John Ross Marshall Jr. ’47

John died Feb. 5, 2004, in Mount Dora, Fla.

He came to us in 1946 after graduation from Lawrenceville and two years of Navy ROTC. While at Princeton, John joined Dial Lodge, was married, and lived off-campus. He graduated in October 1947, a hectic time when many in our fragmented class passed each other like ships in the night.

John earned an MBA from New York University and worked for Pfizer in New York, becoming vice president and comptroller.

Because of his short time at Princeton, few of us knew him well. An intellectual with wide and deep interests, John was a prolific reader. He enjoyed diverse literature ranging from early American historical works to Shakespeare and P.G. Wodehouse. Although he could not carry a tune, John passed on a love of music to his children — especially Beethoven and Gilbert and Sullivan, whose subtle humor mirrored his own.

For many years John and his family summered in a country home deep in the Berkshires where he built gardens, stone walls, wells, and rewarding friendships with neighbors. He enjoyed well-argued challenges to his rather conservative views.

We are sad at the passing of our gifted classmate and extend sympathy to his wife, Reba; his children; brother Steve; and sister Judy.

The Class of 1947