Harriette Thompson, 91, has run 15 marathons—all of them since turning 76. The 91-year-old became the second oldest marathon finisher in U.S. history and set a new age-group record.
When Harriette Thompson began her Sunday jog, the San Diego temperature barely pushed 60 degrees. The time was 6:15 am. The sky was gray. Cloud-cover blocked the sun.
More than seven hours later, the sun now baking the pavement, the temperature pushing 76, Thompson descended downtown’s 13th Avenue. Her walking gait leaned decidedly to the left. Then she began jogging. And the few remaining spectators, volunteers and runners from the Suja Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Marathon started cheering.
“All right, Harriette!” someone screamed.
Upon crossing the finish line, Thompson was surrounded, first by medical personnel, then a gaggle of TV and still photographers. Writers circled, toting pens, notebooks and recorders.
“Way to go young lady!” hollered a gentleman.
“I don’t deserve all this attention,” said Thompson, who lives in Charlotte, N.C.
So why all the fuss?
Because Harriette Thompson is 91 years young. And by finishing the race in 7 hours, 7 minutes and 42 seconds, Thompson set a world record for the fastest marathon ever by a woman 90 years or older. The previous mark was 9 hours, 53 minutes by Gladys Burrill at the 2010 Honolulu Marathon. Burrill was 92 at the time. She also became the second oldest marathon finisher in U.S. history.
“I feel wonderful,” said Thompson more than 10 minutes after finishing, relaxing in the shade beneath a tent. “I feel relieved. But I’m interested in getting into a cold shower and falling into bed for a while.”
Thompson’s marathon feat serves as a testament to blessed genetics and a healthy lifestyle, the latter encompassing diet, exercise and attitude.
Incredibly, she didn’t run her first marathon until she was 76 years old. A church friend had run a marathon for a charity and Thompson figured, “Why not me?”
Having beat cancer of the palate in 1987, Thompson, too, wanted to run for a cause. She selected the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Sunday’s Suja Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon was her 15th 26.2-miler. All have been in San Diego, all at the race that started Rock ‘n’ Roll running brand.
“I never try to compete,” Thompson said. “I just try to make money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma society.”
Thompson’s quest Sunday was made more difficult because she has been battling cancer for a second time, this time of the skin. She underwent nine radiation treatments within 11 days, the last coming about four weeks before the marathon.
The treatments left red, open wounds on both legs, which were shielded today by white tights and bandages on the abrasions. Slow recovery from the radiation cut back her training. Her longest run/walk leading up to the marathon: six miles.
And yet through 13 miles, she said to herself, “This isn’t so bad.”
Four to five miles later, with her legs aching, Thompson’s thoughts changed.
“Around Mile 17 or 18, I began thinking, ‘This is sort of crazy. I’m not sure if I’m going to make it.’”
So what steeled her to the finish?
Her 55-year-old son, Brenneman, who ran beside his mother, helped immensely.
“Anytime I needed anything, he was there for me,” said Harriette. “Water, Vaseline, Gatorade, PowerBars, GU, bananas, oranges, pretzels.”
Thompson is a former concert pianist who played at Carnegie Hall three times. One way she dealt with drudgery of the marathon: not by listening to the bands spread across the course but by mentally playing old piano pieces she had performed in the past.
“I do think the discipline required to play the piano has helped my running,” she said.
After the TV shooters bagged Thompson’s sound bites and the still photographers captured the woman’s effervescent smile, Thompson was escorted to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team-In-Training tent. She was greeted by TNT volunteers, runners and walkers who joined hands and formed a tunnel for Thompson to walk beneath.
She’s 91. She didn’t break Burrill’s 90-plus world record. Thompson treated the mark as if she’d slammed a porcelain vase against a brick wall. She shattered the thing, besting Burrill’s record by 2 hours, 45 minutes.
So what now? Will she be back in San Diego come 2015?
“I’m sort of surprised I’m still here,” she said.
“I believe this will be my last time.”
Then she smiled, her red lipstick still in place, her eyes touched by a bit of makeup.
“My friends remind me that I say that every year,” Thompson said.
