OBITUARIES, April 4, 2003

Gail Westgate, Mary Wong Ma, Edna D. Butt, Emily W. Widman.

Gail Westgate
Montessori school founder
   
SHOREWOOD, Minn. — Gail Westgate died Feb. 14 of intestinal cancer. She was 68.
   Born in Chicago and raised in Lincolnwood, Ill., she was a former resident of the Princeton area.
   A pioneer in the field of Montessori teaching, she founded the Princeton Montessori School and oversaw the construction of the school facility on Cherry Valley Road in Montgomery.
   Her teaching career spanned 40 years. She also taught in Montessori schools in Oakland, Calif.; River Falls, Wis.; and Minneapolis.
   A history major, she graduated from the University of Chicago in 1956. She received her Montessori teaching certification in Bergamo, Italy.
   She spent her summers in New Harbor, Maine and traveled widely, including Central America, Africa, Europe and China.
   Daughter of the late Clyde and Viola Westgate, former wife of the late Barry Nathan, she is survived by sons Christopher and Adam, and grandchildren Nicholas, Oliver, Christopher, Daniel and Alannah.
   Memorial contributions may be made to the Gail Westgate Memorial Fund, care of Lake Country School, 3755 Pleasant Ave. South, Minneapolis, MN 55409.
Mary Wong Ma
Princeton resident
   
Mary Wong Ma of Princeton died Saturday at the Merwick unit of The Medical Center at Princeton. She was 89.
   She was born in Yokohoma, Japan.
   Wife of the late James Chun-Noon Ma, she is survived by sons and daughter-in-law Yau-Woon Ma and Cheng-Rui Ma of Honolulu and Tai-Loi Ma of Princeton; daughter and son-in-law Beatrice Lai-Yee and Shu-Hou Chung of Sydney, Australia; brother Kam-Shu Wong of Hong Kong; and six grandchildren.
   Visiting hour is 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, 40 Vandeventer Ave., Princeton.
   Burial will be at Princeton Cemetery.
Edna D. Butt
Daughter lives in Princeton
   
LAWRENCE — Edna Dillon Butt died Monday at Chandler Hall, Newtown, Pa. She was 83.
   She was a lifelong Trenton area resident and attended Trenton High School.
   She enjoyed making many friends on trips to Atlantic City.
   Daughter of the late Emma Cheston Grainger and Alfred C. Grainger, wife of the late Howard Dillon and John Butt, she is survived by daughters and son-in-law Susan Sweeney and Karen and Joseph Schwendt of Princeton; grandchildren Tracy Cook, Shane Sweeney, Kelly Glenfield, Joseph Schwendt III and Beth Schwendt; and great-grandchildren Tara Sweeney, Jordan Sweeney and Ryan Glenfield. She lived for many years under the care of a special aunt, Lillian Cheston.
   A memorial service will be held at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at Kimble Funeral Home, 1 Hamilton Ave., Princeton, with the Rev. George Lynch, pastor of Cavalry Baptist Church in Hopewell, officiating.
   Burial will follow in Princeton Cemetery.
   Memorial contributions may be made to Chandler Hall Hospice Staff Fund, 99 Barclay St., Newtown, PA 18940.
Emily M. Widman
Longtime area resident
   
PLAINSBORO — Emily M. Widman died Wednesday at the Pavilions at Forrestal. She was 94.
   Born in Philadelphia, she was a Princeton area resident since 1939.
   She was a charter member of the Stroke Club of the Princeton area. She was a Hightstown Meals on Wheels volunteer and a member of the Autumn Club of Hightstown. She was also a member of the Friday Club of Princeton and the Howard Scarborough Senior Center in the Dutch Neck-East Windsor area.
   Daughter of the late Edgar and Emily Raybould, wife of the late Charles W. Widman, she is survived by daughters and sons-in-law Elaine W. and Carl Cathers of Stockton, Carol W. and Robert Kane of Cranbury and Lynda A. Widman of Cranbury; son and daughter-in-law Charles W. and Joanne Widman of South Brunswick; six grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
   Memorial contributions may be made to the Martin House, 792 East State Street, Trenton, NJ 08639.
   Arrangements were by A.S. Cole Funeral Home, Cranbury.