Rev. Van Santvoord Merle-Smith Jr., 85, of Bethlehem, died June 1 in Bethlehem. He was married to Katherine (Smith) Combs Merle-Smith for 56 years. A Presbyterian minister, he was headmaster and chaplain for Moravian Academy, Bethlehem, before retiring. Previously, he was chaplain for Moravian Seminary for Girls, which merged with Moravian Preparatory to become Moravian Academy. Earlier, he served a year at First Presbyterian Church, Oyster Bay, N.Y. Before that, he was headmaster for Foxcroft School, Middleburg, Va., and a teacher for St. Paul's School, Concord, N.H. He was a geologist for Texas Oil Co. before World War II.
He was a 1940 graduate of Princeton University and received a master's degree from Columbia University, New York City. He received a master's degree from Union Theological Seminary, Manhattan, N.Y., where he was ordained.
Born in New York City, he was a son of the late Van S. and Kate (Fowler) Merle-Smith. He was a member of First Presbyterian Church, Bethlehem. He was an Army veteran of World War II, serving as a lieutenant colonel, 1940-1946, and was an aide to General George S. Patton from the end of the war until the general's death in 1945.
He served on the boards of the Bach Choir, Bethlehem, The Hill School, Pottstown, Montgomery County, the former Bethlehem Area Foundation, and the Council for Religion in Independent Schools. He was a member of the Cruising Club of America.
Survivors: Wife; sons, Richard M. Combs of Aiken, S.C., Van Santvoord of New York City, Ted Merle-Smith of Keene Valley, N.Y., Grosvenor F. Merle-Smith of Charlottesville, Va., Barton N. Merle-Smith of Charlotte, Va.; daughter, Katie Dawson of Dillon, Mont.; foster sons, Normand Smith of Boston, Mass., Peter Smith of Gunnison, Colo., Tom Smith of Keene Valley, Nulsen Smith of Chestnut Hill, Mass.; foster daughter, Tracy McClelland of Keene Valley; 15 grandchildren, two great-grandchildren.
Services: 11 a.m. Wednesday, First Presbyterian Church, Bethlehem. Memorial services in Keene Valley at a later date. Arrangements, John F. Herron Funeral Home, Bethlehem. Contributions: Moravian Academy and Neighborhood House, Keene Valley.
Published in Morning Call on Jun. 3, 2003.
Classmates Obituary:
Pat died in Bethlehem June 1, 2003. He would have liked the sound of that, even if it was Bethlehem, Pa.
He prepared at The Hill School. At Princeton he majored in geology. Pat participated in the Cane Spree and was a member of varsity crew, and the ski, yacht, Triangle, and Colonial clubs. He was regimental commander of ROTC.
During WWII, as a lieutenant colonel, he served as an aide to Gen. Patton in the European theater. He was decorated with the Croix de Guerre with Silver Star. After the war, Pat taught at St. Paul's School and was headmaster at Foxcroft. He received a master's from Columbia and a B.D. from Union Theological Seminary.
While assistant minister of the First Presbyterian Church in Oyster Bay, N.Y., Pat's book, The Village of Oyster Bay, was published. He then moved to Bethlehem, where he became chaplain at Moravian Academy. He was active on many boards, and returned to Princeton to conduct memorial services.
His classmates wish to express sincere condolences to Kitty, his wife of 57 years; stepson Richard Combs Jr.; sons Van S. III, Edmund, Grosvenor, and Barton; daughter Katherine; and 22 grandchildren.
The Class of 1940 Princeton University
He was a 1940 graduate of Princeton University and received a master's degree from Columbia University, New York City. He received a master's degree from Union Theological Seminary, Manhattan, N.Y., where he was ordained.
Born in New York City, he was a son of the late Van S. and Kate (Fowler) Merle-Smith. He was a member of First Presbyterian Church, Bethlehem. He was an Army veteran of World War II, serving as a lieutenant colonel, 1940-1946, and was an aide to General George S. Patton from the end of the war until the general's death in 1945.
He served on the boards of the Bach Choir, Bethlehem, The Hill School, Pottstown, Montgomery County, the former Bethlehem Area Foundation, and the Council for Religion in Independent Schools. He was a member of the Cruising Club of America.
