Ralph R. Hovnanian ’68

Hoot died May 22, 2013, in Evanston, Ill., after an extended illness. He was 66.

He prepared at Evanston Township High School, where he excelled in AP mathematics and sciences and played interscholastic soccer. At Princeton, Hoot majored in engineering, graduating cum laude in the mechanical sciences and aerospace programs. Junior and senior years he lived in Henry and ate independently.

Hoot earned a master’s degree from Stanford, followed by several years in Silicon Valley in the microchip industry. In the ’80s, Hoot turned to the field in which he is remembered as a pioneer. He authored a seminal study of alternative cancer treatments, which offered critical analyses and inspired more recent writers. He became revered by members of that community.

Hoot had a great sense of humor and enjoyed being alive. His wish was to make this world a better place. To family, friends, and classmates, he was an exceptional personage — distinctive and memorable. No one else was even remotely like him.

Hoot is survived by his mother, Arpine; his older brother, Phil; and his younger sister, Arda. To them, the class extends deepest sympathy.