George Terry Birch
George Terry Birch of Westport Island, Maine, formerly of Princeton, passed away on July 26, 2015. He was 82. Born in Trenton on September 20, 1932 to Eunice Terry Birch and Frank Birch, who predeceased him, Terry was a lifelong resident of Skillman and Princeton, having cared for his parents before retiring to Maine.
A graduate of the The Lawrenceville School, in addition to his academic successes, he also enjoyed telling the story of how he jumped out of a window as an extra in the “Free Pancakes!” scene in the 1950 film The Happy Years, a movie depicting life at Lawrenceville based on the writings of fellow Lawrentian Owen Johnson.
He majored in English at Duke University and later enlisted in the army during the Korean War using his artistic and writing skills to produce manuals that instructed pilots how to fly helicopters.
He later worked at Educational Testing Service for 18 years as a technical illustrator and concluded his career drawing detailed illustrations of the cold-fusion reactor at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, many of which were used for budgeting proposals in Washington, D.C.
He built the home in which he raised his family in Skillman. He was a devoted husband and father as well as a dedicated gardener and landscapist. He was active in the local community including Boy Scout Troop 46 of Blawenburg and the Nassau Presbyterian Church.
A lifelong artist, he held several galleries and exhibits throughout the 1970’s and taught art to the elderly in local retirement homes. He was also a volunteer mentor at the Mercer County Correctional Facility.
An avid fisherman and boater, he spent much time fishing and boating the waters around the Barnegat Bay before focusing most of his free time enjoying a lakeside woodlot in Vienna, Maine.
A constant reader, he was particularly fond of the writings of Thomas Wolfe, whose influence showed in his moving storytelling and the poetry that Terry wrote throughout his life.
Most recently, Terry was a deacon at the Mid-Coast Presbyterian Church in Topsham, Maine. He and his wife Madge served as ushers reliably every Sunday except Easter and the occasional snow cancellation.
He leaves behind his wife, Magdalene of Westport Island, Maine; his brother Wayne and his wife Beth of Cumberland Center, Maine; former wife Bettie Cotton of Wilmington, NC; four sons and seven grandchildren: Kevin and his wife Mary and their children, Cameron and Marissa of Skillman, NJ; Kyle and his partner Raymond Matthews of King of Prussia, Pa.; Keith and his wife Rachel and their children, Maxwell and Catherine of Havertown, Pa.; and Wayne and his wife Beth and their children Maclaine, Grayson, and Bryant of Fayetteville, N.C.; as well as the countless friends whose lives he touched with his sensitivity and caring.
Funeral services will begin on Friday, August 7, 2015 at 11 a.m. at Kimble Funeral Home, 1 Hamilton Avenue, Princeton, NJ followed by a 12:30 p.m. burial at Ewing Church Cemetery, 100 Scotch Road, Ewing Township, NJ.
Viewing hours are Thursday, August 6, 2015 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
In September, the Mid-Coast Presbyterian Church will host a separate memorial service of worship songs and the traditional hymns that were Terry’s favorites.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of Terry Birch to the Arthritis Foundation at www.arthritis.org.
Extend condolences and remembrances at TheKimbleFuneralHome.com.
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Margaret B. Sheppard
Margaret B. Sheppard, 89, died Friday, July 31, 2015 at Stonebridge at Montgomery. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Margaret earned the “Bachelor of Commercial Sciences” degree from Benjamin Franklin University in Washington (now part of George Washington University). She moved to Princeton in the early 1950s and began a career in banking at Princeton Bank and Trust Company, retiring as assistant vice president and assistant comptroller at Horizon Bank in the late 1980s. Margaret was an active member of Princeton’s Nassau Presbyterian Church — and its predecessor First Presbyterian Church — serving for a time as secretary/registrar of the Sunday school and as treasurer of the Women’s Association. She was a generous financial contributor to many worthwhile causes.
Margaret loved flowers and music, particularly Lawrence Welk. She was a collector of stamps, coins, and frogs (glass, ceramic, plastic, metal, wooden, stuffed and singing frogs (from less than one inch to more than one foot tall). Margaret loved to travel with her long-time apartment mate Bernice Persing and with members of Princeton area travel clubs: to New York for a Broadway show, to Bermuda on a cruise, to “The Shore” and other nearby spots by car or bus, to Florida by train or plane. And she loved the excitement of horse racing, especially the three “Triple Crown” races. A few years ago (well into her 80s), she and her sister were the only two females watching the Belmont Stakes race in a Southern Maryland MEN’S sports bar.