Then, having pushed her body for 7 hours, 7 minutes, 42 seconds, most of it under the sapping sun, Thompson spoke the truth.
“If I’m sill (alive),” she said, “I’ll be back next year.”
Please consider contributing to Harriette Thompson’s Team in Training fundraising effort .
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2002: Memorials
Morris A. Mayers ’27
Kutch died at Monroe Village in Jamesburg, New Jersey, on Oct. 31, 2001,
at age 95 following a series of strokes. Born in NYC, he came to Princeton
from Columbia Grammar and majored in French. As an undergraduate, he took
particular pleasure in translating poetry into colloquial English —
particularly that of the lusty Roman poet Catullus. He rowed lightweight
crew and later was a trustee of Princeton’s rowing association.
An amateur radio operator, his interest in electronics was useful in
his Marine service during WWII and in Korea. As president of Display Lighting,
Inc., he pioneered TV lighting, and later pursued a career with DuMont
Television Network and with Visual Electronics, Inc. After moving to Princeton
in 1957, he participated in local productions and cofounded a barbershop
quartet group. President of the Class of 1927 at his death, Kutch served
for years as reunion chair, with the enthusiastic support of his wife,
Ros, who died in 1999. His many friends remember him for his gracious
hospitality, his loyalty, and his delight in a good joke well told.
Kutch is survived by his sons, Alan E. ’54 and Kenneth E. ’58,
four grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. The class extends its
condolences to them.
The Class of 1927
GEORGE ALFRED BERKHEIMER ’34
George Berkheimer died Nov. 22, 2001, at his home in Manhattan of heart
failure after a long illness. He was former chief of orthopedic surgery
at Harrisburg Hospital and a clinical professor of surgery at Penn State
Medical School in Hershey. When he retired in 1980, the hospital’s
board termed him “a splendid man, industrious, conscientious, and
dedicated.” To his family and friends he was “a gentle man with
a wonderful sense of humor, and a devoted companion.”
In December of 1980 he took what he called “the most eventful and
happiest step of my life” – marrying Margaret Polk Yates, a
sister of the late Eugene Yates ’40. George and Margaret spent their
time in NYC or traveling, and in the summer they lived on Nantucket.
A Fellow of the Am. Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and a Diplomate of
the Am. Board of Orthopedics, George was also a member of the Rolling
Rock Club in Ligonier, Pa., the Nassau Club in Princeton, the Union Club
in NYC, and the Nantucket Yacht Club. To Margaret we offer our sincere
sympathies.
The Class of 1934
Carl Williams Peterson ’36
Pete died of cancer on July 25, 2001. He came to Princeton from Central
HS in Scranton, Pa. Pete majored in chemical engineering and was elected
to Phi Beta Kappa in his junior year. He joined Tower Club, played rugby,
and was a Daily Princetonian reporter. Pete was named president of the
Princeton Chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and
president of the Princeton Engineering Society.Pete served as class secretary
(1961-71), AG class agent (1956-59), and secretary for Engineers of ’36.
After graduation, Pete worked for E. I. DuPont as a chemical engineer,
sales manager, and manager of training. He retired in 1975, and moved
to St. Croix, USVI, where he and Cathie lived for 19 years before moving
to Walnut Creek, Calif.
As much as Pete loved Princeton and his classmates, he loved his family
more. He leaves behind daughters Joan Poe (mother of Alison ’94),
Ruth Peterson, Gwen Peterson, and Ann Simmons, son Carl Jr. ’64 *69,
and four grandchildren. His beloved Cathie, wife of almost 60 years, died
in Mar. 2001. Pete was indeed one of our greatest classmates. He will
long be remembered.
The Class of 1936
GEORGE BOOTH DUNBAR ’38
George died Sept. 25, 2000. A resident of Wheaton, Ill., George prepared
at Asheville School and Lake Forest Academy. At Princeton he majored in
psychology, played freshman football, and joined Charter Club. Since graduation,
there has been little news from George. He did not submit to our 50 Years
Later book, but in our ’83, ’92, and ’98 directories, he
is listed as retired and living in Evanston. His nephew, Bruce Dunbar
Bridegroom, writes: “Uncle George never married and had no children,
but he was the wisest, most entertaining, and most caring uncle imaginable.
