Jane Sussman, Howard Watlington, Doris E. Brokaw, Elizabeth N. Tate, Robert E. Poirier, Giuseppe Spera, Norma I. Olsen.
Jane Sussman
Medical technologist
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. Jane Ellen Krupnick Sussman died Dec. 25 at Carol Woods Retirement Community. She was 84.
Born in Evanston, Ill., she attended high school in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, and later lived in Washington, D.C., Phoenix, Ariz., and Orange, Conn., before moving to Princeton, where she and her husband lived until the mid-1970s.
She was a medical technologist and worked at The Medical Center at Princeton and later the New Jersey Neuropsychiatric Institute in Montgomery, where she directed the institute’s laboratory.
She also helped her husband build a veterinary practice.
In Princeton she was an active supporter of Planned Parenthood and served as president of the YWCA Board of Directors.
She was a graduate of Flora Stone Mather College of Case Western Reserve University and later earned a master’s degree in education at Rutgers University.
During World War II she enlisted in the Navy as an ensign, serving in Washington, D.C. Following the war she pursued a career in public health.
Following her retirement she studied woodworking and silver smithing, selling and exhibiting her work, including boxes, clocks, spoons and furniture. In 1993 she was invited to create an angel ornament for the White House Christmas tree.
She is survived by her husband, Oscar Sussman of Chapel Hill, N.C.; son O. Timothy Sussman of Chapel Hill; daughters and sons-in-law Nancy S. and John C. Siverd of Alta, Wyo., and Boynton, Beach, Fla., and Margaret S. and Kenneth W. Poppe of Burlington, Vt.; grandchildren Clifford David Siverd, John Siverd Jr., Kimberly S. Poppe and Justin N. Poppe; and great-grandchildren Mackenzie Siverd and Preston Siverd.
The funeral was Thursday.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Paul’s Cathedral Gardeners, 2 Cherry St., Burlington, VT 05401.
Howard Watlington
Owned luncheonette
Howard L. Watlington died Sunday at the Masonic Home in Burlington. He was 87.
Born in Pittsylvania County, Va., he was a resident of West Windsor before moving to Hurt, Va., in 1979.
He was the owner of Howard’s Luncheonette in Princeton Junction from 1961 to 1978.
Mr. Watlington was a member of Princeton Lodge No. 38 F&AM.
Son of the late Taylor and Lucy Watlington, brother of the late Clara, Guy and Gyp, husband of the late Elma Simpson Watlington and father-in-law of the late Christina Watlington, he is survived by sons and daughter-in-law Gary H. of West Windsor and Gerald and Susan of Hightstown; daughter and son-in-law Peggy Watlington Nix and John Nix of Washington Township; grandchildren Craig Watlington, Gerald Watlington II, Lisa Begley, Lee Watlington, Renea Sinisgalli, Jennifer Nix and Stephanie Nix; five great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Masonic Home, 902 Jacksonville Road, Burlington, NJ 08016.
Arrangements were by the Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, Princeton.
Doris E. Brokaw
Co-founded firm
MONROE Doris E. Brokaw died Wednesday at Hamilton Continuing Care Center in Hamilton. She was 77.
Born in Kearny and a former Princeton resident, she lived in Rossmoor for the past 16 years.
Co-founder of Brokaw Engineering in Princeton, she served as its treasurer from 1970 until her retirement in 1982.
She was a former member of Princeton Chapter 91 O.E.S., a charter member of the Diabetes Support Group in Rossmoor and a former Girl Scout Brownie leader.
Wife of the late Arthur T. Brokaw, she is survived by son Allen T. of Port Orange, Fla.; daughters Connie Brown of Lawrence and Laurie B. Stratton of Princeton; brothers Robert Weeks of Hamburg and Paul Weeks of Holmdel; sister Adele Cawley of Princeton; and grandchildren Allen T. Brokaw, Daniel H. Brokaw, Jamie Lee Brokaw, Nicholas Brokaw, Timothy A. Brown, Alexis Brown and Jennifer Stratton.
The funeral will be 9 a.m. Saturday at Trinity Church, 33 Mercer St., Princeton.
Burial will be at Arlington Cemetery, Kearny.
Visiting hours will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday at the Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, 40 Vandeventer Ave., Princeton.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association, 1660 Duke St., Alexandria, VA 22314.
Elizabeth N. Tate
English teacher
ROCKVILLE, Md. Elizabeth Nelson Tate died Dec. 28 after a long illness. She was 95.
Born in Memphis, Tenn., she lived in Richmond, Va., Washington, D.C., and New Haven, Conn., before moving to Princeton for several years in the mid-1990s.
She was the personal assistant to the first Turkish ambassador to the United States from 1927 to 1930 and during 1933. She taught English at The Madeira School in McLean, Va., from 1942 to 1952. After moving to New Haven in 1954 she taught English at the Prospect Hill Day School for 14 years . She tutored English as a fellow of Saybrook College at Yale University until she was 80, later advising Yale students and editing their doctoral theses.
