Fred M. Blaicher, Donald M. Rizzo, Charles F. Eckert, Kenneth H. Eckelman, Peter K. Lundgren, Maurine S. Groom, Eleanore Staniulis
Fred M. Blaicher
Former Palmer Square president
VERO BEACH, Fla. Fred M. Blaicher died Saturday at the VNA Hospice House. He was 91.
Mr. Blaicher was the assistant director of athletics at Princeton University from 1946 to 1958 and president of Palmer Square Inc. from 1958 until his retirement in 1977, when he moved to Vero Beach.
In Princeton, he was active in numerous community organizations including the Red Cross; Community Chest, later the United Way; and the Republican Party, once running for Princeton Borough Council.
He was a former member of the Springdale Golf Club, Bedens Brook Club and was still an active member of the Ausable Club of Keene Valley, N.Y., the Vero Beach Yacht Club, the Moorings Club, the Princeton Club of Vero Beach and Vero Beach Duplicate Bridge Center.
He was an active bridge player and golfer and once had two holes-in-one in the same round.
He was a 1937 graduate of Princeton University.
Husband of the late Elizabeth Bouldin Blaicher, he is survived by Leah K. Scott of Vero Beach; sons Fred M. Blaicher Jr. of Vero Beach, Peter B. Blaicher of Delray Beach, Fla., Arthur A. Blaicher II of Bonita Springs, Fla., and Christopher Y. Blaicher of Austin, Texas; daughter Elizabeth M. Blaicher of Medfield, Mass.; sister Mary B. Morrow of Wilmington, Del.; seven grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
A family burial service will be scheduled at Trinity All Saints Cemetery, Princeton at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the VNA Hospice of the Treasure Coast, 1110 35th Lane, Vero Beach, FL 32960.
Arrangements are by Thomas S. Lowther Funeral Home, Vero Beach.
Donald M. Rizzo
Elementary school principal
WEST WINDSOR Donald M. Rizzo died Sunday at University Medical Center at Princeton. He was 76.
Born in Morristown, he was a resident of West Windsor for the past 33 years.
He served as principal of the Plainsboro School and later the Maurice Hawk Elementary School before retiring.
He was the former chairman of the West Windsor Parking Authority and was the former president of the West Windsor Lions Club. He served on the Mercer County Special Education Commission.
He was a member of Congregation Beth Chaim and Masada Lodge Free and Accepted Masons.
He was a graduate of Upsala College, Seton Hall University and received a doctorate in education from Nova University.
Son of the late Joseph and Mildred Rizzo, he is survived by his wife, Renee Hillowitz Rizzo; sons and daughter-in-law Scott and Elizabeth Rizzo of Millstone Township and Jason Rizzo of Chicago; brother Gerald Rizzo of North Bergen; sister Ann Friedman of Greenwich, Conn.; and granddaughter Isabella Rizzo.
The funeral will be 10 a.m. today at Congregation Beth Chaim, 329 Village Road, West Windsor.
Burial will follow at Mount Lebanon Cemetery, Glendale, N.Y.
The period of mourning will be observed at the Rizzo residence.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 1131, Fairfax, VA 22038 or Twin W Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 385, Princeton Junction, NJ 08550.
Arrangements are by Orland’s Ewing Memorial Chapel, Ewing.
Charles F. Eckert
Retired research scientist
Charles Franklin Eckert of Princeton died Friday at the University Medical Center at Princeton following a brief illness. He was 89.
A Princeton resident since 1992, he was a retired research scientist at U.S. Rubber Co., which later became Uniroyal Corp.
Born on a farm in Moline, Kan., he rode his pony to a one-room schoolhouse and helped his parents run their farm in the Dust Bowl years of the Great Depression. At the age of 13, he began driving a Model T Ford to high school, where he graduated as class valedictorian.
He received a bachelor’s degree from Baker University in Kansas while continuing to work on the family farm and a doctorate in chemistry from Northwestern University.
Following his marriage in 1942, he moved to New Jersey where he joined U.S. Rubber Co. in what became a 40-year career as a company research scientist.
He developed numerous patents and was a member emeritus of the American Chemical Society.
He and his wife raised their family in Westwood and Wayne and Woodbridge, Conn., and were active in school, church and civic organizations during their 52-year marriage.
After moving to Princeton, he became a member of the Princeton United Methodist Church and especially enjoyed belonging to the Vanguard group there. During the past few years, he was an active resident at Acorn Glen assisted living residence.
