John C. Borden Jr. died peacefully at home, surrounded by family, on April 11. Born in New York City in 1929, he was a descendent of the prominent Borden textile family – which included the notorious Lizzie Borden – of Fall River, Massachusetts. John grew up in New York and Rumson and was educated at Phillips Exeter Academy and Yale University. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1951 and was stationed in Alaska before joining the family business, Borden Mills, in 1955.
He married the love of his life – the actress Gloria Jones – in 1955, and they moved to Princeton in the late 1950s to raise a family and become members of Princeton Friends Meeting. Spurred by a keen interest in photography, John founded Gallery 100 in 1960. The popular Nassau Street shop specialized in graphic design, framing, photography and art supplies, but also featured a gallery of original art, much of it by prominent New Jersey artists from the Roosevelt art community.
John’s true passion, however, lay in world peace, social justice and care for the underserved. Following the sale of Gallery 100 in the late 1960s, he dedicated himself to non-profit service both locally and abroad. As a professional fundraiser and consultant for the American Friends Service Committee, John traveled extensively to secure grants from European agencies for the support of famine relief, development and peace programs in Africa’s developing nations. John also served for almost 50 years as executive director and trustee of the Mary Owen Borden Foundation, where he provided grants and support to countless nonprofit organizations throughout New Jersey’s Mercer and Monmouth counties. He also helped found and served on the board of Princeton Community Housing, which became the largest provider of affordable housing in Princeton.
During his 60 years as a member of Princeton Friends Meeting, he served on virtually every volunteer committee, ran a thriving First Day School and provided significant support when Gloria committed herself to establishing the Princeton Friends School in the 1980s. He was actively engaged in nuclear disarmament efforts over the years. He was also an active and longtime member of Princeton’s Community Without Walls as a member of House 2.
Throughout his life, John was an avid gardener, an enthusiastic tennis player, a patient fly fisherman and dedicated baseball and opera fan. Predeceased by his wife Gloria in 2014, he is survived by his sister, Linda McKean of Rumson; his daughters, Rebecca Bunnell and Julia Kennedy of Fairfield, Connecticut; his sons, Thomas of Newport, Rhode Island and Samuel of Amherst, Massachusetts; and by the 12 grandchildren and one great-grandchild who were his greatest pride and joy.
Gifts in John’s memory may be made to the American Friends Service Committee, 1501 Cherry St., Philadelphia, PA 19102 or to the Princeton Friends Meeting, 470 Quaker Road, Princeton, NJ 08540. A memorial gathering will be held at the Princeton Friends Meetinghouse on June 16 at 10 a.m.
