Beloved teacher and coach Dietrich von Schwerdtner (“Von”) dies at 79 Dietrich von Schwerdtner, a devoted teacher and coach for over four decades, died on April 30 in Chambersburg, PA. He was 79. “We are saddened by the loss of a dear member of the Peddie family,” said Head of School John Green. “Von was a fixture in this community for over forty years. Even after he moved away from Hightstown, he remained steadfast in his commitment to our school and our alumni. We will miss him dearly and our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Anne and his entire family.” Even after his retirement, the beloved faculty member and coach maintained a close connection with the school as director of the Sports Hall of Fame and as an assistant lacrosse coach under Bob Turco ’70. Mr. von or Von, as he was respectfully and fondly called, arrived at Peddie in 1965 to join the math department. Called the father of Peddie computing,Von attended special courses in computing at Dartmouth in the summer of 1968 in order to develop Peddie’s first computer program and courses. In 1979, he left Peddie to pursue business interests while living in Hightstown, but remained connected to the school as a coach and technology consultant until his return as a full-time teacher and coach in 1990.Von was instrumental in developing the campus-wide network at Peddie in 1991 and his enthusiasm for exploring ways that technology could be used to the advantage of Peddie students continues as a basic tenet of the department’s philosophy today.
Outside the classroom,Von was passionate about the game of lacrosse. He was instrumental in raising New Jersey lacrosse to new levels as one of the truly great ambassadors of the game. But it was always Peddie that had first claim on Von’s interest and passion. In 15 years, he garnered an impressive 99–63 record, taking his team to the 1969 and 1976 Pitt Division Championships. What marked Von as special to many Peddie students was that — as enthusiastic as he was about computing and lacrosse — he considered himself, first and foremost, “in the kid business.” Whatever challenges a Peddie student faced,Von’s door was always open and he was ready to listen with an empathetic ear. Whether one sat in his class, lived on his hall or was one of his many advisees, Von was always there to lend a word of encouragement. Famous for giving nicknames to everyone he met, he would say, “Step into my office,” guiding a student in need to his classroom, an empty table in the student center or a seat in the baseball bleachers to share his sage advice. Von graduated from Towson State University in 1953. After a brief stint coaching college lacrosse at Towson,Von entered the high school coaching ranks in Maryland, assisting with the St. Paul’s varsity program in 1961. He would teach and coach there until his arrival at Peddie in 1965. A teacher, coach and friend,Von made a career of caring for others. He is survived by his loving wife Anne, who partnered with him in all of his endeavors, and his son Fred. He was predeceased by his son Steve in 2009.
Peddie mourns passing of security guard Tim Desmond Tim Desmond, who served for 21 years as a security guard at Peddie, died on August 5 at the age of 70. Although he officially retired in the spring, Desmond continued to work at special events and looked forward to catching up with Peddie families and alumni during both graduation and reunion weekends.
Desmond was always more than a security guard at Peddie — he was a personality. “Tim will be dearly missed by his Peddie family,” said Head of School John Green. “He was often the first person visitors met upon entering our campus and his friendly greeting made one feel instantly welcome. Tim genuinely cared about our community.” chronicleXtra
Extended obituaries for Von and Tim can be found at www.peddie.org/chronicle
DEATHS Dr. Eugene Greider, Jr. ’37 Mr. Bernard J Chubet ’38 Dr. Robert P. Masland, Jr. ’38 Mr. Leland J. Stacy, Jr. ’39 Mr. Richard J. Zellers ’39 Mr. Harry G. Gooding, Jr. ’40 Mr. W. Dale Brougher ’40 Mr. William R. Goldthorp ’40 Mr. Leland J. Stacy, Jr. ’41 Mr. Raymond M. Hicks, Jr. ’41 Mr. Stanley L. Roggenburg, Jr. ’41
Dr. George F. Coons ’42 Mr. Alton S. Rowe ’43 Mr. George R. Knight, Jr. ’43 Mr. Charles W. Howell ’45 Mr. Clement M. Keys ’45 Mr. H. James Pratt, Jr. ’45 Mr. Gordon J. Wagner ’45 Mr. Frederick D. Haulenbeek ’46 Mr. Lawrence L. Stamen ’46 Mr. Carlton L. Steele ’47 Mr. J. Bedford Wooley ’48
Mr. Fred K. Bailey ’49 Rev. Charles C. Burdan ’50 Mr. Andrew W. Morrison ’50 Mr. Charles M. Ash ’51 Mr. Ralph K. Graves ’51 Mr. William H. Snyder ’51 Mr. Frederick J. Maguire, Jr. ’52 LTC Robert S. Russell ’53 Mr. Walter B. Gelfman ’55 Mr. Charles A. Peters ’55 Mr. Vincent P. Braun ’58
Mr. Francois R. Gros ’60 Mr. Floyd L. Leonard, Jr. ’60 Leonard A. Shapiro, Esq. ’60 Mr. Barry P. Simon ’60 Mr. Peter Dyal ’67 Mr. Brian P. Schmitt ’75 Mr. John D. Moore ’81 Mr. Arjhan M. Bagheri ’02 Mr. Erik W. Skirkanich ’05 Mr. Marcus K. Craig ’07
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