OBITUARIES, July 6, 2007

Gavin W. Hendrickson, Joan F. Thompson, James H.L. Gunkel, Alfred Cohen, Susan L. Ashwood, Shirley M. Bosek, Gordon R. Hector Sr., Gerhard Hauser

Gavin W. Hendrickson


Longtime Montgomery resident
   
MONTGOMERY — Gavin W. Hendrickson died June 29 at home. He was 81.
   Born in West Windsor, he was a Montgomery resident 54 years.
   He was a member of Princeton High School class of 1945 and a Navy veteran of World War II.
   He retired from American Cyanamid in 1994. He began his career working in area ice-skating rinks as an air-conditioning and refrigeration technician. He was the manager of the Wissahickon Skating Rink in Pennsylvania for many years.
   He was a member of the Princeton Elks Lodge No. 2129 in Blawenburg and the American Legion.
   He enjoyed spending time with his family, traveling with his wife, and exhibiting his 1925 Model T Ford at area car shows.
   Son of the late John and Ethel Hendrickson, stepson of the late Lucille Hendrickson, brother of the late Sarah Hendrickson and John Hendrickson, uncle of the late Susan Hendrickson, he is survived by his wife of 54 years, Gloria Hendrickson; sons and daughter-in-law Daron Hendrickson, Kerry Hendrickson, and Eric and Mary Hendrickson; granddaughter Cassidy Hendrickson; sister-in-law Donna Hendrickson; sister and brother-in-law Carol and Bjorn Bache; niece Lori Bacon; and nephew Chris Bache.
   The funeral will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Cromwell Immordino Memorial Home, 71 E. Prospect St., Hopewell followed by burial services at Unionville Cemetery in Montgomery.
   Visiting hours are 7 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home.
   Condolences may be left at www.immordinofunerals.com.
Joan F. Thompson


Former Princeton resident
   
TAMPA, Fla. — Joan Farrington Thompson died Sunday at home. She was 82.
   Born in White Plains, N.Y., she lived for many years in Princeton and Singer Island and North Palm Beach, Fla., before moving to Tampa in 2004 to be near her family.
   Mrs. Thompson graduated from Mary Burnham School for Girls in North Hampton, Mass.
   In 1946, she married Col. Richard Pierce, who now resides in Viera, Fla. Her second marriage was to Bill Thompson, an architect. They lived in Princeton. Mr. Thompson now resides in Wiscasset, Maine.
   She was the daughter of Herbert and Edna Farrington Simmonds. Mr. Simmonds was president of Paper Corporation of the United States. She is survived by her daughter, Susan Thompson; granddaughter Kim Canavan Sowers; grandson-in-law Lloyd Sowers; and great-grandsons Jack and Grayson Sowers.
   An online guest book is at www.blountcurry.com.
   Arrangements are by Blount & Curry Funeral Home Chapel, 605 South MacDill Ave., Tampa, Fla.
James H. L. Gunkel


Computer systems analyst
   
WEST WINDSOR — James Hilton Lamont Gunkel died Tuesday at home. He was 78.
   He was a computer systems analyst.
   He attended the Admiral Farragut Academy and graduated from the Drexel Institute of Technology in 1954.
   He was honorably discharged from the Navy Reserve in 1963 after 14 years of service.
   His career in computer systems analysis spanned 40 years and included National Dairy, the Federal Reserve Bank, NASDAQ, McGraw Hill, and the North Ocean Hospital System before his retirement in 1994.
   An avid outdoorsman, he dedicated a lifetime of service to the Boy Scouts of America and was presented the Silver Beaver Award for distinguished service to young people.
   Born in Welland, Ontario, and son of the late Paul Otto Gunkel and Lillian Margaret Lewis, he is survived by his wife of 53 years, Jean Marie Menapace Gunkel; sister Diane; three children; and seven grandchildren.
   The funeral will be 10 a.m. Saturday at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 177 Princeton-Hightstown Road, West Windsor. He was a founding member of the church.
   Viewing will be 6 to 9 p.m. today at the church.
   Interment will be in Ewing Cemetery, Trenton.
   In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Boy Scouts of America or to Martin House, 802 E. State St., Trenton, NJ 08606, where he volunteered as a Scout leader for inner-city youths.
   Arrangements are by A.S. Cole Funeral Home, Cranbury.
Alfred Cohen


Retired history professor
   
Alfred Cohen of Princeton died Thursday at home. He was 80.
   Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., he had been a resident of Princeton for the past 12 years.
   Dr. Cohen was retired from The College of New Jersey where he was a professor of history for 32 years.
   He received his doctorate from Indiana University.
   He served with the Navy during World War II and with the Army in the Korean Conflict.
   He is survived by his wife, Betty Cohen; son and daughter-in-law Rabbi Michael Cohen and Alison Hill of Manchester Center, Vt.; daughter and son-in-law Julie Cohen and Michael Flanagen of Warren, Vt.; sister Anne Brody of South Orange; and grandchildren Roi, Shirah and Jasmine.
   The funeral will be 3 p.m. today at Kimble Funeral Home, 1 Hamilton Ave., Princeton.
   Burial will follow in Princeton Cemetery.
Susan L. Ashwood


