OBITUARIES, Sept. 12, 2006

Marshall Sittig, Sue W. Rightmire, Paul L. Margolis, Edward Stiefel, James T. Shorten, Ernest Svendsen, Concetta M. Prespe, Donald G. Dickason

Marshall Sittig
Chemist, PU administrator
   
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Marshall Sittig died Sunday. He was 87.
   Mr. Sittig was a Princeton resident from 1951 to 1991, when he moved to Virginia.
   A chemist and chemical engineer, Mr. Sittig was a Princeton University administrator from 1959 to 1975 and again from 1981 to 1983.
   Born in Oak Park, Ill., he graduated from Purdue University in 1940 with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering.
   He worked in chemical manufacturing for DuPont during World War II and from 1948 to 1956 for the Ethyl Corp.
   In 1959, he joined the staff of Princeton University in the Office of Research Administration. On leave from this position, Mr. Sittig spent the years 1968 to 1970 as a Princeton member of the Kanpur Indo-American Program in Kanpur, India.
   Upon his return to Princeton in 1970, Mr. Sittig helped to organize a new Office of Governmental Relations at the university and headed the office from 1970 to 1975, when he took early retirement to devote his time to technical writing. Between 1975 and1980, he had 30 books published concerning chemical manufacture, pollution control and toxic chemicals.
   In 1981, Mr. Sittig returned to Princeton University in the Office of Research Administration. He retired for the second time in 1983.
   During this second post-retirement period, he had published "The Handbook of Toxic and Hazardous Wastes and Carcinogens" in 1985 and a "Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Encyclopedia" in 1986. Mr. Sittig wrote more than 120 technical books, the first being an American Chemical Society Monograph on sodium published in 1956. His last book, a textbook on chemical technology for Indian students, was published in New Delhi in 1997.
   While in Princeton, Mr. Sittig was a member and program chairman of the Nassau Club.
   Predeceased by his first wife, Annie Shaw Sittig, who died in 1983 in Princeton, he is survived by his wife, Rosemary Aiken Sittig of Charlottesville; daughters and son-in-law Kathleen and Richard Dunlop of Vero Beach, Fla., and Sigrid Crocker of West Palm Beach, Fla.; son and daughter-in-law Marshall P. and Nancy Sittig of Santa Barbara, Calif.; eight grandchildren; and Mrs. Sittig’s daughter, Rosemary Call, daughter-in-law Sally Aiken, and three grandchildren.
   A memorial service will be held 1 p.m. Saturday at Meadows Presbyterian Church, 2200 Angus Road, Charlottesville.
   The guest register may be signed at teaguefuneralhome.com.
Sue W. Rightmire
Longtime Griggstown resident
   
MONROE — Sue W. Rightmire died Aug. 30 in Cape Cod Hospital. She was 88.
   Born in Jersey City, and a longtime resident of the Griggstown section of Franklin Township, she left the family home in Griggstown to reside at Rossmoor and in North Eastham, Mass.
   Mrs. Rightmire was a member of Griggstown Fire Company Ladies Auxiliary, Trinity Episcopal Church in Rocky Hill, Episcopal Churchwomen and Altar Guild.
   She was a member of the Princeton Business and Professional Woman’s Club, charter member and past president of Griggstown Historical Society, volunteer at Eastham COA Thrift Shop and Katy’s Corner at the Church of the Holy Spirit, Orleans, Mass.
   Daughter of the late Paul and Elizabeth Mikolalsek Wallek, wife of the late John W. Rightmire, sister of the late Paul Wallek, John Wallek and Ann W. Hoepfner, she is survived by daughters and sons-in-law Judith R. and Richard McCarthy and Melissa R. and Michael Dickens; sister and brother-in-law Elizabeth and Richard Hartwig; grandchildren Richard M. McCarthy Jr., Jill M. Arntz, Allison D. Barmash and Meredith L. Dickens; and great-granddaughter Emmaline S. Arntz.
   The funeral will be 10:30 a.m. Sept. 22, at Trinity Episcopal Church, Crescent Avenue, Rocky Hill.
   Burial will follow in Rocky Hill Cemetery.
   Calling hours will be 7 to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 21 at Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, 40 Vandeventer Ave., Princeton.
   Memorial contributions may be made to Trinity Episcopal Church, Box 265, Crescent Avenue, Rocky Hill, NJ 08553 or Nauset Light Preservation Society, P. O. Box 941, Eastham, MA 02642.
Paul L. Margolis
Former Princeton resident
   
DENVER — Paul L. Margolis died Aug. 31 at home.
   Born in State College, Pa., he was a former Princeton resident.
   Son of the late David P. and Rochelle Gardner Margolis, he is survived by his brother, Robert, of Kingston; and aunt and uncle Toby and Alan Tepper of West Palm Beach, Fla.
   Memorial contributions may be made to the Scott Tepper Educational Fund, c/o Jewish Community Center, 601 Jefferson Ave., Scranton, PA 18510 or the charity of the donor’s choice.
   Arrangements are by Ziman Funeral Home, Scranton, Pa.
Edward Stiefel
PU chemistry professor
   
