Archive | 2017

James “Wes” Tribble passed away on June 13th.  He was in every sense a citizen.  Graduated from the University of Texas, Wes joined the Marines and served in Vietnam with the rank of Major.  Following that, Wes joined USAID, serving in Vientiane, Nairobi and Cairo. A highlight with USAID was his direction of the Commodity Import Program in Egypt – a world-class effort with a world-class team and leadership.  His family was always with him – Wes always present at his kids’ sports.  He also served on school boards – an all round good citizen.

Wes retired in 1981 but kept his hand in on foreign assistance.  Wes founded the American Manufacturers Export Group (AMEG), a successful international consulting and technical services company.  It has had contracts with WHO, IITA, Population Council, USAID/Egypt, US Treasury and US Army.   Wes was a member of AFSA, the National Eagle Scout Association, the American Legion, the Marine Corps League and Masons.

Missed, but hardly forgotten.

Janet Ballantyne, a retired foreign service officer at the Agency for International Development (USAID), died of a respiratory condition at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland on August 30 after a months-long illness. She was 78 years old and lived for many years in Chevy Chase West.

Born in North Hempstead, New York, she spent her early years in Kettering, Ohio. She received a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University in 1961, a master’s degree in public administration from Syracuse University in 1962, and a PhD in international development from Cornell’s School of Business in 1976.

Dr. Ballantyne spent 33 years with USAID, serving at Washington headquarters and in six country and regional programs—Peru, Nepal, Morocco, Nicaragua, Russia, and the Central Asian Republics. She was deputy mission director in Nepal and Morocco and mission director in Nicaragua, Russia, and the Central Asian Republics. In Washington, she served first as an economist in the Bureau for Latin America, and later as deputy assistant administrator in four bureaus. Following her last overseas tour, as USAID’s principal representative in Moscow, she served two years as USAID Professor at the National War College in Washington. Her final assignment was as counselor to the agency. She was frequently asked which of these assignments she liked the most, a question she could never answer, because she loved them all.

She was predeceased by her husband Robert P. Murphy, a former Peace Corps volunteer and USAID contractor who she met in Nepal.

Dr. Ballantyne retired from USAID in 2002 with the rank of career minister and joined the firm Abt Associates at its Bethesda location where she served as group vice president of its international programs. In 2007, she returned to USAID at the request of a new administrator and served as senior deputy assistant administrator for the Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean for five years before retiring a second time in 2012.

In 2016 she was recognized by USAID’s administrator for a lifetime of service to the agency and the American people and extraordinary commitment to global development.

Since retiring, Dr. Ballantyne continued to work in development. She was a recurring consultant for Arizona State University, and did shorter consulting jobs for a number of private firms and at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). She served on the board of the Institute for Sustainable Communities, a nonprofit organization based in Vermont, and in Bethesda was an active member of the congregation at Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church.

Dr. Ballantyne is survived by her son John Ernesto Murphy-Ballantyne, her daughter-in-law Marisol Murphy-Ballantyne, and their daughter, Janet’s greatly loved granddaughter Stela, as well as her brother John Ballantyne, his wife Darly and nieces and nephews. She also leaves her beloved aging Lhasa Apso, Marley, who will be rehomed with a friend until he joins her.

A memorial service will be held on September 24, 2017 at Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church in Bethesda, MD. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society or Pets-DC.

Patricio Maldonado Lince was born on the 8^th of December, 1941 in Quito, Ecuador.  He passed away on August 21^st, 2017.  Patricio was one of five brothers and sisters.  He is survived by Anicia – his wife of 53 years, his son Patricio and his wife Maria Belen, his son Juan Carlos and his wife Susana, and his daughter Anicia (Nena) as well as his sisters Elena and Maria Paulina and four grandchildren.

Patricio joined USAID/Ecuador in 1964 as an FSN Private Sector Officer working on the program to develop the National Productivity Center.  In the early 1970s, USAID Mission Director Peter Cody moved him into the Program Office.  Patricio and Peter had a very close relationship, and Patricio saw him as an important mentor for his career.

By the late 1970s, Patricio was essentially the USAID/Ecuador Program Officer and remained as such throughout the 1980s and 1990s, until his retirement in 2002. He was considered one of USAID’s most senior and effective Foreign Service National employees, working across many different sectors and programs Throughout his USAID career, he played a key role in implementing projects with the private sector and civil society organizations, managed participant training and the small projects fund, and helped groups expand non-traditional exports.

According to former USAID Mission Director, John Sanbrailo, “Patricio was the heart and soul of USAID/Ecuador for more than 30 years and his spirit lives on in those Ecuadorians and Americans who have joined arms to advance the country’s development and integration.”