Having no children of her own, Margaret loved, encouraged, and supported her nine nieces and nephews (and later 19 great nieces and nephews) as they grew. Known to one branch of the family as Aunt Mimi and to the other as Aunt Margie, she was much beloved in return. Predeceased by her sister Mary Beth Lowry of Cincinnati, Margaret is survived by her other sister Helen Duncan and husband Robert of Princeton; Mary Beth’s husband David of Cincinnati; and her nieces and nephews.
Family members attended a private burial on Tuesday, August 4, 2015 at Fort Lincoln Cemetery near Washington, D.C., where her parents are buried. A memorial service at Nassau Church will be scheduled at a later date. The family suggests that contributions in Margaret’s memory be made to a charity of your choice.
Extend condolences and remembrances at TheKimbleFuneralHome.com.
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Marion Moll LaBar
Marion Moll LaBar died on August 1, 2015 at the University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro. The cause was pneumonia followed by septic shock.
Marion was born in 1934 in Abington, Pa. where she also spent her childhood years. She graduated from Abington High School and later earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Bucknell University. During her college years, she sang in the Chapel Choir where she met her husband.
Marion is predeceased by her parents, George and Ethel Moll and two older brothers, George and Howard Moll. She is survived by her husband, Bruce LaBar (Princeton); a brother Richard Moll (Abington, Pa.); two children, Philip LaBar (Kingston) and Jeanette MacCallum (Nashville, Tenn.); and three grandchildren, Christina and Jacob Jezioro (Nashville, Tenn.) and Bruce LaBar (Kingston).
In addition to raising her two children, Marion was an active volunteer, assisting in the library at Littlebrook School, acting successively as deacon and elder at Nassau Presbyterian Church, singing in its choir for 47 years, and engaging in committee work at Princeton Windrows where she lived for the past nine years. Marion’s work life included substitute teaching at Princeton High School, acting as a legal secretary, and working as a sales associate and inventory control manager at Talbots in Princeton. For recreation, Marion enjoyed bridge, tennis, and travelling.
Marion’s life will be celebrated at a memorial service at Nassau Presbyterian Church on Thursday, August 6, 2015 at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to The Ammons Music Fund at Nassau Presbyterian Church, Princeton, N.J.
Arrangements are under the direction of The Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, Princeton.
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Alice Pinelli
Alice Beverly Hickey Pinelli, of Princeton, died peacefully at home on Friday, July 31, 2015, with her daughter, Michelle, at her side. She would have been 82 years old in September.
Beverly Hickey was born and raised in Princeton and moved to Levittown, Pa. in the 1950’s upon her marriage to Michael Pinelli.
In the journey of her life and while raising her young family in Pennsylvania, Beverly was dedicated to her community and was heavily involved in many philanthropic activities. As president of the PTA and Oaktree Women’s Group of Levittown, Beverly spearheaded a fundraiser, which benefitted the Bucks County Association for Challenged Children, by paying the rental of the facility that housed a workshop for the children. Additionally, as a member of the Oaktree Women’s Group they raised money which went to the Trendler Nursing Home to provide funding for equipment for the day-care of mentally challenged children.
When the house that she always treasured was available for purchase, Beverly and her family moved back to Princeton, where she continued her community service by becoming one of the founding members of the West Windsor Volunteer First Aid Squad.
Beverly was also heavily involved with numerous community groups including being the co-chair of the West Windsor PTA. Among their activities, the PTA organized events to fund the purchase of sets of encyclopedias for the Maurice Hawk and Dutch Neck Schools. As a member of the West Windsor PTA, she coordinated efforts with St. Paul’s PTA and the Princeton Chapter of the American Association of University Women to sponsor a benefit fashion show at Clayton’s in Palmer Square.
Beverly was thrilled to hear of the recent preservation of the porch on Lytle Street of which she has fond memories. As a young girl, when visiting her grandmother, she would often run across the street to sit on the porch with her cousins Sonny and Wee Tash.
Beverly had a contagious enthusiasm for life. Friends will always remember her in her VW bug, happily taking anyone home regardless of the time of day (or night), music playing all the way. Beverly’s musical repertoire included the Mamas and the Papas and Stevie Nicks, but her favorite song was Richard Harris’ “Cake Out In The Rain.” An avid reader, her favorite book was Gone With The Wind, from which she would frequently quote, “I can’t think about that now, I’ll think about it tomorrow.”
