Sam Bahadurian

Sam Bahadurian, proprietor of an oriental rug business, died peacefully on March 8 at Acorn Glen Assisted Living. He was 89.

Mr. Bahadurian was a 1941 graduate of Princeton High School, after which he joined the family oriental rug business his father had started, E. Bahadurian & Son, which he operated until his retirement.

He was active in the Princeton Lions Club and the Princeton Jaycees, and was the recipient of the Jaycee Distinguished Service Award in 1958. He was a special supporter of programs for Princeton youth, including those at the Skillman Neuro-Psychiatric Institute. He was an avid cook who loved good food.

Husband of the late Jane Bahadurian and father of the late Leslie Stahl, he is survived by his sister, Alice Dadourian of Guilford, Conn.; his son and daughter-in-law, Mark and Elaine Bahadurian of Monmouth Junction; his daughter, Faith Bahadurian of Princeton; grandchildren, Patrick and Arica Stahl; plus nieces and a nephew, in addition to his dear friends John Lasley and Barney Cooke, with whom he shared many good times including numerous fishing trips.

Memorial contributions may be made to NAMI Mercer N.J. (National Alliance on Mental Illness), 3371 Brunswick Pike, Suite 124, Lawrenceville, N.J. 08648, or www.namimercer.org.

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Hallett Johnson Jr.

Hallett Johnson Jr. died at home in Princeton on January 25, 2012 surrounded by his family.

Born in Paris, France in 1925, he was the son of a career diplomat. He was educated abroad until he entered St. Mark’s School in Massachusetts in 1939. He enrolled in Princeton University, the class of 1946, and studied there both before and after World War II when he served in the Naval Air Force. After graduating from Princeton, he received an MA in economics from Columbia University. He was an investment advisor and strategist.

He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Mary Ellen; his sons, Hallett III and Livingston; his daughters, Mary and Elizabeth; their spouses, and nine grandchildren. A private service is planned.

He was an outdoor man and conservationist, loving both the land and the water and worked hard to maintain their beauty and integrity. A contribution in his memory can be made to Friends of Acadia, Box 45, Bar Harbor, Maine, 04609.

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Oreste Sferra

Oreste Sferra, 76, of Princeton, died Monday, March 12, 2012 at Pavilions at Forrestal of Plainsboro. He was born in Pettoranello, Italy and came to Princeton in 1969. Oreste retired after 28 years of service in grounds maintenance with the Institute for Advanced Study of Princeton.

He was a member of St. Paul’s Church of Princeton. Oreste was a former member of Italian—American Sportsmens Club of Princeton.

He was the son of the late Biaggio and Assunta Sferra, brother of the late Nicola, Sebastiano, Alberto and Bettina, and brother-in-law Tony Sferra. He is survived by his wife of 53 years Assunta Sferra; two brothers, Valentino and Alfonso; three sisters, Carolina, Venezia, and Margherita; and four brothers-in-law, John, Bert, Joe, and Flory; and many nieces and nephews.

The funeral will be held at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 14, 2012 at The Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, 40 Vandeventer Avenue, Princeton.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday at St. Paul’s Church, 214 Nassau Street, Princeton.

Burial will be in Princeton Cemetery, Princeton.

Calling hours were held Tuesday, March 13, 2012 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.

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Josephine N. Hughes

Josephine Nicholls Hughes, 99, of Plainsboro, died March 8, 2012.

Born in Seattle, Washington on November 24, 1912, she grew up with her family in Birmingham, England, emigrating to the United States in 1925. She received her BA and MA in Library Science from the University of Washington and her PhD in English literature from Brown University in 1941. She worked as a research librarian at Yale University and at Georgetown University. She was married to the late Riley Hughes, an English professor at Georgetown. She will be remembered for generous spirit and pungent wit.

She is survived by her four children, Winifred Hughes Spar and her husband Fred; Austin L. Hughes and his wife Andrea; Dennis Hughes, and Hildred Crill and her husband Patrick. She leaves eight grandchildren, Adam and Alex Spar, Austin L. Hughes, Jr., Helen Wise and her husband Matthew, Harry Browning and his wife Theresa, Patrick Browning and his wife Paula, Brendan Crill and his wife Xenia, and Liam Crill; and ten great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her devoted care-givers, Irma McMillan, Jodi-Ann Weir, and Venetia Lobban.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Queenship of Mary Guatemala Partnership, 16 Dey Road, Plainsboro, N.J. 08536.

Visitation was held on Sunday, March 11 at M.J. Murphy Funeral Home in Monmouth Junction from 2 to 4 p.m. A mass of Christian burial was celebrated on Monday, March 12 at 9:30 a.m. at Queenship of Mary Church in Plainsboro. Burial followed in Holy Cross Cemetery, East Brunswick.