europe, Canada, or across the United States — were eagerly anticipated, and vacations ranging from backpacking in Alaska to rafting the Grand Canyon, hiking Peru’s Inca Trail, safari adventures in Kenya, walking China’s Great Wall, and retracing the footsteps of Jesus in Israel formed a lifetime of shared memories. Over a lifetime of exploration, Grant and Carol visited 29 countries.

A devoted Sufi, Grant’s deep spiritual curiosity led him to study multiple faith traditions with compassion and openness. His gentle wisdom, boundless generosity, and warm sense of humor touched all who knew him.

He is survived by Carol, his beloved wife of 62 years; his four children and their spouses; and his 11 grandchildren, as well as his two brothers, Kurt (Lisa) and Dwight (Valya).

A celebration of Grant’s life will be held on a later date. He always was looking to explore, to learn, and to love without reservation. He will be deeply missed and fondly remembered by all who were fortunate to have shared in his remarkable journey.