Macdonald Mathey ’51

Don was born June 12, 1929, in New York City to Gertrude Winans and Dean Mathey 1912.

Don came to us from Deerfield Academy and earned a degree in the Woodrow Wilson School. He was active in varsity hockey, tennis, and Cottage Club. He roomed with Jack Davis, Duke deConingh, Bill Dwight, Clint Gilbert, Gerald Mayer, Neil McConnell, Ralph Peters, Don Scott, and John White. Later he attended the Columbia School of General Studies and Teachers College.

His father had won the National Intercollegiate Tennis Doubles Championship in 1910 with B.N. Dell and in 1923 defeated Bill Tilden. Don and his brother Dean ’51 in their time won the U.S. Interscholastic Doubles Championship. Dean Mathey Sr. 1912 was a charter trustee, and over the years he and his sons were dedicated supporters of Princeton.

Don and his wife, Charlotte, lived on Nantucket where she created Hedged About, a 30-year labor of love consisting of a perennial garden, herb garden, blueberry house, wisteria arbor, and shrub garden.

Don died July 1, 2017, in Princeton. He is survived by Charlotte and their children Roderick ’95 and Heidi ’98. He was predeceased by his brother David. Don's brother Dean died four months later Nov. 5, 2017.