Donn M. Gaebelein ’49

Donn died Oct. 9, 2024, at his home in Rock Stream, N.Y. He was 96.

He was born in Brooklyn and came to Princeton from the Stony Brook School, where his father was the founding headmaster. A history major at Princeton, Donn was a member of Elm Club and played JV football. He had a long and distinguished career in education as a teacher and administrator, earning a master’s degree from Columbia and returning to the Stony Brook School as headmaster. He retired from the Westminster Schools in Atlanta, after serving there two separate times, from 1952 to 1963 as principal of the boys’ high school and from 1976 to 1991 as president of the combined schools, where he was regarded by students and colleagues as a mentor and is credited with promoting a diverse staff, faculty, and student body.

Donn and his wife retired to the Finger Lakes area of New York, where he maintained his status as a scratch golfer and served as treasurer of the Rock Stream Presbyterian Church.

Donn’s deep Christian faith was the main focus of his personal and professional life, and he was a lifelong reader and scholar of scripture, literature, history, and current events.

His wife of 72 years, the former Norma Louise Allen, predeceased him, as did a daughter. He is survived by three children, eight grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren.