Franz Moehn, the retired head chef at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Princeton, died Dec. 15, 2019. He was 88.
Born in 1931 in Germany, he emigrated to Milwaukee, Wis., in the mid-1950s. After gaining U.S. citizenship, he was drafted into the Army. In 1964, he graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, with honors in comparative literature.
In 1967 Moehn earned a master’s degree from Princeton in Germanic languages and literature. He taught at Princeton and Rider College while continuing as a Ph.D. student. But he “found the academic job market unappealing,” changed careers, followed in his father’s footsteps, and became a chef and manager at area corporate headquarters and hotels.
In 1979 he became the head chef at the Institute for Advanced Studies, and retired in 1996. He not only fed many a genius, but also impressed them with his erudition. He had the ability to hold court for hours with a gift for storytelling and a brilliant memory for details of history, music, literature, and soccer. In retirement, he divided his time between the U.S. and France.
Moehn was predeceased in 2016 by his wife, Jeanette. He is survived by two children and four grandchildren.
Graduate alumni memorials are prepared by the APGA.