Beverly’s garden is and always was filled with a multitude of flowering plants and shrubs, from her daffodils and wisteria in the spring to her Rose of Sharon and hydrangea in the Summer. Her garden would be aglow in the fall when her maple trees burst into a beautiful bright red, bringing a warmth to her yard and the neighborhood.
Always ahead of the decorating curve, Beverly had a talent for decorating her ceilings in such a way that Michelangelo would be proud of. She loved to embellish her house with beautiful touches everywhere, including having peacock feathers and flower petals on her ceiling. The entire community loved to see her birdcage and gnome in her front yard, which were always seasonally decorated for all to enjoy.
Beverly’s pride and joy was her family, who knew her as “Eggetts” and as her grandchildren grew and made friends, the name Eggetts remained to all who knew her.
Most of all, Beverly was dedicated to her grandchildren and was always ready to help a friend. She embraced life fully and energetically. Beverly will be sorely missed with a heavy heart, but most of all fondly remembered with a grand smile on our faces.
Beverly was predeceased by her husband, Michael Pinelli, sister Briteen Gregory, parents Alice Tash Hickey McNamee and T. Donald Hickey and dear cousins Sonny and William (Wee) Tash.
Beverly is survived by two daughters: Michelle Caponi, son-in-law Frank and grandsons Michael, Frank Jr., Jonathan and Parker, and Robin Shangle, son-in-law Russell and grandchildren Tasha, Charles IV and Brandon, sister Linda Heller, brother Thomas Hickey, cousins Bill Hickey, Betty Ann MacSherry and Walter Tash, and several nieces and nephews, and her dear dedicated companion and friend Robert Anderson.
A celebration of Beverly’s life will take place on Thursday, August 6, 2015 at her home from 2 to 4 p.m.
Extend condolences and remembrances at TheKimbleFuneralHome.com.
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George Warfield
Professor George Warfield, formerly of Princeton, died peacefully at his home in Vermont nine days after celebrating 70 years of marriage to the love of his life, Lauraine Serra Warfield. Their children, grandchildren, and great grandchild had all joined them for the anniversary. He was 96.
George was born in Piambino, Italy to Vincent Warfield and Ada Donati on April 21, 1919. He and his brother were raised in the Masonic Home in Elizabethtown, Pa., and later took turns caring for their widowed mother. George graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Franklin and Marshall College, worked on Proximity Fuses, during World War II, earned his PhD in physics from Cornell University (where he studied under Hans Bethe and Richard Feynman), and was recruited by Lyman Spitzer to help integrate the departments of electrical engineering and solid state physics at Princeton University.
There he taught, mentored, and partnered with many of the brightest minds at the beginning of the computer age: George Heilmeier, Steve Hofstein, Al Waxman, Karl Zaininger, and Pete Warter among others. The current applications of the MOS transistor and liquid crystal display might have taken many more years in development without his visionary leadership and insistence on practicality. In gratitude, his student George Heilmeier dedicated Princeton’s first full technology classroom to him in 2002. George remained Emeritus Professor of Electrical Engineering until his death.
In 1974 he became executive director of the Institute for Energy Conversion at the University of Delaware. Later he served as a director of the Solar Energy Research Institute in Golden, Colo. Over the years he provided technical consultation for RCA, Bell Labs, and the Siemens Corporation. He traveled extensively in Asia and the Middle East exchanging photovoltaic consultation, work he continued long after retiring to Vermont, where he dedicated 25 years to driving for Meals on Wheels.
George and Lauraine delighted in welcoming people of all ages, nationalities, races, religions, points of view, and abilities into their home. They helped many find successful pathways in life. More than anything, George loved to help people. He brought his students (especially foreign students) home to become part of the family, joined his wife’s efforts on behalf of civil rights and disability rights, advocated for practical and experiential learning, helped Chinese and Japanese students enter college, found asylum for refugees, and totally supported his extended family and friends. George could be counted on to see the potential in each person and work tirelessly until it was achieved.
He leaves behind his three children: Richard Warfield of Dallas, Tex.; Pamela Elizabeth Warfield of Prescott, Ariz.; and Cheryl Warfield Mitchell of New Haven, Vt.; their extended families; and his beloved wife Lauraine. Ever the scientist, he made an anatomical donation of his body to the medical school at the University of Vermont. The family plans to hold a Service of Remembrance at a future date in Princeton.
Gifts in George’s honor may be sent to Meals on Wheels (call (800) 642-5119 to donate). At his memorial service in Vermont on August 1, 2015: the four characteristics that were consistently mentioned about George were: Brilliant, Compassionate, Hard-Working, and Humble.