Engagement
Leah Gould and Joseph Diniega are engaged. The couple met during jet pilot training in Kingsville, Texas.
The bride-to-be graduated from High School South, Class of 2004. She received a degree in international relations from George Washington University and is a lieutenant junior grade intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy. She is the daughter of Brian and Susan Gould of Plainsboro.
The prospective bridegroom is from Pearl City, Hawaii. He received a degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Colorado and is a captain in the US Marine Corps and a Prowler pilot. He is the son of the late Michael Diniega and Darlene Diniega of Aurora, Colorado.
Births
The University Medical Center at Princeton has announced that twin sons were born to West Windsor residents Shamala Ajay and Ajay Pillai on December 22.
Deaths
Mary D. Corbett, 85, of Toms River died November 11 at Community Medical Center in Toms River. Survivors include son and daughter-in-law, Richard and Cheryl Corbett of Plainsboro. Donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 400 Morris Avenue, Denville 07834.
Robert J. Hanaway, 71, of Plainsboro died December 14 at the Pavilions at Forrestal. Born in Trenton, he was a parking lot attendant for the Trenton Parking Authority. Survivors include his sister, Rita Hanaway.
Albert Marshall Zigler, 86, of Greensboro, North Carolina, died December 15. He was a longtime member of Dutch Neck Presbyterian Church.
Born in Columbus, Ohio, he served in the Navy during World War II. A retired member of the New York, New Jersey, and North Carolina bars, he was a former general counsel and secretary of Western Electric Company, and retired from AT&T in 1986.
Survivors include his sons and daughters-in-law, Robert K. and Katherine Zigler II of Boise, Idaho, Peter S. and Carolina Zigler of Chula Vista, California; daughter, Amy J. Zigler, of McLeansville, North Carolina; five grandchildren, Bryan Zigler, Sean Zigler, and Nicole Zigler, of Chula Vista, California, and Justin Clark and Hayley Clark, of McLeansville, North Carolina; one great-granddaughter, Alyssa Zigler, of Chula Vista, California; his sister, Donna Jenson; his brothers, James Zigler and Robert Zigler; his sister-in-law, Beverly Zigler; and his special friend, Janice Morris.
Vera Muhleisen Wagner, 93, of Monroe died December 15 at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. Survivors include a grandson and his wife, Russell and Karen Wagner of West Windsor.
Agnes Schen, 86, of Lawrenceville died December 16 at Pavilions at Forrestal Assisted Living in Plainsboro. Born in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, she retired from Nabisco after 30 years.
Survivors include her daughter and son-in-law, Doris and Mark Kalnas; her granddaughter, Barbara Weigand and her husband Ross; her great-granddaughters, Mikayla and Cheyanne Weigand; and her nephews, Jim and Tom Knox. Donations may be made to the Church of the Sacred Heart, 343 South Broad Street, Trenton 08608.
Evelyn Oczkowski, 87, of West Windsor died December 18. Born in Brooklyn, New York, she was a registered nurse. She lived at Bear Creek Assisted Living since 2008.
Survivors include her daughters and sons-in-law, Susan and Joseph Conlon of West Windsor, and Patricia and Joe McFadden of Edgewater Park; her son and daughter-in-law, Raymond John and Elizabeth Oczkowski of Hickory, North Carolina; and grandchildren Nicholas, Erin, and Mary Conlon of West Windsor, and Sara-Celeste Carr Safeer and her husband, Dan Safeer of Hammonton.
James E. Cox, Sr., 76, of West Windsor died December 19 at Bear Creek Assisted Living. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, he moved to West Windsor 11 years ago.
He graduated magna cum laude from Ohio University where he was a member of Phi Kappa Tau and Phi Eta Sigma. He retired in 1989 after 31 years of service at AT&T where he was a director. Cox was also a director of IEEE for seven years. A member of the First Presbyterian Church of Cranbury, he served as a deacon, and was a volunteer with TASK. A captain in the Army, he served in R.O.T.C. at Ohio University and was a member of the American Legion.
Survivors include his wife of 54 years, Barbara Bailey Cox; two sons, Retired Colonel James E. Cox Jr. M.D. and his wife Colonel Martha Lenhart M.D. of Silver Springs, Maryland, Douglas M. Cox of Hunter, New York; his daughter and son-in-law, Deanna and William Munoz of Plainsboro; one sister, Marian Richards of Alabama; five grandchildren, William, Julia, and Natalie Munoz, and James E. III and Joseph M. Cox.
A life celebration will be held Saturday, January 8, at the First Presbyterian Church of Cranbury, 22 South Main Street, Cranbury. Donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 400 Morris Avenue, Suite 251, Denville 07834.
George Richard Walter Sr., 73, of West Windsor died December 20 at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Hamilton. Born in Trenton, he was a longtime resident of West Windsor, a former committee member, and a former mayor of the town,
A Navy reservist, he was a pharmacist who owned and operated Walter’s Pharmacy in Allentown for 40 years. He was a past president of the NJ Pharmaceutical Association and a former member of the Allentown Economic Development Committee.
Survivors include his wife of 53 years, Frances C. Walter; three children and their spouses, Cindy and Ray Canter of Allentown; Rick and Belinda Walter of Allentown, and Sandy and Todd McGonigal of Hamilton; and eight grandchildren. Donations may be made to Hamilton Square Baptist Church.
Hans Joachim Priester, 86, above, of West Windsor died at his home on December 13. Born in Leipzig, Germany, he settled in West Windsor with his family in 1960.