He was proud of his Princeton education, and never lost his desire to
keep learning. Before his final bout with cancer, he was taking courses
in theoretical physics at Northwestern U. If he were still here, I’m
sure he would convey his best wishes to his fellow classmates at your
forthcoming 63rd reunion.” The class is grateful to Bruce for his
heartwarming tribute to George, and extends condolences to him and all
surviving relatives.
The Class of 1938
WILLIAM ARTHUR EHRET ’38
Bill died Aug. 23, 2001, at The Medical Center in Princeton. Born in
Trenton, he lived in Pennington before moving to Lawrenceville. Bill graduated
from Lawrenceville School. He then entered Princeton but left in his sophomore
He served in WWII as an Army first lieutenant in Fontainebleau, France.
Bill then started as a foreman at Eastern Aircraft, a subsidiary of General
Motors, and later made his career supervising the building of hotels and
hospitals in the East and Midwest.
Bill’s son, William C. Ehret II, predeceased him. He is survived
by his wife, Jacqueline Raymond Ehret, a daughter, Penelope Stout, two
sons, Robert W. ’67 and Prentice R., six grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren,
a sister, three brothers, and nieces and nephews, to all of whom the class
extends its sympathy.
The Class of 1938
William Henrich ’38
A prominent businessman and banker in his hometown of Buffalo, N.Y.,
Joe, as he was best known, died at 80 on Dec. 29, 1997, after a long illness.
One of eight children, he came to Princeton from the Stony Brook School
on Long Island, but departed at the end of our sophomore year to enroll
at the U. of Chicago, where he earned a business BA in 1940. He was president
of the Henrich Lumber Co. in Buffalo until its closing in the mid-’60s,
when he became a vice president of the Buffalo Savings Bank. He retired
He married Jane Metzger Stewart in Nov. 1936. They had three children:
Phyllis H. Noell, Frederick K., and David Henrich. The class extends its
condolences and warm good wishes to the family.
The Class of 1938
Philip Albert Loomis Jr. ’38
Phil, whom we honored with our Distinguished Service Award in 1978,
was a notable legal scholar. He was Phi Beta Kappa at Princeton, graduating
with highest honors in economics, and summa cum laude at Yale Law. In
1954 he became a special consultant to the Securities & Exchange Commission.
He wrote the basic rules for stabilizing the prices of newly offered stocks,
then became associate director of the Commission’s Div. of Counsel
Trading & Exchanges. By 1963 he was the SEC’s general counsel,
and in 1971 Pres. Nixon appointed him a commissioner. Briefly, during
the Reagan Administration he served as acting head of the Commission,
but suffering ill health he resigned in 1981 with three years still remaining
on his term.
Phil won the Commission’s Distinguished Service Award in 1967,
as well as the Natl. Civil Service League’s career service award
in 1964 and the Judge Tom Clark Award of the Federal Bar Assn. in 1971.
He served as a trustee of the Webb School, which prepared him for Princeton,
and was an enthusiastic yachtsman. He died on Sept. 12, 1996. His wife,
Maryanna Hunter Oliver, died in 1968. They had three children: Sara Mary,
Philip W., and Margaret L. The class extends condolences and warm good
wishes to the family.
The Class of 1938
FREDERICK MARTIN PORTER ’38
Fred died Nov. 7, 2001, in Holmes Beach, Fla. He came to Princeton from
Summit [N.J.] HS, where he was active in dramatics and played hockey.
At Princeton he majored in history, graduating with honors. He was a member
of the Intl. Relations Club and of Dial Lodge.
During WWII he was a captain in the Army Transportation Corps. After
graduating from Columbia Law School, Fred started his career as an associate
in the New York law firm of Lord, Day & L then was an attorney
with RCA Communications. He later became assistant general counsel for
Amstar Corp. He retired to Manatee County, Fla., from his home in Short
Hills, N.J., in 1982.
