Lester E. Wurfel ’41

Body

Les died Sept. 29, 2006.

Born in Elizabeth, N.J., he came to Princeton from the Peddie School. He majored in chemistry, was a member of the crew, and roomed with his lifelong friend, Ralph Richards.

He always was involved in sailing. After graduation he joined the Coast Guard and captained a large sailboat off Greenport, N.Y., doing offshore anti-submarine patrol in the North Atlantic.

Les worked for General Motors for 31 years and retired as assistant zone manager in Tarrytown, N.Y. Initially retiring to Kilmarnock, Va., he and his wife, Lottie, sailed to Florida and the Bahamas. Later retiring to Florida, Les continued sailing with Tarpon Bay Yacht Club. Last year he moved to Dunwoody Village in Newtown Square, Pa., to be near his son and grandchildren.

Les was predeceased by Lottie, his wife of 51 years, and by his son, Jeffrey. He is survived by another son, Lester, and five grandchildren.

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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