Deaths
Mabel “Lolly” Dey, 82, a lifelong area resident, died April 4 at the University Medical Center at Princeton. Born in Monmouth Junction, she was raised in Plainsboro, lived in West Windsor from 1940 to 2000, and resided in Hightstown for several years before moving to Monroe Township. While she was known for her volunteer activities at American Red Cross, Medical Center of Princeton, and her membership activities at First Presbyterian Church of Dutch Neck, West Windsor Keenagers, and Princeton Chapter of O.E. S. #91, she will always be remembered for her stories focusing on the Orson Welles “War of the Worlds” broadcast.
The daughter of the late Leroy and Mabel MacKenzie, she was a 16-year-old high school junior at the time of the October 30, 1938, radio show, “Mercury Theater on the Air.” She was playing piano during a youth choir recital at the Plainsboro Presbyterian Church when a young man came in and announced that the Martians had landed at Grovers Mill — and the attack was being broadcast on the radio.
According to later newspaper accounts, “Panic struck the youth choir . . . and, if you believed the bulletins, the Martians with their death rays had already incinerated the place, killed thousands of humans and begun advancing north at a spectacular clip.” The story continues about Lolly remaining calm and reporting at age 76, “I bowed my head and prayed and thought to myself, ‘If it has to be the end of the world, I couldn’t be in a better place.’”
As Dey was quoted: “In my history class, we had been studying about Hitler trying to destroy our country,” and “I assumed Hitler had something to do with the Martians, that he had sent them here to destroy us.”
Worried about her mother, she ran the six blocks home to find her mother. They turned on the radio and her mother realized that it was a dramatization.
In 2003, Dey was featured in the magazine, “Outre: The World of Ultramedia,” in an article “The Night Orson Welles Panicked American!” She was also interviewed for a children’s book about “War of the Worlds.” Although she wondered who would play her as a girl in the movie, the part was probably not included in Steven Spielberg’s “War of the Worlds” being released in July.
She married Charles Lawrence Dey II two weeks after graduating from Princeton High School, Class of 1940. They were known for potato and wheat farming at 61 Hightstown Road, on the corner of Clarksville Road and Sherbrook Way. Dey bought the 120 acres and the house in 1938. The two lots he sold, one to Fred Hall, and one to Henry Schafer, both resulted in service stations.
“Farm help was hard to find so for the first two years of their marriage, Lolly worked with Lawrence in the fields and drove all kinds of machinery,” according to an article in the Broadside, the newsletter of the West Windsor Historical Society. “She also took truck loads of alfalfa to the Walker Gordon Farms in Plainsboro and picked up fertilizer in Englishtown.”
What is now Sherbrooke Drive was the runway for Lawrence’s airplane. The hangar for it was built in front of the barn. Robert Hillier drew up plans for an unprecedented development on some of the land owned by Dey, but the town turned the project down twice. Sherbrooke was developed in 1963.
The Deys were also known for donating Grovers Mill Pond, along with the surrounding area, to West Windsor Township in 1988. The township is now restoring the pond as a wildlife refuge, and nature study area. Lolly Dey also originated the Lion’s Club annual Easter Egg Hunt. Her husband was a member of the organization.
Survivors include sons and daughters-law, Charles Lawrence III and Charlotte Dey, (who is on the production staff of The News) of West Windsor, and Alan J. and Carol Dey of Cranbury; daughter Linda McDonald of Sarasota, Florida; six grandchildren, C.L. Dey, Cara Dey, Sherry Connors, Michelle McDonald, Lora Lyn Fredericks, and Keith Anderson; nine great grandchildren; four nieces; and three nephews.
Donations may be made to First Presbyterian Church of Dutch Neck, 154 South Mill Road, West Windsor 08550, or a charity of the donor’s choice.
Aldo Zinetti, 77, of Morriston, Florida, formerly of West Windsor, died March 26.
Rose D. Dorsey, 73, of Hamilton died March 29 at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Hamilton. Survivors include a daughter and son-in-law, Linda and Jeff Benfer of West Windsor; a son, Thomas Dorsey of Hamilton; four grandchildren; and a brother, Joseph Csorgo of Hamilton. Donations may be made to the Muscular Dystrophy Association, 1040 North Kings Highway, Suite 405, Cherry Hill 08034.
Harold P. Zeissler, 92, died March 29 at a hospice residence in Stuart, Florida. Survivors include a son, Robert H. Zeissler of West Windsor. Donations may be made to the Trinity United Methodist Church in Jensen Beach, Florida.
Philip F. Brand, 82, of Hamilton died April 4 in Robert Wood University Hospital in Hamilton. Survivors include a son, Philip K. Brand of West Windsor. Donations may be made to St. Mark United Methodist Church, 465 Paxson Avenue, Hamilton Square 08690 or the Tyre United Methodist Church, Box 203, Waterloo, NY 13165.
Thelbert S. Hunt, 93, of Monmouth Junction died April 1. Born in Virginia, he came to New Jersey to work summers for Walker-Gordon Farms in Plainsboro. He became South Brunswick’s first health inspector. Donations may be made to Miller Memorial Presbyterian Church, Box 460, Monmouth Junction 08852.
Mary McArdle Sullivan, 81, of Rockville, Maryland, died April 1. Survivors include a son and daughter-in-law, Edward T. and Constance Sullivan of West Windsor. Donations may be made to the National Lutheran Home, 9701 Veirs Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850.
Siang-Yuan Chen, 68, of West Windsor died April 2 at home. He was born in Jiang-Su, China.
He attended Taiwan University and received his master’s degree in accounting from Appalachian State University. An accountant for a number of investment firms, he was recently retired.
Survivors include his wife, Freda; daughter, Sharon; Son, Andrew; and grandchildren, Lucy and Kathryn. Donations may be made to Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, 710 West 168th Street, New York 10032 or at www.pdf.orf.
Virginia Ward Goodrich, 80, died April 4 at Waverly Healthcare Center in Waverly, Virginia. Survivors include a daughter Arlene Pancione of West Windsor; and grandson, Matt Pancione, also of West Windsor. Donations may be made to Waverly Volunteer Rescue Squad, Box 583, Waverly, VA 23890; or the Wakefield Volunteer Fire Department, 155 Fleetwood Avenue, Wakefield, VA 23888.
Georgianna M. Shuren, 77, of Whiting died April 9 at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Hamilton. Born in Czechoslovakia, she was a longtime resident of West Windsor before moving to Whiting nine years ago.
Survivors include her husband of 56 years, Samuel Shuren; her son and daughter-in-law, Jerry and Jane Shuren of Hamilton; a sister-in-law, Margaret Spacek; and a cousin, Jane Swift. Donations may be made to either the New Egypt Elks, Lakewood Road, New Egypt 08533, or C.A.R.E.S., Schoolhouse Road, Whiting 08759.
Mary C. Hui, 84, of West Windsor died April 12 at Bear Creek Assisted Living. Born in Shanghai, China, she immigrated to the United States in 1949. She was a library assistant for Gest East Asian Library of Princeton University from 1970 to 1983. She lived in Rossmoor from 1982 to 2002.
Survivors include four sons and three daughters-in-law, George P. and Lillian Hui of Vancouver, British Columbia, Thomas P. and Elaine Hui, and Arthur P. and Sally Hui, all of West Windsor, and Robert P. Hui of Monroe Township; and eight grandchildren.
Funeral will be Friday, April 15, 2 p.m. at Mather-Hodge, 40 Vandeventer Avenue, Princeton. Donations may be made to American Red Cross, 707 Alexander Road, Princeton 08540.
