Paul H. Pettit Jr. ’64

Paul died June 16, 2025, in Carmel, Ind.

He graduated from Ocean City (N.J.) High School, where he was involved with the band, orchestra, and glee club while also playing football, basketball, and captaining the swim team. Summer days were filled with his love of the ocean, lifeguarding at “his beach” from Ocean City’s 15th Street stand.

Paul entered Princeton in 1959, majoring in chemistry, joining Dial Lodge, and swimming for Princeton for two years. After graduation, Paul spent a year at Duke before the National Science Foundation awarded him a fellowship enabling him to earn a Ph.D. from Lehigh, his dissertation being titled “Electronic structure and electronic spectra of group VI-b metal carbonyl complexes.”

During his career, Paul spent a decade with E.I. DuPont before joining Akzo Coatings and then PPG Industries in Strongsville, Ohio. With each, he held positions relating to research on and development of industrial powder and liquid coatings. He retired in 2001 as global technical manager for PPG Industries having been awarded multiple patents. He then spent 20 years as a consultant to industry on new products and problem solving.

Paul loved golf, sailing, and playing guitar — and was also known for his humorous, yet sarcastic, New Jersey wit.

To his wife, Susan; children Michelle, Brian, and Nick; and four grandchildren the class offers its condolences.