Survivors: Wife; sons, Richard M. Combs of Aiken, S.C., Van Santvoord of New York City, Ted Merle-Smith of Keene Valley, N.Y., Grosvenor F. Merle-Smith of Charlottesville, Va., Barton N. Merle-Smith of Charlotte, Va.; daughter, Katie Dawson of Dillon, Mont.; foster sons, Normand Smith of Boston, Mass., Peter Smith of Gunnison, Colo., Tom Smith of Keene Valley, Nulsen Smith of Chestnut Hill, Mass.; foster daughter, Tracy McClelland of Keene Valley; 15 grandchildren, two great-grandchildren.
Services: 11 a.m. Wednesday, First Presbyterian Church, Bethlehem. Memorial services in Keene Valley at a later date. Arrangements, John F. Herron Funeral Home, Bethlehem. Contributions: Moravian Academy and Neighborhood House, Keene Valley.
Published in Morning Call on Jun. 3, 2003.
Classmates Obituary:
Pat died in Bethlehem June 1, 2003. He would have liked the sound of that, even if it was Bethlehem, Pa.
He prepared at The Hill School. At Princeton he majored in geology. Pat participated in the Cane Spree and was a member of varsity crew, and the ski, yacht, Triangle, and Colonial clubs. He was regimental commander of ROTC.
During WWII, as a lieutenant colonel, he served as an aide to Gen. Patton in the European theater. He was decorated with the Croix de Guerre with Silver Star. After the war, Pat taught at St. Paul's School and was headmaster at Foxcroft. He received a master's from Columbia and a B.D. from Union Theological Seminary.
While assistant minister of the First Presbyterian Church in Oyster Bay, N.Y., Pat's book, The Village of Oyster Bay, was published. He then moved to Bethlehem, where he became chaplain at Moravian Academy. He was active on many boards, and returned to Princeton to conduct memorial services.
His classmates wish to express sincere condolences to Kitty, his wife of 57 years; stepson Richard Combs Jr.; sons Van S. III, Edmund, Grosvenor, and Barton; daughter Katherine; and 22 grandchildren.
The Class of 1940 Princeton University
Rev. Van Santvoord Merle-Smith Jr., 85, of Bethlehem, died June 1 in Bethlehem. He was married to Katherine (Smith) Combs Merle-Smith for 56 years. A Presbyterian minister, he was headmaster and chaplain for Moravian Academy, Bethlehem, before retiring. Previously, he was chaplain for Moravian Seminary for Girls, which merged with Moravian Preparatory to become Moravian Academy. Earlier, he served a year at First Presbyterian Church, Oyster Bay, N.Y. Before that, he was headmaster for Foxcroft School, Middleburg, Va., and a teacher for St. Paul's School, Concord, N.H. He was a geologist for Texas Oil Co. before World War II.
He was a 1940 graduate of Princeton University and received a master's degree from Columbia University, New York City. He received a master's degree from Union Theological Seminary, Manhattan, N.Y., where he was ordained.
Born in New York City, he was a son of the late Van S. and Kate (Fowler) Merle-Smith. He was a member of First Presbyterian Church, Bethlehem. He was an Army veteran of World War II, serving as a lieutenant colonel, 1940-1946, and was an aide to General George S. Patton from the end of the war until the general's death in 1945.
He served on the boards of the Bach Choir, Bethlehem, The Hill School, Pottstown, Montgomery County, the former Bethlehem Area Foundation, and the Council for Religion in Independent Schools. He was a member of the Cruising Club of America.
Survivors: Wife; sons, Richard M. Combs of Aiken, S.C., Van Santvoord of New York City, Ted Merle-Smith of Keene Valley, N.Y., Grosvenor F. Merle-Smith of Charlottesville, Va., Barton N. Merle-Smith of Charlotte, Va.; daughter, Katie Dawson of Dillon, Mont.; foster sons, Normand Smith of Boston, Mass., Peter Smith of Gunnison, Colo., Tom Smith of Keene Valley, Nulsen Smith of Chestnut Hill, Mass.; foster daughter, Tracy McClelland of Keene Valley; 15 grandchildren, two great-grandchildren.
