OBITUARIES, Dec. 12, 2006

Ronald A. Kinchla, Robert D. Cowan, Helen W. Tuttle, Thomas N. Bryant Sr.

Ronald A. Kinchla

Princeton psychology professor
   
Ronald Arthur Kinchla of Princeton died Friday at home after just returning from an extended visit with his sons and grandsons in California. He was 72.
   Born in Waltham, Mass., he was a longtime Princeton resident.
   He was professor emeritus of psychology at Princeton University.
   He received his doctorate from the University of California at Los Angeles and taught at New York University and McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, before coming to Princeton as a full professor of psychology in 1969.
   Much of his research over 34 years focused on problems of visual perception and models of attention. A popular teacher of Psychology 101, he introduced generations of Princeton students to the science of psychology and inspired many to pursue doctorate programs in the field.
   He was intensely involved in athletic programs in the Princeton area.
   Son of the late Alice and Joseph Kinchla, he is survived by his three children, Chan, Tad and Kendall; former wife Juli; companion Diane; and grandsons Ayden and Rowan.
   A celebration of his life will be held 6 p.m. today at his home, 14 Dickinson St., Princeton.
   Arrangements are by Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, Princeton.
Robert D. Cowan


Longtime Princeton resident
   
LAWRENCE — Robert D. Cowan died Sunday at University Medical Center at Princeton. He was 75.
   Born in Dedham, Mass., he was educated in Stamford, Conn., and graduated from Princeton High School.
   He resided in Princeton for 56 years and was a summer resident of West Hyannis Port, Mass.
   He retired in 1994 with more than 25 years of service as a lab technician at Princeton Gamma Tech in Montgomery.
   Mr. Cowan was a ham radio operator and was a member of American Radio Relay League. He had his private pilot license for more than 50 years.
   He was a member of the YMCA in Cape Cod and the Barnstable Senior Citizens Association in Massachusetts.
   Mr. Cowan was a member of Trinity Church in Princeton, St. Peter’s Church in Osterville, Mass., and St. Andrew’s By-The-Sea, Hyannis Port, Mass.
   He is survived by his wife, Doris Fasanella Cowan; daughters and sons-in-law Donna and Joseph Crafford of Princeton and Robin and Christopher Leahy of Richmond, Va.; brothers and sisters-in-law Eben and Jo Cowan of Greenville, S.C., and Edward and Penny Cowan of Alburtis, Pa.; sister Helen Aubrey of Boca Raton, Fla.; grandchildren Corey and Josie Crafford, and Bridget and Catherine Leahy; and several nieces and nephews.
   The funeral will be 1 p.m. Wednesday at Trinity Church, 33 Mercer St., Princeton.
   Burial will be private and at the convenience of the family.
   Calling hours are 6 to 8 p.m. today at Mather-Hodge Funeral Home 40 Vandeventer Ave., Princeton
   In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Ladies Auxiliary of the Princeton First Aid & Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 242, Princeton, NJ 08542.
Helen W. Tuttle


Princeton University librarian
   
Helen Welch Tuttle of Princeton died Sept. 10 at Princeton Care Center. She was 92.
   Born in Larned, Kan., she was a Princeton resident since 1968.
   Mrs. Tuttle retired with more than 20 years of service as a librarian at Princeton University’s Firestone Library. She was longtime officer and member of the American Library Association. Earlier in her career as a librarian, she was in charge of acquisitions at the University of Illinois.
   Daughter of the late George Henry and Gertrude Helen Jones Welch, wife of the late Preston Tuttle, she is survived by stepsons Laurence H. Tuttle of Durham, N.C., and David L. Tuttle of Moore Park, Calif.; grandchildren Erica, Sara, Stephanie, Allison, Brian and Hope; and great-granddaughter Caroline.
   Arrangements were by Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, Princeton.
Thomas N. Bryant Sr.


Son lives in West Windsor
   
MONROE — Thomas N. Bryant Sr. of Clearbrook at Monroe died Sunday at home. He was 81.
   Born in Jersey City and a former resident of Long Island, N.Y., he had resided in Monroe since 2000.
   Mr. Bryant retired as a general manager for the Sinclair Oil Co. in Suffolk County, Long Island, in 1973 after 22 years of service.
   He was a Navy veteran of World War II and served aboard the U.S.S. Lenawee APA 195 during landings at Iwo Jima and Okinawa. He and his shipmates were anchored in Tokyo Bay for the signing of Japan’s surrender.
   He was a 1949 cum laude graduate of St. Peter’s College, where he received a bachelor’s degree in English.
   He was a member of Lawrence Township Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3022.
   Son of the late John and Lillian Kelly Bryant, husband of the late Kathleen R. Bryant and brother-in-law of the late Patricia Bruno, he is survived by sons and daughters-in-law Thomas T. and Kim of Chatham, Timothy B. and Denise of West Windsor and Justin T. and Julie of Livingston; daughters and sons-in-law Kathleen Bryant and James Suraci of Royersford, Pa., and Tara Bryant-Gray and Dr. Edward Gray of Chatham; and 12 grandchildren.
   The funeral will be 8:30 a.m. Thursday at Poulson & Van Hise Funeral Directors, 650 Lawrence Road, Lawrence.
   A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. in the Queenship of Mary Roman Catholic Church, Plainsboro.
   Burial will be private in the Holy Name Cemetery, Jersey City.
   Calling hours are 2 to 4 p.m. and 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. today and 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday an the funeral home.
   In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Saint Peter’s Preparatory School, 144 Grand St., Jersey City, NJ 07302.