Survivors include his wife, Christine, a daughter, Susan Brownlee, a
son, Frederick W., stepsons, John Schilling and Christian Schilling, and
four grandchildren, to all of whom the class extends its deep sympathy.
The Class of 1938
BURT EDDY TAYLOR JR. ’38
After a long illness, Burt Taylor died on Mar. 10, 1996. Burt grew up
in Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich., where his father headed a thriving real
estate business. He attended L his extracurricular interests
were polo, swimming, and music. At Princeton he was a member of Cloister
Inn, and majored in English. After graduation and a brief period in his
father’s business, Burt joined the Navy in July of 1940, served in
both the Atlantic and Pacific, was awarded the Bronze Star along with
other decorations, and was released as a lieutenant commander in Apr.
1946. He then went to Denmark, where he married Doreen in Copenhagen.
Burt then rejoined his father’s real estate firm, eventually succeeding
him as president, and followed that career until his retirement. A major
hobby was travel, but Burt’s family took special joy in visits to
a small island in Canada where they could fish, swim, and boat.
Aside from his real estate career, Burt’s legacy was that of a
kind, thoughtful, generous, absolutely honest person. The class extends
its heartfelt, though very tardy, sympathy to his widow, Doreen, their
three children, and seven grandchildren.
The Class of 1938
HERBERT DOANE VAN SCIVER ’38 *39
Herb died Aug. 31, 2001 at Bryn Mawr Terrace nursing home outside Philadelphia.
He prepared at Trenton [N.J.] HS. At Princeton he majored in electrical
engineering, graduating with honors, and added a master’s degree
in 1939. In our 50th yearbook Herb observed that he was increasingly proud
of his Princeton education, “especially as I see the lack of depth
exhibited by current graduates of many other colleges.”
Herb joined the Budd Co. in 1939 and remained there his entire career.
With two others he formed the Budd Nuclear Energy Division, and later
he established the Budd Materials Research Laboratory, of which he was
director on retirement in 1982. He was granted 19 patents in industrial
process control and computer design.
Herb was a member of St. Asaph’s Episcopal Church in Bala Cynwyd
for over 50 years, receiving the Bishop’s Award for service there.
He loved photography, and judged science fairs at the Franklin Institute.
Herb’s wife ,Eleanor, died in 1974. He is survived by his daughter,
Gretchen Losson, and three grandchildren. To them the class sends sincere
sympathies.
The Class of 1938
JOHN THEODORE KING III ’40
Johnny (“Jack” was the nickname that stuck) died Nov. 2, 2001,
in Baltimore from complications of pneumonia.
Jack prepared at Boys Latin and Gilman Schools. At Princeton he was
on the wrestling and lacrosse teams, joined Charter Club, and majored
in psychology.
Jack was a decorated WWII veteran of the D-Day Invasion. Balkoski’s
Beyond the Beachhead contains an interview with Capt. Jack. He equates
the crossing of the Vire River and the seizing of the village of Auville
with the Charge of the Light Brigade. Jack had his men form a single skirmish
line to wade the 80-yard river into machine gun fire. Jack was seriously
wounded and after recovery, he was promoted to major to fight again.
In 1947 he joined what was to become Baltimore Gas and Electric for
a lifelong career as an executive. He was active on many civic and church
He is survived by his wife of 56 years, B a son, J a daughter,
Elizabeth Leighton King W a sister, Virginia King W two
brothers, James ’47 and (Dr.) Joseph ’41; three grandchildren,
and two stepgrandchildren. To them his classmates extend their sincere
condolences.
The Class of 1940
DEWITT C. VAN SICLEN ’40 *51
Dewitt died Sept.25, 2001, in Houston, where he had been a resident
for nearly 50 years.
He prepared at Flushing HS in New York, following his relative, Robert
Ditman Van Siclen ’27, to Princeton. He majored in geology, graduating
with highest honors, while being elected to Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi.
He earned his MS in 1941 (U. of Illinois), and returned to Princeton after
the war to receive his PhD in geosciences in 1951.
