David Terence McCabe ’57

    Terry’s legacy for many who knew him moderately was his gentle wit. For those who knew him better, his legacy was also kindness and generosity of spirit. He always was ready to part with a story, a quip, or an insight. He took pleasure in his mind, his life, and those around him. Terry died at home May 9, 2023, in Anchorage, Alaska, of the effects of Alzheimer’s disease.

At Princeton, Terry majored in history, was in NROTC, and belonged to Terrace Club. His senior-year roommates were Dave Cameron, Terry Coughlin, Bill Dantzler, and Cliff Roltsch. In 1958, Terry married Janet Walker; the two met in kindergarten in Wellesley, Mass., and had their first date in high school. In 1960, Navy discharge papers in hand, Terry and Janet drove to Alaska, a new state, in their VW Bug, camping along the way. They liked Alaska but returned to Harvard to obtain master’s degrees, he in business and she at the Kennedy School. 

Back in Alaska in 1964, Terry founded a private financial partnership to provide much-needed venture capital in the new state. The U.S. Interior Department employed Janet. The couple had three children, one of whom (Michael ’97) went to Princeton. 

Terry became president of the regional Princeton Schools Committee tasked with interviewing applicants for admission; its success rate was an extraordinary 15%. He  is survived by Janet, their children, and  their families.