Priester received his doctorate from the University of Hamburg, and after a two-year clinical position at Trenton State Hospital, he joined the staff at the Child Guidance Center for Mercer County in 1962 and remained there for the rest of his career both as a psychologist and later the executive director. In the mid-1980s he was recruited by UNESCO to lead a project to standardize intelligence testing for children in Hong Kong. He retired in 1989.
Survivors include his wife of more than 60 years, Lotti; five children and their spouses, Angelica Hopkins (Ronnie) of Managua, Nicaragua, Reinhard (Susan Katner) of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Thomas of Asbury Park, Michael of Oakland, California, and Heidi Williams (Roland) of Howell, New Jersey; four grandchildren, Andrew Priester, and Jade, Brianna, and Kali Williams; and one great-grandchild. Paige Williamson. Donations may be made to Acts 1:8, Box 23, Cedartown, GA 30125.
Abraham Block, 78, of Holmdel died December 20 at his home. Survivors include daughter and son-in-law, Wendy and Andrew Lipka of West Windsor.
Michael O’Leary, 46, died December 20 at Park Place Center in South Brunswick. Born in New Brunswick, he lived in Fort Lauderdale, Florida before returning to New Jersey a year ago. He was a certified mechanic for a marina in Fort Lauderdale. Survivors include his brother, Sean O’Leary of Plainsboro; his sister and brother-in-law, Erin and Cliff Williams of Monmouth Junction; and a nephew, Brandan Williams of Monmouth Junction.
Concetta Gulino, 95 of West Windsor died December 21. Arrangements were made by A.S. Cole Funeral Home.
Edgar C. Craven Sr., 86, of Hamilton died December 24 at the Pavilions at Forrestal, Plainsboro. Born in Bristol, Pennsylvania, he was an Army veteran of World War II. Survivors include two sons and a daughter-in-law, Edgar C. and Maria Craven Jr. of Hamilton and Richard Craven of Ewing; two daughters, Linda Demand of Kingston, New York, and Debra Prettyman of Ewing; and a brother, Richard Craven.
Reverend Lawrence S. “Larry” Falkowski of Plainsboro died December 26 at Princeton Medical Center in Princeton.
Born in Bayonne, he graduated from St. Peter’s College and received a Ph.D. in political science from Rutgers University. After teaching at Louisiana State University for 15 years, he attended the seminary in Arlington, Virginia, and was ordained an Episcopal priest at Holy Trinity Church in West Orange. He served at St. Steven’s Episcopal Church in Portland, Oregon until his retirement.
Survivors include sons, Nicholas and Christopher Falkowski; siblings; Judy Flynn and Walter Falkowski; and nieces and nephews, Karen Cohen, Andrew, James Michael, and Kim Leegan. Donations may be made to American Diabetes Association, Memorial and Honor Program, Box 11454, Alexandria, VA 22312.
Sophie H. Desautelle, 93, of Robbinsville died December 26 at Rose Hill Assisted Living of Robbinsville. Born in Yonkers, New York, she was a resident of Penns Neck for 65 years. A member of Penns Neck Baptist Church, she co-owned the VN Desautelle Florist in Penns Neck for more than 30 years.
Survivors include two daughters, Shirley D. Minnick and Donna A. Reading; six grandchildren, Bob Minnick Jr. and his wife Renee, Sharon Madden, Lynda Stott and her husband Dan, Sandy Minnick, Frank Reading and his wife Erika, Donna L. Mahon; and 10 great-grandchildren.
Peter Danchisko Sr., 92, of Perth Amboy died December 26 at Center of Hope Hospice, Scotch Plains. Survivors include a son, George Danchisko of Plainsboro.
Margaret McGarvey Hayden, 86, of Plainsboro died December 28 at the Windrows of Princeton. Born in Harlem, New York, she moved to Plainsboro in 2007. A registered nurse, she worked at Perth Amboy General Hospital for many years and later with Muhlenberg Hospital.
Survivors include three sons, Gregory W. Hayden, Kevin J. Hayden, and Paul F. Hayden; a brother, Charles McGarvey; a sister, Catherine Connors; 11 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. Donations may be made to Catholic Charities Diocese of Metuchen, 319 Maple Street, Perth Amboy 08861.
William John “Bill” Werder, 84, of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, died December 29 at his home. Survivors include a son and daughter in-law, Jim and Patricia Werder of West Windsor. Donations may be made to benefit cancer research.
Ruth A. Malsbury, 95, of Princeton Junction died December 30 at her home. Born in Cream Ridge, she was a longtime Princeton Junction area resident. Malsbury worked at Dutch Neck School for more than 30 years and retired in 1990.
Survivors include her sister, Virginia Oakerson of Browns Mills; a special friend, Anquanetta Woodard; and several nieces and nephews.
Calling hours are Saturday, January 8, at 11 a.m., at the Peppler Funeral Home, 114 South Main Street, Allentown. The funeral begins at noon. Donations may be made to the Twin W First Aid Squad, Box 385, Princeton Junction 08550; or to the West Windsor Volunteer Fire Co. No. 1, 153 South Mill Road, West Windsor 08550.
Harry R. Gosselin, 80, of Robbinsville, died December 31 at Hamilton Continuing Care in Hamilton Township. Survivors include a son and daughter-in-law, Robert W. and Franca Gosselin of West Windsor. Donations may be made to Embracing Hospice Care, 109 South Main Street, Cranbury 08512.
James D. Moskonas, 84, of New Brunswick died December 31 at the Parker Home in New Brunswick. Survivors include daughter and son-in-law, Gabriela and Joseph Nieves of Plainsboro.