Dewitt was a member of Tower Club, Whig-Clio, and varsity crew. In 1939
he was the national champion in single sculls.
During WWII he served in the Air Force with tours of duty in the Mediterranean
and European Theaters. Recalled to active duty during the Korean conflict,
he was discharged as a captain.
Early in his business career he was an oil exploration geologist in
Texas for various companies. In 1959 he joined the U. of Houston as a
professor of geology, receiving many awards in recognition of his contributions
to the science and society.
Dewitt is survived by his wife, B his daughters, Mary Van Siclen
Coelho and Sally Van S sons Henry and C
a brother, Wallace, and a sister, Emily Van Siclen Hengeveld. To them
the class extends its sincere sympathies.
The Class of 1940
Lawrence Drake ’41
Larry died Aug. 30, 2001, in Gladwyne, Pa. Born and raised in Warrenton,
Va., he prepared at St. Paul’s School. His father was in the Class
Majoring in modern languages, he was a member of Ivy, and roomed freshman
and sophomore years with Tony Duke, and junior and senior years with Sandy
During WWII, Larry served in the Field Artillery, spending two years
in the Philippines and New Guinea. He was discharged as a major. After
service, he earned his master’s at the U. of Pennsylvania architecture
school. Larry went into practice in Philadelphia, finally semiretiring
to his home in Phoenixville, Pa. He is best known for his design of churches
in the Philadelphia area, including St. John’s Lutheran Church in
Phoenixville and St. Mary Magdalen in Media. He also designed the Wissahickon
Skating Club. Larry was elected planning commissioner and then supervisor
of Schuylkill Township.
He is survived by his wife, Cassandra F. Drake, two daughters, Erin
Gray and Amanda Austwick, two grandchildren, and four step-grandchildren.
He was predeceased by his first wife, Jane Emmet Drake.
The Class of 1941
Shelton Pitney Jr. ’41
Shel died on Oct. 21, 2001, after a long illness. Son of Shelton Pitney
’14 and grandson of Mahlon Pitney 1879, he graduated from Phillips
Exeter Academy.
At Princeton, Shel majored in modern language, ran cross-country, played
hockey, and was a member of Cottage. His roommates were Bright, K.B. Schley,
Tomlinson, Ned Ross, Keep, Kilduff, and Lanahan.
From 1941-49, Shel served in the Navy, returning to inactive duty as
lieutenant commander in 1949. During WWII, he served in South America,
the Caribbean, Casablanca, and the Philippines. After service, Shel went
into banking, first with Central Hanover Bank, and then for many years
as a senior officer with Lionel D. Edie and Co. in NYC. An avid sailor,
including cruising and ocean racing, he was a member of the New York Yacht
Club and Corinthians, of which he was a past master. Shel was very active
in Boy Scouts, and was a master at bridge.
Surviving are: Jean Gorman, his companion of 18 a daughter, Anita
F three sons, Shelton Pitney III, David Pitney, and Maxwell M
his brother, James ’48; as well as five grandchildren. We shall miss
this lovely gentleman.
The Class of 1941
John Wooten Moore ’46
Jack died Oct. 28, 2001, of a heart attack at his home in Creve Coeur,
Mo. He joined the class in June 1942, served in the Air Corps from 1943-46,
flying B-29 bombers in the Pacific, and graduated in 1948 with honors
in economics.
His career was in manufacturing, first in plastics in Linesville, Pa.,
then as founder of Swan Corp. in St. Louis, making bath and kitchen products.
He was a fisherman, horticulturist, history buff, and arts patron. His
farm was a center for wildflower prairie cultivation. He was a trustee
of the St. Louis Zoo.
Surviving are his wife of 49 years, Terry, sons John and Wesley, daughter
Harriette Warren, brother Thomas, and four grandchildren. We share in
sorrow their loss and salute a loyal classmate.
The Class of 1946
William Fisher Newbold ’46 *48
Bill died Sept. 13, 2001, of emphysema at his Mt. Desert, Maine, home.
