Ruth W. Alampi

NEWTOWN, PA -- Ruth W. Alampi, 86, died peacefully Thursday at Pennswood Village in Newtown, PA. Born in Philadelphia, PA, she lived for more than 40 years in the Pennington area.

Mrs. Alampi graduated from Temple University with a B.S. in Education. Wife of former Secretary of Agriculture, Phil Alampi, together they produced and hosted "Around Your Home and Garden" for WNBC for over 14 years. Mrs. Alampi then worked for the New Jersey Public Broadcasting as host and producer of consumer related programs.

She was involved in many volunteer organizations with emphasis on New Jersey Recording for the Blind, Mercer Medical Center and The Phil Alampi Scholarship Fund. Ruth was an avid sportswoman and golfer and a member of Hopewell Valley Golf Club for many years.

A devoted wife for almost 50 years and mother, she will be greatly missed. She is survived by her three sons and their wives, James and Sandra Alampi of Novi, MI, David and Faith Alampi of Hopewell, Richard and Etres Alampi of Washington, NJ; and five grandchildren, Courtney Alampi of San Francisco, CA, Meagan Alampi of Washington, DC, Carrie Stanker and husband Darren of Hamilton, Katrin Alampi of New Brunswick, and Phillip Alampi who is currently serving in the U.S. Navy abroad; along with many nieces, nephews and their children.

Services will be private.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in her memory to either The Phil Alampi Scholarship Fund c/o Office of Scholarship Programs, 71 Lipman Drive, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8525 or The New Jersey Unit of Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic, 69 Mapleton Road, Princeton, NJ 08540.

Published in The Times, Trenton, on 3/20/2006

Anne M. Sheldon
Actress

Anne Mehaffy Sheldon of Princeton died Saturday at home after a long illness.

She was a professional actress for more than 50 years.

Born in Little Rock, Ark., she moved to Princeton in 1958.

She studied for two years at the King-Smith Studio For Girls in Washington where her eurythmics teacher was Martha Graham and he English teacher was Lesley Frost, daughter of poet Robert Frost. She subsequently moved to the Rehearsal Club in New York City, studying voice with Frantz Proschowsky and modeling for Eastman Kodak at the 1939 World's Fair.

A member of Actors' Equity, she worked in the early years of live television in Buffalo, N.Y., and appeared in summer stock and at The Studio Theatre, now Studio Arena Theatre, in Buffalo.

At McCarter Theatre, Mrs. Sheldon was the quintessential "Adelaide" in PJ&B's opening production of "Guys and Dolls," and many other characters in a long run of successful PJ&B productions.

In addition to professional theater at McCarter, Mrs. Sheldon worked in regional theaters around the country. Among her finest roles: Winnie in Samuel Beckett's "Happy Days" and Amanda Wingfield in Tennessee Williams' "The Glass Menagerie" at Richmond's TheaterVirginia, both of which won her Phoebe awards for best actress; Ouiser in "Steel Magnolias" at Alabama Shakespeare Festival' and Miss Helen in Athol Fugard's "Road to Mecca" at Michigan's Meadow Brook Theatre.

A longtime gardener and prize-winning needlework designer, Mrs. Sheldon knitted for Princeton's Trinity Church St. Nicholas Bazaar, was a retired member of the Junior League, an active member of Chemistry Club, and the volunteer with the most years of service to the New Jersey Unit of Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, where she first began recording on arrival in Princeton in 1958.

Daughter of the late Charles and Marcella Mehaffy, wife of the late Fred Russell Sheldon, Mrs. Sheldon is survived by sons and daughter-in-law Andrew M. and Linda Sheldon of Ringoes and Charles R. Sheldon of Trenton; daughter and son-in-law Abby D. and James Sheldon-Dean of Charlotte, Vt.; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandsons.

The family conveyed its thanks to the Hospice Program of Princeton Homecare Services and its volunteers.

A service will be held 10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 6, at Trinity Church, 33 Mercer St., Princeton.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the New Jersey Unit of Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, 69 Mapleton Road, Princeton, NJ 08540.

Published in the Princeton Packet, April 7, 2006

Elizabeth A. Wood

Elizabeth A. Wood, 93, of FREEHOLD, formerly of Red Bank, passed away Thursday, March 23, at CentraState Medical Center, Freehold Township, surrounded by family and friends. Betty was born in 1912 in New York City. She earned her bachelor's degree at Barnard and her master's degree and Ph.D. at Bryn Mawr College. After teaching at Bryn Mawr and Barnard for eight years, she was the first female scientist ever hired at Bell Laboratories, where she spent the remainder of her career as a research physical crystallographer. In addition to her research, she published several books, was a noted Iris breeder, and was awarded three honorary doctorates. For the last 12 years, she and Rae had apartments at Applewood Estates, where they enjoyed an active life revolving around plays, sailing, music, French and German discussion groups and extensive travel.

She was predeceased by her husband, Sandy, in 1977. Surviving are her loving companion of 27 years, W. Rae Young; her nephew, Ralph Booth and his family; and her sister-in-law, Della Wood and her family.

A celebration of her life was held at 7 p.m. Friday, March 31 at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Monmouth, 1475 W. Front St., Lincroft. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the CentraState Foundation, 916 Route 33, Freehold, NJ 07728, with a notation for the Betty Wood Award for Science and Education in the Applewood Employee Scholarship Fund.

Posted by the Asbury Park Press on March 25, 2006