BRIDGEWATER — Edward Stiefel, a Princeton University chemist who bridged the fields of industry and academia, died Sept. 4 in New Brunswick of pancreatic cancer. He was 64.
   The Ralph W. Dornte Lecturer with the rank of professor, he joined the chemistry faculty in 2001 after retiring from ExxonMobil Corp.
   A graduate of New York University, Professor Stiefel earned a doctorate from Columbia University in 1967. He taught for seven years at the State University of New York-Stony Brook and then was employed as an investigator and senior investigator at the Charles F. Kettering Research Laboratory.
   In 1980, he joined Exxon as a research associate. Over the next 21 years, he became a senior research associate, scientific adviser and senior scientific adviser. He was a scientific architect of the cleanup of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska in 1989. He also was the inventor of the thiomolybdate additive for lubricating oils.
   Professor Stiefel held 30 U.S. patents and published more than 150 scientific articles.
   He was a member of the board of reviewing editors of Science magazine, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a winner of the American Chemical Society Award in Inorganic Chemistry in 2000.
   At Princeton, Professor Stiefel was affiliated with the Princeton Environmental Institute in addition to the chemistry department. His research interests included the bioinorganic, coordination and environmental chemistry of transition metal ions. He was a key principal investigator, with Charles Dismukes, in the university’s bio-solar hydrogen program.
   He worked with chemistry Professor John Groves to develop a new class called "Metals in Biology" that became one of the most popular graduate courses in the department. He also taught a freshman seminar on "Elements of Life."
   He is survived by his wife, Jeannette, of Bridgewater; daughter and son-in-law Karen and Udo Hoerhold of New Hampshire; and two grandchildren.
James T. Shorten
Princeton native
   
VERO BEACH, Fla. — James T. Shorten died Aug. 18 after a lengthy illness. He was 78.
   He was born in Princeton.
   He retired from the Navy in 1968 following a lengthy career that began in 1945 during World War II.
   During his service in the Navy, he earned the World War II Victory Medal, the American Theater Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, the Philippine Occupation Medal, two National Defense Service Medals and five Navy Good Conduct Medals.
   He was a member of the VFW, American Legion, Military Order of the Cooties as well as the Fleet Reserve Association and the U.S. Navy Cruiser Sailors Association.
   Son of the late James Shorten Sr. and Mary May Duncan Shorten, both of Princeton, he is survived by his wife of 48 years, Marie Weathers Shorten; sister and brother-in-law Joan W. and George Lachance of Jensen Beach, Fla.; brother and sister-in-law Walt and Carol Shorten of Arlington Heights, Ill.; and several cousins and many nieces and nephews.
   A memorial service will be held Sept. 23 in Ft. Pierce, Fla.
Ernest Svendsen
Longtime Griggstown resident
   
FRANKLIN — Ernest Svendsen died Sunday at University Medical Center at Princeton. He was 86.
   Born in Akrehamn, Karmoy, Norway, he came to the United States in 1942 and resided in Griggstown for the past 60 years.
   Mr. Svendsen had been a fisherman operating out of Norway and the United States years ago. He then worked for the Norwegian Merchant Marine, then the U.S. Merchant Marine and as a dock builder, retiring in 1979.
   Mr. Svendsen enjoyed reading the Bible, working in the yard, table tennis, tennis and the New York Mets baseball team.
   He was a member of the Bunker Hill Lutheran Church, Griggstown, for 49 years.
   Predeceased by his parents, Lars and Lisa Knudsen Svendsen, and nine siblings, he is survived by his wife of 59 years, Harriet Sandvick Svendsen; sons Llloyd Svendsen of Lakewood and Roy Svendsen of Somerset; daughters Anita Svendsen of Crystal River, Fla., Lisa Manley of Griggstown and Sharon Robicheau of Somerset; grandchildren Rita, Amanda, Kristen, Kyle, Lance, Kara, Corinne, Megan, Will, Erika, Carter Jay, Bjorn, Kristian and SvenAren; and great-grandchildren Erik, Kaitleigh and Kristina.
   The funeral will be 10 a.m. Thursday at the Bunker Hill Lutheran Church.
   Interment will be at Griggstown Cemetery.
   Calling hours are 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at the church.
   Memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association, P. O. Box 1131, Fairfax, VA 22038-1131.
   Arrangements are by Hagan-Chamberlain Funeral Home, Bound Brook.
Concetta M. Presepe
ETS administrative assistant
   
MONROE — Concetta M. "Connie" Presepe died Saturday at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. She was 81.
   Born in Cambridge, Mass., she had resided in the Pennington area for 30 years before moving to Monroe.
   She was an administrative assistant at Educational Testing Service for many years.
   She was a member of St. James Roman Catholic Church in Pennington.
   She enjoyed golf and parties.
   Daughter of the late Joseph and Clorinda Portentoso Crocetta, wife of the late Pellegrino W. Presepe Jr., she is survived by her partner, Donald A. Rice of Lake Placid, Fla.; son and daughter-in-law Gerard and Jean Presepe of Cranbury; daughter and son-in-law Marcy and Rick Graham of Monroe; brothers and sisters-in-law Mike and Fran Crocetta of West Newton, Mass., and Joe and Nancy Crocetta of Silver Springs, Md.; sister Louise Sienkiewicz of West Hartford, Conn.; grandchildren Jaime Graham, Danica Presepe and Dario Presepe; and several nieces and nephews.
   A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. James Roman Catholic Church, 115 East Delaware Ave., Pennington.
   Burial will be in the Pennington Cemetery.
   Calling hours are 6 to 9 p.m. today and 9 to 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at Wilson-Apple Funeral Home, 2560 Pennington Road, Pennington.
   Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, 3076 Princeton Pike, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648.
Donald G. Dickason
Memorial service is Saturday
   
A memorial service for Donald Garrett Dickason, who died July 17, will be held 2 p.m. Saturday at Nassau Presbyterian Church, 61 Nassau St., Princeton.
   He worked in college admissions throughout his career and was an elder and deacon of Nassau Presbyterian Church, member and past president of the Rotary Club of Princeton, membership chair of the Old Guard of Princeton, and involved with the Trenton Children’s Chorus.