His winter home was in Sarasota, Fla. Schooled in Philadelphia, Pa., at
Episcopal Academy and St. George’s School, R.I., he earned a Princeton
graduate engineering degree in 1948, and an engineering degree at Clemson.
His WWII service was in Guam (1943-46) with Army Engineers.
He worked for Honeywell, Inc., Fort Washington, Pa., and held patents
in electrical engineering. In Chestnut Hill, Pa., he headed a youth group
known as the Orange El, and worked in the community association for racial
welfare. Skilled in sports, he enjoyed tennis, squash, and soccer.
Bill’s second wife, Elinor Kemper, died in 1999. Surviving are
his first wife, Ellen Van Pelt Wells, sons, William F. Jr. and David,
six grandchildren, and four step-grandchildren. Another son, Fitz-Eugene,
died in 1998.
The class joins the family in remembering a fine citizen and loyal Princetonian.
The Class of 1946
JOHN P. DORST ’47
John died Apr. 17, 2001, of a brain tumor. He was 72. He came to Princeton
from South Kent School. He also attended Pomona College in Claremont,
Calif., and received a medical degree from Cornell U. School of Medicine
in 1953. During WWII, he served as an engineer in France, the Philippines,
and Japan.
John had a distinguished medical career. He was a prolific researcher
who studied genetic bone disorders, and was the director of pediatric
radiology at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center from 1966-90.
He was considered the world expert on recognizing the numerous different
forms of bone abnormalities that caused dwarfism. A colleague commented,
“Dr. Dorst was deeply committed to children and never lost sight
of the patient behind the image.”
John had a sharp sense of humor and delighted in puns and wordplay.
He was an ardent devotee of opera and an accomplished ballroom dancer
and cross-country skier. He also sailed off the coast of Maine and the
Chesapeake Bay.
John is survived by Marcia, his wife of 51 years, two sons, two daughters,
and six grandchildren. To the entire family the class extends its deepest
The Class of 1947
Jesse Greer Bell Jr. ’49
Jess died Apr. 7, 2001, of a heart attack, at age 73. He came to Princeton
from Exeter, and majored in English, graduating magna cum laude and Phi
Beta Kappa. He was a member of the Bridge Club.
After graduation Jess worked for a year as an editor for Prentice Hall
in NYC. He then entered the Army, and attended language school to learn
Chinese. He used his skill to break a Chinese code, and served the balance
of his Army service in Korea.
He then joined Stanford U. Press, where he remained until his retirement
in 1985. At Stanford he served as acting director and associate director.
Jess also was active in the Assn. of American U. Presses, and was a member
of the board of directors. With Wilfred Stone, he coauthored Prose Style:
A Handbook for Writers.
He is survived by his wife, Joyce Kachergis, three sons, Rex, Jed, and
Michael, a daughter, Catherine, and three stepchildren.
The class extends its sincerest sympathy on their loss of this scholarly
gentleman.
The Class of 1949
Harry G. A. Seggerman ’49
Harry died May 19, 2001. He was 73. Harry came to Princeton from St
Paul’s. At Princeton he majored in English, and was a member of Quadrangle
Club. He was a former member of the Alumni Council.
Harry started his career as a securities analyst at Dominick and Dominick
on Wall Street, and subsequently worked for the Capital Research Group.
He then became president of the Japan Fund. He was cofounder and vice
chair of Fidelity Pacific. In 1992 he founded Intl. Investment Advisors,
which manages the Korea Intl. Investment funds. During the years from
1962-82, trusts managed by Harry rose about 75 times in per-share net
value, as measured by Lipper Analytical Securities.
Harry is survived by his wife, Anne Crellin Seggerman, four daughters,
Patricia, Marianne, Yvonne Seggerman Beauregard , and Suzanne, two sons,
Henry and John, a brother, and four grandchildren. The class extends its
deepest sympathy to them all for their great loss.
The Class of 1949
Ralph Barker Wilson Jr. ’49
Ralph died May 10, 2001, in Tryon, N.C., of lung cancer. He was 73.
He came to Princeton from Exeter and majored in politics. He was a member
of Terrace Club, the photography club, and advertising manger of the Nassau
Sovereign.
