HIGHTSTOWN — Nearly 15 years after his death in a naval aviation accident, former Hightstown resident Lt. William J. Dey was honored at Peddie School on Saturday by having a faculty residence named in his honor during alumni weekend.
Lt. Dey, a graduate of Peddie and the U.S. Naval Academy, was a member of the Fighter Squadron 41 that flew combat missions in Kosovo and the Persian Gulf.
In June 2000 he was performing at a naval air show in Willow Grove, Pa., when the F-14 Tomcat he was piloting encountered mechanical issues, forcing the aviator to steer the plane away from the crowd and crash in nearby woods. Both Lt. Dey and his co-pilot were killed.
Renovations to the home, which sits prominently at the intersection of Ward and S. Main streets across from the Hightstown campus, were made possible through the financial support of Lt. Dey’s childhood friend, Matt Hulsizer. As early as age 8, they were teammates on the local Hightstown hockey team and later played hockey together for Peddie as fellow students.
Mr. Hulsizer was moved by Lt. Dey’s heroism, and eager to provide the funding for the extensive renovations in honor of his friend and hockey teammate.
Lt. Dey’s friends and family, including his parents Catherine and William Dey, wife Deborah and daughter Kamryn, Mr. Hulsizer and other Peddie classmates attended the dedication.
