Ralph L. DeGroff Jr. ’58

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Tiggie died April 19, 2018.

He was a graduate of the Gilman School. At Princeton, Tiggie majored in economics, ate his meals at Charter, and was class vice president his senior year. His senior-year roommates were Boatwright, Luthringer, and Petter.

After earning an MBA at the University of Virginia, Tiggie began a successful career on Wall Street. He joined Dillon, Reed & Co., where he worked on corporate, municipal, and international finance. He became a senior vice president and a partner. In 1981, he joined Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette as a managing director.

After family, Tiggie believed that education was most important in life, and he remained dedicated and involved with his educational institutions throughout his life. He served for two terms on the alumni board at Virginia. At Gilman, he was class secretary for 64 years.

At Princeton, he was class agent for Annual Giving from 1968 to 1973, class president from 1973 to 1978, and class secretary from 1983 until shortly before his death.

Ralph was a compassionate man who deeply cared for and was genuinely interested in his fellow man.

He is survived by his wife of 29 years, Marion; stepdaughter Marion Smith; stepson Andrew Sinwell ’87; sister Lynn Lafferty; and five granddaughters. The class extends its profound sorrow at their loss and ours.

Paw in print

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The cover of PAW’s November 2024 issue, featuring an illustration of a military tank that's made out of a pink brain, and the headline "Armed With Ideas: Princetonians lead think tanks through troubled political times."
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