She graduated cum laude from Bryn Mawr College in 1927 with a degree in French and English.
She authored two children’s books and numerous magazine articles.
Wife of the late Jack B. Tate, mother of the late Thomas Tate, she is survived by her son, Robert Wood Tate of Princeton; seven grandchildren, including Carol Tate Schrayer of Princeton; and nine great-grandchildren.
A memorial service is planned in New Haven early this year.
Robert E. Poirier
Princeton engineer
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. Robert E. Poirier died Dec. 27 at the Hospitality House in Bloomington. He was 77.
Born in New York City, he lived in Pennington before moving to Indiana 25 years ago.
He retired after 30 years as an engineer at cyclotron facilities at both Princeton University and Indiana University.
He was a World War II Navy veteran.
Son of the late Simon Gilbert and Ethel Mae Dobbie Poirier, he is survived by his former wife, Elfriede Maria Roth of Blacksburg, Va.; sons and daughter-in-law Kenneth Poirier of Taos, N.M., and Peter Poirier and Carolin Behrend of Seattle; daughters and son-in-law Melanie Poirier of Albuquerque, N.M., and Michelle and Michael Mulder of Princeton.
The funeral will be 11 a.m. today at Hamilton Brenna-Cellini Funeral Home, 2365 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road, Hamilton.
Burial will be in Princeton Cemetery.
Calling hours are 10 a.m. until time of service at the funeral home.
Giuseppe Spera
Owned pizzerias
LAWRENCE Giuseppe Spera died Monday at home. He was 74.
Born in Villalba, Sicily, Italy, he came to the United States in 1968 and was a longtime area resident.
He owned Nino’s Pizza Star in Princeton and Rosa’s Pizza Star in Hamilton, retiring after 30 years.
He served with the Italian army during World War II.
Son of the late Antonino and Rosina Panettieri Spera, brother of the late Calogero Spera, he is survived by his wife, Maria Spera; son and daughter-in-law Nino and Daniela Spera of Princeton; daughters Rosa and Josephine Spera of Lawrence; brothers and sister-in-law Salvatore Spera of Wildwood and Gaetano and Graziella Spera of Villalba, Sicily; sister Antonietta Spera of Villalba, Sicily; grandchildren Joseph Volk and Ariana and Brielle Spera; and several nieces and nephews.
The funeral will be 9:30 a.m. Saturday from Hamilton Brenna-Cellini Funeral Home, 2365 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road, Hamilton.
Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 11 a.m. at the Church of St. Ann, 1252 Lawrence Road, Lawrence.
Entombment will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery Mausoleum, Hamilton.
Calling hours will be 6 to 9 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.
Norma I. Olsen
Longtime resident
GRIGGSTOWN Norma I. Olsen died Tuesday at The Medical Center at Princeton. She was 73.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., she was a longtime Brooklyn resident, moving to Griggstown in 1959.
A bookkeeper for her father’s oil and heating business, she was a homemaker for the past 43 years.
She was a charter member of Bunker Hill Lutheran Church, where she was the treasurer.
Sister of the late Trigve and Howard Olsen, she is survived by her husband of 50 years, James E. Olsen; sons and daughter-in-law Kenneth of Griggstown and Peter and Rachel of Kendall Park; daughter Jean M. Olsen of Griggstown; and grandchildren Alexandra, Aaron, Eden and Moriah.
The funeral will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Bunker Hill Lutheran Church, 235 Bunker Hill Road, Griggstown.
Burial will follow at Griggstown Cemetery.
Visiting hours will be 7 to 9 p.m. today at the church.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Bunker Hill Lutheran Church for Handicap Access Fund, 235 Bunker Hill Road, Princeton, NJ 08540.
Arrangements are by the Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, Princeton.
Ethel E. Farrell
School secretary
EAST WINDSOR Ethel E. Farrell died Thursday at the Medical Center at Princeton. She was 92.
Born in New York City, she was a Ridgewood resident from 1944 to 1956, a resident of Setauket, Long Island, N.Y. for 40 years, and a Meadow Lakes resident since 1998.
She was a private secretary for the principal of Jamaica High School and also worked in the library of Ridgewood High School.
Wife of the late Robin Williams Farrell Jr., sister of the late Harry Goode and Martha Goode, she is survived by daughters Barbara Farrell of South Hampton, N.Y., Nancy F. Robinson of West Windsor, and Ruth Laverty of Hackettstown; sisters Ruth Berthold of Winnetka, Ill. and Grace Murray of Orange, Va.; 15 grandchildren; and 22 great-grandchildren.
The funeral will be 9:30 a.m. Monday at the Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, 40 Vandeventer Ave., Princeton.
Burial will be at Cedar Grove Cemetery, Patchogue, Long Island, N.Y.
Visiting hours are 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.