Vera M. House, Barbara W. Ellis, Joseph Paul Kearns, David E. Morse
By:
Vera M. House
Former ETS employee
Vera M. House of Princeton died Friday at The Medical Center at Princeton. She was 80.
Born in New York City, she resided in both the Princeton and West Windsor areas for the last 32 years.
Formerly employed by Educational Testing Service in Princeton, she served in the arts program as well as the statistics department.
Mrs. House was a member of the board of directors of the Queenston Commons Condominium Association, a trustee for the Canal Pointe Condominium Association and a member of the advisory council of the West Windsor Senior Center.
She was a member of the Women’s College Club and the Present Day Club, both of Princeton, an avid bridge player and an accomplished needlepoint craftswoman.
Mrs. House is survived by her husband, Arthur S. House of Princeton; daughters Carol Roderick of Boston, Mass., and Joan Lazarus of Mill Valley, Calif.; sister Beverly Pell of Santa Barbara, Calif.; grandchildren Jesse Roderick of Boston, Charles Roderick of Champaign, Ill., Shayne Dobkowski of San Francisco, and Keith Dobkowski of Mill Valley, Calif.
A memorial gathering will be planned and announced this spring.
Contributions may be made in her name to the American Cancer Society of New Jersey, Mercer County Chapter, 3076 Princeton Pike, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648.
Arrangements are by the Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, Princeton.
Barbara W. Ellis
Lifelong Princeton resident
Barbara W. Ellis of Princeton died Sunday at The Medical Center at Princeton. She was 79.
She was born in Princeton and was a lifelong resident.
She retired in 1993 after 12 years with Base-Ten Systems, Hamilton. After retiring, she worked for the transportation department of the West Windsor-Plainsboro school system for six years.
Her late husband, Billie, was the first Princeton police officer to die in the line of duty at an early age. After his death, she continued to raise three young children.
Also predeceased by two brothers, Harold and Joseph Wilson, and a sister, Mabel Stalcup, she is survived by two sons and a daughter-in-law, Garry N. Ellis of Browns Mills, and Robert D. and Karen Ellis of Mercerville; a daughter, Sally Dee Ellis of Charlotte, N.C.; a brother, Norman Wilson of Santa Rosa, Calif.; two sisters, Ethel Traegler of Princeton and Gert Cupples of Hamilton Square; three grandchildren, Amy, Scott and Megan Ellis; and several nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Friday at the Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, 40 Vandeventer Ave., Princeton.
Memorial contributions may be made to an organization of the donor’s choice.
Joseph Paul Kearns
Former sales executive
Joseph Paul Kearns of Princeton died Sunday. He was 88.
Born in Plymouth, Pa., he attended St. Vincent’s High School in Plymouth and Wyoming Seminary Business School in Wyoming, Pa.
Mr. Kearns had been a Princeton resident since 1957.
A sales executive for National Cash Register in both New Brunswick and Trenton, he retired after 30 years. He then worked with Merrill Lynch in the reception and security areas for 12 years, retiring this past April.
Mr. Kearns was a veteran of the U.S. Navy, serving from 1942 to 1945.
He was a former member of Springdale Country Club.
Predeceased by his first wife, Annette, he is survived by his children from that marriage, Timothy and Carole Kearns of Somerville, Joseph P. Kearns Jr. of Kingston, Bonnie and Chris Baker of Princeton and Barbara Carson of Laguna Nigel, Calif.; his widow, Mary-Louise Kearns of Princeton, and her children, Anthony Zega of Princeton and Alexandra and Paul Kekalos of New York City; grandchildren Darren and Deborah Capik of West Hollywood, Calif., Nicholas and Samantha Capik of Tustin, Calif., Rachel and Peter Morris of Cheltenham, Pa., and Laura Kearns and Ryan Kearns, both of Somerville; and great-grandson Chase Clemente Capik of West Hollywood, Calif.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at St. Paul Roman Catholic Church, 214 Nassau St., Princeton. Burial will follow at St. Paul’s Cemetery.
Visitation will be 7 to 9 this evening at the Mather Hodge Funeral Home, 40 Vandeventer Ave., Princeton.
Contributions may be made to the Hospice Program at The Medical Center at Princeton, 208 Bunn Drive, Princeton, NJ 08540 or Home Healthcare of St. Paul Roman Catholic Church, 214 Nassau St., Princeton, NJ 08542.
David E. Morse
Retired from university
WILSON BOROUGH, Pa. David Edward Morse died Friday at Easton Hospital. He was 73.
Born in Clarks Summit, Pa., he graduated from Nazareth High School, Nazareth, Pa., and the Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, N.Y.
He was the associate director of planning for Princeton University, retiring in 1992.
He had been a pilot in the Air Force and was an avid golfer.
Predeceased by his parents, Edward D. and Bessie Fraunfelter Morse, he is survived by his wife, Philece Ehrsam Morse, and two daughters, Melissa Morse of Litchfield, Conn., and Laurie Morse of Bridgewater.
Funeral and calling hours will be private.
Burial will be at St. Paul’s Cemetery, Swiftwater, Pa.
The family requests that memorials be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter, Constitution Place, Suite 1120, 325 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19106.
Richard Jeffrey
Commemorative service set
A service of commemoration, open to the public, will be held Wednesday at 4 p.m. in the Princeton University Chapel for Richard Jeffrey, emeritus professor of philosophy, who died in November. The service will be followed by a reception at Prospect House.