After a stint in the Army after graduation, Ralph went to work for Goodyear.
He left that job for auto racing, working first for Volkswagen, then Saab,
and then Alfa Romeo, where he retired as director of marketing in 1992.
He retired to Tryon.
Ralph is survived by his wife, Barbara Cheney Wilson, a son, Ralph Barker
Wilson III, a daughter, Jane Lee Wilson, and two sisters. The class extends
its sympathy to them.
The Class of 1949
Hoyt Hayes Thompson ’50
Hoyt died Aug. 21, 2001, after a brief illness. He lived in the Kansas
City area virtually his entire life, graduating from the Pembroke-Country
Day School there. At Princeton he majored in modern languages and literature
and was a member of Colonial.
He joined the Townley Hardware Co. in 1954, became president in 1977,
and retired in 1983. He served on the executive committee of three industry
associations. Devoted to community and to politics, Hoyt called himself
“a midwestern conservative.” He was development director of
the Kansas City Symphony Foundation and chair of the local United Way.
Board memberships included the Metropolitan YMCA, Pembroke-Country Day
School, and United Missouri Bank of Kansas City. An active Republican,
he served on the city council and as mayor of Mission Hills, Kan. An avid
hunter, Hoyt served as president of the Kansas City Country Club, as did
his father.
The class extends its sympathy to his wife, Barbara, son, Webster, daughter,
Deborah, two brothers, and four grandchildren.
The Class of 1950
Richard Yorke Remley ’54
Richard Remley died Aug. 18, 2001, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St.
Louis, Mo., of complications from surgery. Born in Washington, Pa., Dick
attended Royal Oak HS, Michigan. At Princeton, he majored in engineering.
He was a member of Quadrangle Club and freshman crew. After graduation
he served in the Marines as a captain. Subsequently, he was employed at
IBM. After retiring in 1993, he became a computer instructor at St. Charles
(Mo.) Community College. He was a longtime volunteer at Goodwill Industries
and an active member of St. Anselm Parish.
The class extends its sympathy to his wife, Nancy, their daughters,
and 16 grandchildren.
The Class of 1954
William E. Studdiford III ’54
William Studdiford died Oct. 21, 2001, in Brick Hospital from pneumonia.
Born in New York, he prepared for Princeton at St. Bernard’s and
South Kent schools. He majored in history, was a member of Key and Seal
Club, the manager of the varsity swimming club, and active on the advertising
staff of the Tiger. He left Princeton at the end of his second year for
active duty in the Navy, and served on the USS Leyte during the Korean
conflict. An electrical engineer, he worked at Bell Laboratories for 33
years, retiring in 1989. At Bell, he worked on the Telstar Satellite project.
He was an active member of the Barnegat Bay Yacht Racing Assn., serving
as commodore 1993-94, Scouts, the Bay Head Soccer Assn., and a vestry
member of All Saints Episcopal Church in Bay Head, N.J.
The class extends sympathy to his wife, Johanna, son, Andrew, daughter,
Elizabeth ’84, two sisters, and two grandchildren.
The Class of 1954
William C. Barnard ’57
Bill died of a heart attack Oct. 4, 2001. At Princeton, Bill majored
in politics, joined Cap and Gown, and was active in 1AA basketball, St.
Paul’s Society, Pre-Law Society, WPRB, the Campus Fund Drive, and
Phi Delta Phi. He graduated cum laude and received a law degree from the
U. of Michigan in 1961.
Bill cofounded Sommer and Barnard, which now employs 60 attorneys in
Indianapolis. Widely respected for his work on business, environmental,
antitrust, and securities law, he was deputy attorney for the state of
Indiana and listed in Best Lawyers in America and Who’s Who in American
The class extends sincere best wishes to his wife, Lynne, children,
Laura, Peter, Sarah, Elizabeth, and David, and six grandchildren.
