F. Lawrence Pethick ’59

Larry died Nov. 1, 2021.

He came to Princeton from Cranford (N.J.) High School and majored in electrical engineering “because,” as he joked, “computer science didn’t exist yet.” He joined Cap and Gown, WPRB, and the Princeton Band, toting a piccolo at halftime in Palmer Stadium. As a night operator at the Institute for Advanced Study  he became acquainted with his first computer, the von Neumann machine (now at the Smithsonian), eventually programming it for numerical analysis.

After Princeton Larry continued his studies with a master’s in mathematics at Carnegie Mellon. During his career he worked for several large companies including Bell Labs, GE, and Unisys. He also co-owned a small computer-service company dealing with operating systems, business and financial software, and accounting and database applications including radar and telemetry applications, missile tracking, and air traffic control systems used by the FAA. He taught computer science courses at several institutions, including the University of Delaware. 

He married “Libby” Bradbury in 1967, and they raised their family in the Philadelphia area. In retirement, he and Libby moved to Newtown Square, Pa. A lifelong paddler, Larry led wilderness canoe trips in Quebec and kayaked with the Philadelphia Canoe Club well into retirement.

Larry was predeceased by Libby. He is survived by daughter Amy, son Ned, three grandchildren, a brother, and a niece.