Walter F. Gibs Jr., Bernard Becker, Christel E. Wolff, Marilyn Braun, James Housell, Ernest Gordon.
Walter F. Gips Jr.
Led Gulton Industries
Walter F. Gips Jr. of Princeton died Sunday at home of complications from colon cancer and diabetes. He was 81.
A native of Scarsdale, N.Y., he moved to Princeton in 1970.
Much of his professional life was spent at New Jersey-based Gulton Industries Inc., a Fortune 500 electronics firm, as chief executive officer and chairman of the board. He retired in 1985.
He graduated from Yale University in 1941 and then was a Baker Scholar at Harvard Business School, Class of 1943.
As a student of Robert McNamara, he joined the U.S. Army Quartermaster’s Corps where he served as a captain and helped run East Coast supply logistics during World War II.
After the war, he returned to Harvard Business School, where he served on the faculty.
Prior to joining Gulton, he served as CEO of Luminator Harrison Inc.
He served as a director of several corporations, including the New Jersey National Bank, Metex, Simpson Electric Co. and Cirfico Holdings Corp.
He was on the advisory board of Bright Horizons Family Solutions, was treasurer and board member of the American Electronics Association, including chairman of its New York Metro Council, and was a member of the Young Presidents Organization.
He was a member of the board of governors and treasurer of the American Jewish Committee and received the National Distinguished Leadership Award.
He was the chairman of the New Jersey State Museum Advisory Council and national treasurer of the Coro Foundation.
He was a member of the Harvard Business School Alumni Council and treasurer of the board of trustees of Princeton Day School.
He also served as a board member of the Princeton Area Community Foundation, Medical Center at Princeton Foundation, Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association, the Planned Parenthood Federation of the Mercer Area and the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, where he was a Woodrow Wilson visiting fellow.
He was an avid tennis player and loved all sports, both as a coach and as a spectator, especially Yale University football.
He is survived by his wife, the former Ann Arenberg; sons and daughters-in-law Walter F. Gips III of Minneapolis, Rob Gips and Karen Harris of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, and Don Gips and Elizabeth Berry of Boulder, Colo.; daughter and son-in-law Ellen and Peter Nee of Ballyconneely, Ireland; sisters and brothers-in-law Kay and Arthur Ross of Hamden, Conn., and Mary Jane and Bob Pelz of Purchase, N.Y.; and grandchildren Sara, Allie, Rachel, Sam, Pete, Ben, PJ and Jamie.
The funeral will be 2 p.m. Wednesday at Temple Micah, which meets at Lawrenceville Presbyterian Church, 2688 Main St., Lawrenceville. Following the ceremony, friends and family will gather to celebrate his life at The Nassau Club, 6 Mercer St., Princeton.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Princeton Area Community Foundation, 188 Tamarack Circle, Skillman, NJ 08558.
Bernard Backer
Company vice president
Bernard Backer of Princeton died Thursday. He was 83.
Born in Philadelphia, he lived in Merrick, N.Y., before moving to Princeton in 1983.
He had been senior vice president of Segal Co., New York.
He was a Social Democrat and former president of the Workmen’s Circle.
He is survived by his wife, Henrietta Backer; daughters Louise Backer Uphoff and Jo Backer Laird; son Richard; son-in-law Charles Uphoff; daughter-in-law Ruth Rosenberg Backer; grandchildren Jen Uphoff Gray, Peter Gray, James, Amanda and Sarah Uphoff, Sophie Laird and Andrew and David Backer; and great-grandson James Henry Gray.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Democratic Socialists of America, 180 Varick St., New York, NY 10014 or New Jersey Geriatric Center of the Workmen’s Circle, 225 W. Jersey St., Elizabeth, NJ 07207.
Christel E. Wolff
Daughter lives in Princeton
HIGHTSTOWN Christel E. Wolff of Meadow Lakes died Thursday after a long illness. She was 88.
Born and raised in Elbing, in northeastern Germany, she studied art and design at the Reiman School in Berlin before moving to the United States in the 1930s.
Following her marriage, she lived in Bronxville, N.Y., where she worked illustrating medical texts for the Psychiatric Institute in New York and her husband served as medical director of a Lutheran home for the elderly.
She enjoyed world travel, gardening, reading and volunteer work.
Wife of the late Dr. Heinz O. Wolff, she is survived by daughter Audrey Luth and grandson Peter Nowakoski, both of Princeton.
A memorial service will be held 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at A.S. Cole Son & Co. Funeral Home, 22 N. Main St., Cranbury.
In lieu of flowers or other expressions of sympathy, memorial donations may be made to SAVE animal shelter, 900 Herrontown Road, Princeton, NJ 08540.
Marilyn Braun
Sister lives in Princeton
OLD BRIDGE Marilyn Braun died Monday at Madison Center. She was 72.
Born in New York City, she lived in Lakehurst for seven years prior to moving to Old Bridge three years ago.
She retired in 1984 from AT&T in Holmdel, where she worked in the clerical department for 10 years.
She is survived by son Michael Braun of Goose Creek, S.C.; daughter Susan A. Braun of Old Bridge; sister Jean Beckerman of Princeton; and three grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held 2 p.m. Wednesday at Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, 40 Vandeventer Ave., Princeton.
James Housell
Retired police lieutenant
WEST WINDSOR James Housell died Feb. 3 at home. He was 62.
Born in Bound Brook, he was a longtime resident of the Griggstown section of Franklin Township before moving to Hamilton and Princeton Junction 12 years ago.
He retired in 1992 as a Franklin Police Department lieutenant after 28 years of service. He rejoined the department in 1995 as a civilian police specialist and served as the department’s identification officer until 1999, when he joined the Somerset Sheriff’s Department as a fingerprint technician. He was a captain with the Franklin Police Pistol Team for several years.
He attended Ithaca College in New York and Rutgers University in New Brunswick.
He was an avid Yankee fan and vintage automobile enthusiast.
Son of the late James W. Housell, he is survived by his wife of 39 years, Josephine Grick; son James C. of West Windsor; daughter Jennifer of West Windsor; mother Kate Housell; aunt Anne Endyke; and cousins Anna and Frances Diamente.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Lieutenant James Housell Memorial Fund, c/o PBA Local 154, 495 Demott Lane, Somerset, NJ 08873.
Ernest Gordon
Memorial service is Saturday
A memorial service for Ernest Gordon, a former prisoner of war who became dean of the chapel at Princeton University, will be held 2 p.m. Saturday in the Princeton University Chapel.
The Rev. Gordon died Jan. 16.
The service will be conducted by the Rev. Thomas Breidenthal, dean of religious life at the university, and the Rev. Carl Reimers, former head of the Princeton Day School religion department and the former dean of the PDS Upper School.