John, an easy going classmate who left school after less than a year, died March 31, 2021, following a period of declining health.

Why did he leave Princeton so soon? Says his son Michael: “John left because of poor grades prompted by too many parties. He took time off, graduated from College of Wooster in Ohio, spent four years as a Navy pilot in Pensacola, Fla., and took a fateful trip to Copenhagen. There he rented a room from an attractive young woman named Grete who had two sons, Michael Dalgaard and Thue Zeuthen. In 1966, all four returned to the U.S., where John and Grete were married, the two boys were adopted, and the family settled in New Jersey. Thue became an architect in Denmark and the remaining family lived mainly in Trenton. John came back to Princeton — not the University, but to work at Stockton Real Estate on Palmer Square.”

Michael remembers: “Dad and my mother were very much interested in classical music and fine art. Also, he was a very loyal guy, outgoing, not serious-minded. I always called him ‘The Dreamer.’ ”

John was preceded in death by his wife, Grete. Survivors include his sons Michael and Thue.