WW-P teacher
   
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP — Susan Lyn Ashwood died Monday at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Hamilton. She was 49.
   Born in Princeton, she was a resident of the Windsor section of the township most of her life.
   She graduated from Hightstown High School in 1973 and received her bachelor’s degree from Rider University where she was in the National Honor Society. She was working on her master’s degree at the time of her death.
   She was a science teacher in West Windsor-Plainsboro school system. Earlier, she was employed 20 years at L.B. Foster in Windsor as an office administrator.
   She was an avid gardener who enjoyed spending time at the Jersey Shore and doing crafts.
   Daughter of the late Robert P. Ashwood, wife of the late William Campbell, who died in 1986, she is survived by her daughter, Kristin N. Campbell of East Windsor; mother Phyllis C. Ashwood of East Windsor; sisters and brother-in-law Paula J. and Robert Ashwood-Shinn of Hainesport and Betty J. Ashwood of Princeton; brother-in-law Kenneth Campbell of Trenton; nephews Wm. Scott Wiedemann of Apalachin, N.Y. and John A. Ashwood of Hopkins, Minn.; niece Jody L. Meeks and husband Dave of Vincentown; great-nephew Davey Meeks; special friend Larry Zabelicky; and three women she considered daughters, Meliss Simonelli of Bordentown, Susan Woznicki of Trenton, and Anita Rios of Hamilton.
   The funeral will be 9 a.m. Monday at the Glackin/Saul Funeral Home, 136 Morrison Ave., Hightstown.
   Burial will follow in Princeton Memorial Park, Washington Township.
   Visiting hours are 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.
   Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of the donor’s choice.
Shirley M. Bosek


Retired teacher
   
Shirley Miller Bosek of Princeton died Wednesday at her residence. She was 101.
   Born in Rahway, Mrs. Miller was a former resident of Rahway and Lakewood.
   A graduate of Montclair State College, she was an elementary school teacher in Rahway for 40 years before retiring.
   Mrs. Bosek was a former member of the New Jersey Education Association and Rahway Hebrew Congregation.
   Wife of the late David Bosek and mother of the late Stuart and Rita Bosek, she is survived by nephews Michael Miller and Ira Miller both of Pennington.
   Funeral and burial will 1 p.m. today at Beth Israel Cemetery, Woodbridge.
   Arrangements are by Orland’s Ewing Memorial Chapel, Ewing Township.
Gordon R. Hector Sr.


Retired state trooper
   
HAMILTON — Gordon Robert Hector Sr. died June 16. He was 81.
   Mr. Hector was missing for many days and a wide search involving many police agencies as well as the public was launched to find him.
   He was a New Jersey state trooper 28 years, beginning in 1953. He was director of public information and communication under Cols. Capello, Oluf, Kelley and Pagano, and retired as a captain.
   After the State Police, he became director of public information and communication for the New Jersey Turnpike Authority where he retired in 1995.
   Born in Newark, he was a graduate of Arts High School in Newark. Upon graduation, he enlisted in the Navy during World War II and was trained as a signalman.
   Mr. Hector was a swim coach for the Princeton YMCA-YWCA Flying Fish for many years. He was an avid painter and member of the St. James Art Group in Hopewell.
   He was an active member of the Nottingham Squares Seniors and enjoyed traveling with his wife, visiting Ireland several times, as well as many other European destinations.
   Son of the late George and Florence Hector, he is survived by his wife of 58 years, Lois Hector; sons and daughters-in-law Chuck and Maria Hector and Chip and Sally Hector; daughters and sons-in-law Patty and Peter Mathews, Colleen Leonard, and Kelley and Alan Chapman; grandchildren Lars, Jazmin, Brad, Katie, Kelsey, Dane, Hayley, Kylie; and godchildren John Soderberg and Gladys Rice.
   There will be an ongoing celebration of life Sunday at the Knights of Columbus Council No. 6213, 1451 Klockner Road, Hamilton. A sharing of stories and a brunch will extend from noon to 3 p.m. Bagpipes and military honors will begin at 2:30 p.m.
   In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Mercer County Trust Fund, For Sheriff’s Life Saver Program, c/o Mercer County Sheriff’s Department 175 S. Broad Street, P.O Box 8068, Trenton, NJ 08650-0068, or Anchor House Foundation Inc., 482 Centre Street, Trenton, NJ 08611.
Gerhard Hauser


Headed technology firm
   
Gerhard Hauser of Princeton died Thursday. He was 86.
   Born in Berlin, Germany he immigrated to the United States in 1951 and had been a resident of Princeton since 1959.
   Mr. Hauser was president and CEO of Princeton Advanced Components for 35 years.
   He held a degree in electrical engineering from Berlin Technical University.
   Husband of the late Lore Maves Hauser, he is survived by a son, Ronald Hauser of Montgomery; daughter Monica H. Neish of Glastonbury, Conn.; and grandchildren Michelle Hauser of Montgomery, Steven Hauser of Colorado, and Daniel and Randall Neish of Connecticut.
   A memorial service will be held noon Monday at Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, 40 Vandeventer Ave., Princeton.