Son of the late Charles S. and Maude Wilkerson Eckert, husband of the late Elizabeth Hines Eckert, he is survived by daughters and sons-in-law Linda Eckert and Wei-li Lee of Princeton and Janet Eckert and Mark Fischer of Manheim, Pa.; foster daughter and husband Sue and Lou Bianco of Port St. Lucie, Fla.; and grandchildren Caryn, Jason and Jessica Lee of Princeton, Katy and Cassidy Fischer of Manheim, Pa., and Louie, Eddie and Carrie Bianco of Port St. Lucie, Fla.
A Saturday funeral will be private. Interment will be in the Trinity All Saints Church Cemetery.
Calling hours are 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at the Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, 40 Vandeventer Ave., Princeton.
Scholarship contributions in his memory may be made to Baker University, P.O. Box 65, Baldwin City, KS 66006.
Kenneth H. Eckelman
West Windsor resident
WEST WINDSOR Kenneth H. Eckelman died Friday at his group home in Canal Pointe. He was 65.
Born in St. Louis, he resided with his family for most of his life in St. Louis, Denver, Minneapolis, Staten Island, N.Y., and Kingston, before moving to his group home in 1997.
He greatly enjoyed music, going to restaurants and the companionship of others.
He attended Senior Care of Trenton, an adult daycare program, since 2003. He had attended the Cerebral Palsy of Middlesex County Options II day program in Piscataway for many years.
Son of the late Charles H. Eckelman and Helen Christian Eckelman, brother of the late Rita D. Sheahan, he is survived by brother and sister-in-law Charles W. and Lois Eckelman of Monroe; twin brother Ralph A. Eckelman of New York City; sister and brother-in-law Helen J. and Glenn S. Davis of Kingston; many cousins, nieces and nephews; and two group home roommates, Mary Gunderman and Shelly Albert, with whom he had a close friendship for a dozen years.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 11 a.m. today at The Church of St. Ann, 1253 Lawrence Road, Lawrence.
Interment will follow at Trinity All Saints Cemetery, Princeton.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The ARC of New Jersey, 985 Livingston Ave., North Brunswick, NJ 08902 or Cerebral Palsy of New Jersey, 354 Broad St., Trenton, NJ 08608 or Community Options Inc., 16 Farber Road, Princeton, NJ 08540.
Arrangements are by M.J. Murphy Funeral Home, South Brunswick.
Peter K. Lundgren
Bank vice president
Peter Kent Lundgren of Princeton died suddenly Friday in East Hampton, Long Island, N.Y. He was 61.
He was a senior vice president at Citigroup Inc. and branch manager of the Smith Barney office in New Brunswick.
Born in Menominee, Mich., he graduated from Michigan State University.
He is survived by his wife, Gail Lundgren; daughter Jessica A. of Washington state; son Christopher A. Lundgren of California; sister Vickie Levinson of California; brother David Lundgren of Ohio; and several nieces and nephews.
The funeral will be 4 p.m. Thursday at Kimble Funeral Home, 1 Hamilton Ave., Princeton.
Calling hours are 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Mayo Foundation, c/o Department of Development, Mayo Foundation, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905.
Maurine S. Groom
Longtime Princeton resident
MONROE Maurine Soutor Groom died July 18. She was 98.
Born in Crawfordsville, Ind., she lived most of her life in Princeton.
Before her marriage, she worked for the Donnelly Company in Crawfordsville.
She was an active member of the Nassau Presbyterian Church for 52 years.
She attended Central Normal College of Indiana.
Wife of the late Charles L. Groom, she is survived by daughter Estella G. Bray of Potsdam, N.Y.; son James L. Groom of Princeton; six grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.
She will be buried next to her husband in Princeton, Ky., in a private service at the convenience of the family.
A memorial service will be held in Princeton, N.J., in September.
Arrangements were by Mather-Hodge Funeral Home of Princeton and Morgan’s Funeral Home of Princeton, Ky.
Eleanore Staniulis
Daughter lives in Montgomery
POMPANO BEACH, Fla. Eleanore Staniulis died July 1. She was 89.
Born in Nutley, she lived in Port Monmouth before moving to Florida 33 years ago.
She enjoyed art, painting and caring for plants.
Mother of the late Anthony Staniulis, she is survived by her husband of nearly 70 years, Vito B. Staniulis; daughters Judith Gange of Montgomery and Jane Daggett of Whiting; 10 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.
Arrangements were by Hillsborough Funeral Home, Hillsborough.