Gary Bernard Mount

Gary Bernard Mount - May 14, 1944 - December 29, 2025
Gary Bernard Mount died peacefully at his home, Terhune Orchards, Princeton, NJ on Monday, December 29 following a courageous battle with glioblastoma brain cancer. He was known for his generosity, his impact on the agricultural community and his deep love of family.
Born in Princeton, NJ in 1944, to Bernard Mount and Lillian Meyer Mount, Gary was a life-long Princeton resident. Growing up on Mount Farms, located along Route 1, Gary and his three brothers had many adventures living along the canal on a working apple orchard.
Gary went to Princeton High School where he met his future wife, Pam. He then went on to attend Princeton University where he graduated magna cum laude in 1966. Gary and Pam married in 1967 and subsequently spent three transformative years as Peace Corps volunteers in Micronesia, in the South Pacific.
Upon their return, they purchased the 55-acre Terhune Orchards in Princeton. At the time, no one had bought farmland in the area to actively farm in decades, but they were determined to build a thriving, working retail farm. It was important to Gary to pursue a career and lifestyle that allowed him to spend as much time as possible with his children as they grew up.
Their hard work and vision paid off. Today, Terhune Orchards has grown into a successful 250-acre retail farming operation that helped ignite the community-based farming movement and has become a beloved destination in Central New Jersey for generations of families.
Gary was a visionary and driving force over the last 50 years for the agricultural and local community. In the early 1980's, through New Jersey Future, Gary spearheaded a grassroots effort that led to passage of the Farmland Preservation Act of 1982. The act enabled farmers to sell their development rights to the state, local government, or a conservation group with a deed restriction limiting future use of the property to farming. Today, a third of New Jersey farmland - including all of Terhune Orchards 250 acres - is preserved in this way.
He was active in securing funding for preservation of the Watershed Organic Farm and served on the board of the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association. He was also a commissioner of the New Jersey Water Supply Authority. In addition to his role in preserving farmland and open space, Gary was an impactful leader in many New Jersey agricultural organizations, including the state and Mercer County boards of agriculture, the Mercer County Soil Conservation District, the Trenton Farmers' Market board, the Howell Living History Farm founding trustee and board, Princeton Agricultural, NJ State Horticultural Assn, president and treasurer; International Fruit Tree Assn, trustee. In 2005, American Fruit Grower Magazine named him Apple Grower of the Year, and in 2012 the International Fruit Tree Association inducted him into its Hall of Fame. He was a mentor to many new and younger farmers, always welcoming and giving advice.
An avid learner his whole life, Gary strove to find new ways to grow crops, new technologies to implement, and always looked for a new challenge or innovation.
Outside of agriculture, Gary was active in the local rowing community. He served as captain, and then treasurer, of the Carnegie Lake Rowing Association for over 25 years, and his passion for rowing remained a central part of his life. A member of the great Princeton Class of 1966, Gary enjoyed hosting annual class dinners and maintained life-long friendships with his college roomates and classmates.
A devoted father and grandfather, Gary cherished time with his children and grandchildren, planting trees with them on the farm, attending school and sport functions and teaching them about farm life at every opportunity. He also shared his love of travel through family trips and his annual trips with his brothers.
Gary is survived by his wife of 58 years, Pamela Hazenhal Mount; his daughters, Reuwai M. Hanewald, Tannwen E. Mount, who now manage and operate the farm, and their respective spouses Michael S. Hanewald, James H.B. Washburn; and his grandchildren: Maya M. Hanewald, Sasha M. Hanewald, Tess M. Hanewald, Becket M. Washburn, Clayton M. Washburn, Hadley M. Washburn; also survived by son, Mark B. Mount, and brothers Lee Mount, Timothy Mount, and many beloved nieces, nephews, cousins and relatives. He was predeceased by his brother, William Mount.
Services and Contributions: A memorial service will be held on April 14, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road, Princeton, NJ. Agricultural research was a central passion for Gary, in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to New Jersey Horticultural Society Research Grants https://njshs.org and International Fruit Tree Association Research https://ifruittree.org/ifta-research-foundation