Services: 11 a.m. Wednesday, First Presbyterian Church, Bethlehem. Memorial services in Keene Valley at a later date. Arrangements, John F. Herron Funeral Home, Bethlehem. Contributions: Moravian Academy and Neighborhood House, Keene Valley.
Published in Morning Call on Jun. 3, 2003.
Classmates Obituary:
Pat died in Bethlehem June 1, 2003. He would have liked the sound of that, even if it was Bethlehem, Pa.
He prepared at The Hill School. At Princeton he majored in geology. Pat participated in the Cane Spree and was a member of varsity crew, and the ski, yacht, Triangle, and Colonial clubs. He was regimental commander of ROTC.
During WWII, as a lieutenant colonel, he served as an aide to Gen. Patton in the European theater. He was decorated with the Croix de Guerre with Silver Star. After the war, Pat taught at St. Paul's School and was headmaster at Foxcroft. He received a master's from Columbia and a B.D. from Union Theological Seminary.
While assistant minister of the First Presbyterian Church in Oyster Bay, N.Y., Pat's book, The Village of Oyster Bay, was published. He then moved to Bethlehem, where he became chaplain at Moravian Academy. He was active on many boards, and returned to Princeton to conduct memorial services.
His classmates wish to express sincere condolences to Kitty, his wife of 57 years; stepson Richard Combs Jr.; sons Van S. III, Edmund, Grosvenor, and Barton; daughter Katherine; and 22 grandchildren.
The Class of 1940 Princeton University
He was a 1940 graduate of Princeton University and received a master's degree from Columbia University, New York City. He received a master's degree from Union Theological Seminary, Manhattan, N.Y., where he was ordained.
Born in New York City, he was a son of the late Van S. and Kate (Fowler) Merle-Smith. He was a member of First Presbyterian Church, Bethlehem. He was an Army veteran of World War II, serving as a lieutenant colonel, 1940-1946, and was an aide to General George S. Patton from the end of the war until the general's death in 1945.
He served on the boards of the Bach Choir, Bethlehem, The Hill School, Pottstown, Montgomery County, the former Bethlehem Area Foundation, and the Council for Religion in Independent Schools. He was a member of the Cruising Club of America.
Survivors: Wife; sons, Richard M. Combs of Aiken, S.C., Van Santvoord of New York City, Ted Merle-Smith of Keene Valley, N.Y., Grosvenor F. Merle-Smith of Charlottesville, Va., Barton N. Merle-Smith of Charlotte, Va.; daughter, Katie Dawson of Dillon, Mont.; foster sons, Normand Smith of Boston, Mass., Peter Smith of Gunnison, Colo., Tom Smith of Keene Valley, Nulsen Smith of Chestnut Hill, Mass.; foster daughter, Tracy McClelland of Keene Valley; 15 grandchildren, two great-grandchildren.
Services: 11 a.m. Wednesday, First Presbyterian Church, Bethlehem. Memorial services in Keene Valley at a later date. Arrangements, John F. Herron Funeral Home, Bethlehem. Contributions: Moravian Academy and Neighborhood House, Keene Valley.
Published in Morning Call on Jun. 3, 2003.
Classmates Obituary:
Pat died in Bethlehem June 1, 2003. He would have liked the sound of that, even if it was Bethlehem, Pa.
He prepared at The Hill School. At Princeton he majored in geology. Pat participated in the Cane Spree and was a member of varsity crew, and the ski, yacht, Triangle, and Colonial clubs. He was regimental commander of ROTC.
During WWII, as a lieutenant colonel, he served as an aide to Gen. Patton in the European theater. He was decorated with the Croix de Guerre with Silver Star. After the war, Pat taught at St. Paul's School and was headmaster at Foxcroft. He received a master's from Columbia and a B.D. from Union Theological Seminary.
While assistant minister of the First Presbyterian Church in Oyster Bay, N.Y., Pat's book, The Village of Oyster Bay, was published. He then moved to Bethlehem, where he became chaplain at Moravian Academy. He was active on many boards, and returned to Princeton to conduct memorial services.
His classmates wish to express sincere condolences to Kitty, his wife of 57 years; stepson Richard Combs Jr.; sons Van S. III, Edmund, Grosvenor, and Barton; daughter Katherine; and 22 grandchildren.
The Class of 1940 Princeton University
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