The Class of 1957
Fulton Edwin Massengill ’57
Ned died on Oct. 14, 2001, of cancer. He came to Princeton from Newark
Academy. At Princeton, he participated in lacrosse and was a member of
Ivy Club and ROTC. An Air Force pilot assigned to the 48th Fighter Interceptor
Squadron, he was active during the Cuban missile crisis. His entire business
career was spent with Smith Barney, Harris Upham & Co. in NYC, where
he was a first vice president in the institutional equity sales and research
departments.
A 30-year resident of Short Hills, N.J., before moving to Morristown,
and an avid golfer, Ned was seven-time club champion at Canoe Brook Country
Club in Summit, NJ, a member of Pine Valley Golf Club, and a member of
the N.J. Senior Golf Association. Ned loved Princeton and his college
roommates and friends, and he regularly attended class functions and Princeton
sports events.
Our class extends its deepest sympathy to his wife of 42 years, Helen,
to his children, Lisa, Michael, James, and Robert, his brother James and
his eight grandchildren.
The Class of 1957
Richard Raymond Gratton ’68
After a prolonged battle with depression, Dick died on Feb. 7, 2001
— a belated casualty of the Vietnam War. He was 54. Memorial donations
may be made to the Vietnam Veterans of America.
Dick came to Princeton from the Webb School. He majored in biology,
was an excellent rugby player and an enthusiastic member of Tiger Inn.
In 1969 he was commissioned in the Army, and served in the 5th SFGp in
Vietnam 1970-71. He was awarded the CIB, the Bronze Star, and a Purple
Heart. He married Susan Dougherty in Jan. 1972.
He received a master’s in environmental science from Rutgers in
1974. From 1976-85, Dick worked for Pacific Telephone in San Francisco,
then opening Smallfrys, which he operated from 1985 forward.
Dick was a voracious reader with a special interest in espionage, both
fiction and nonfiction. He was a superb tennis and chess player, and an
avid hiker, especially to Mount Tamalpais near Sausalito.
The world is a poorer place for Dick’s passing, and the class extends
to his mother, Olga, sister Barbara, former wife, Susan, and daughters,
Allison and Christine, its deepest condolences.
The Class of 1968
Jos& M. Berrocal ’79
Jos& Berrocal died of thymic cancer on Oct. 25, 2000, in the
presence of his mother and his best friend, Bill Ford ’79. Bill and
Dr. Jon Simons ’80 worked tirelessly to help Jos& wage his
courageous battle.
Jos& was a highly regarded partner with James D. Wolfensohn &
Co., later Bankers Trust, specializing in restructuring and M&A advisory
work with Latin American companies. Jos& earlier served as counselor
to the governor of Puerto Rico, and as president of the Government Development
Bank in Puerto Rico. He was a much-respected figure in Puerto Rican politics.
A Woodrow Wilson School economics major, he graduated Phi Beta Kappa,
and did groundbreaking independent work on a national consumption tax.
Much of his undergraduate life centered around Ivy Club, where he served
as treasurer. He attended Nuffield College, Oxford, as a Marshall Scholar,
then went to Yale Law School, where he was on the Yale Law Review.
No description of Jos&’s life would be complete without
mentioning his role as trusted counselor to nearly everyone who reached
out for a dose of Berrocal wisdom. Jos& gave much to his friends,
his family, and his country. He will be missed greatly. The class extends
its sympathies to Jos&’s family.
The Class of 1979
Christopher D. Mello ’98
Christopher Mello perished aboard American Airlines Flight 11 on Sept.
11, 2001. Chris was born in Greenwich, Conn., and grew up in Rye, N.Y.
At Princeton, Chris majored in psychology, was vice president of Cottage
Club, played rugby, and was a member of Kappa Alpha Order fraternity,
and the 21 Club. Chris was an avid golfer and a member of the Apawamis
Country Club in Rye and the Rye YMCA. After graduating from Princeton,
Chris became a financial analyst at BT Alex Brown, and then moved to Boston
to work for Alta Communications.
Chris is survived by his mother and father, Douglas and Ellen Mello,
his brother, John Douglas Mello ’95, his grandmother, Alice Mello,
and an entire Princeton class of extended family and loving friends. You
will always be in our hearts and thoughts.
The Class of 1998
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