Subsequently, he worked for the Ecuadorian government’s Northern Border Development program funded by USAID and other donors to stabilize this conflictive region and aid the large number of Colombian displaced persons who were streaming into Ecuador.  He then served as a consultant for the Pan American Development Foundation. Patricio later joined Casals & Associates as project director for anti-corruption projects throughout Latin America.

Patricio had a very strong character and was a very caring person who set a wonderful example for others.  He loved both his family and his work.  He enjoyed tennis and music. He was very passionate about bull-fighting and was President of the Plaza de Toros in Quito.

We will miss our friend, colleague and confidant. Thank you Patricio for being an important part of our lives.

LeRoy Kermit Knutson of Springfield, Virginia, passed away on Monday, August 28, 2017, at age 80. He was born in Illinois and grew up in Midland, Michigan. Lee received his undergraduate degree from Michigan State University.

He was selected by the International Voluntary Service, the precursor to the Peace Corps, to serve two years in Liberia, Africa. His job was to build what the tribal leaders decided would improve the quality of life of the villagers. Upon returning to the US, he enrolled in graduate school and earned a Master’s Degree in International Development.

Lee wanted to find ways to help people consider what they needed to live a healthier lifestyle and then, by working with them, help them to achieve their goals. His dream came true when was hired by the Agency for International Development (AID) to go to the Philippines where he lived and worked for the better part of ten years. He then returned to the United States to work for the State Department: American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (ASHA).

Lee had a passion for his retirement property in West Virginia which bordered the Monongahela National Forest. He designed and (along with many friends and family members) built a cabin and a “summer kitchen” fashioned after the kind he had seen in the villages in Liberia. Many wonderful visits were spent at this retreat.

He is survived by his wife, Linda Pierce Knutson, of 23 years. He is also survived by his brother, Carl O. (Linda) Knutson, M.D.; his former wife and the mother of his children, Barbara J. Knutson; his three children: Ann Knutson (Keith) Parrish of Winston-Salem, North Carolina; David Knutson (Kathy Melanson) of Arlington, Virginia; John (Jennifer) Knutson and their children (Kyle and Tyler Knutson) of Bristow, Virginia; his two step-children: Christopher (Leeza) Pierce and their children (Sasha and Anya Pierce) of Carmel Valley, California; and Lisa Pierce (Thomas) Harnisch and their children (Grace and Eleanor Harnisch) of New City, New York.

On Thursday, August 31, 2017, Bernice Goldstein, age 90, of Washington, DC passed away. Bernice’s distinguished career in international service spanned postings as a U.S. State Department Foreign Service Officer in Hamburg, Germany and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, preceded by relief work with the American Friends Service Committee in Mexico and Germany in the 1940’s. She later served with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in support of Latin America programs.

She was a proud graduate of Philadelphia High School for Girls and the University of Pennsylvania, with subsequent studies at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton. She also was a longtime volunteer at The John F. Kennedy Center for The Performing Arts and resident of the Watergate Apartments.

Our good friend and colleague, Tony Funicello, passed away October 8th in Orlando, FL after a long struggle with cancer. He was 76.

Tony was born in Utica, NY.   After graduating from college, he joined the Peace Corps in 1965 and was assigned to Ethiopia for two years. Following that, he worked for USAID in Senegal, Sudan, Ethiopia, Thailand, Vietnam, Panama and Bolivia, where he made many friends who will miss his ready smile and good humor.

He retired in 1989. Tony’s second career was with Track Masters where he was Chief Racecar Instructor for racing aficionados.

Tony is survived by his wife, Lisa.

May he rest in peace.

Jeanne Kinney, 85, Foreign Service Officer and wife of the late USAID FSO Bert Tollefson Jr., died on March 28 in Phoenix, Ariz.

Ms. Kinney was born on May 14, 1931, in Chicago, Ill. Her father’s automobile business took the family from Chicago to Milwaukee, Wisc.; and then to Short Hills, N.J.; Gary, Ind.; Davenport, Iowa and Rock Island, Ill. She graduated from St. Joseph’s High School in Rock Island and St. Ambrose College in Davenport. After retiring, she earned a master’s degree at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

Ms. Kinney began her government career in the Illinois State Attorney’s office in Rock Island. From there, at age 23, she went to Washington, D.C., to work for the Foreign Operations Administration, the predecessor of the U.S. Agency for Interna­tional Development. Her overseas assignments during her career with USAID and State included Turkey, Vietnam, Morocco, Iraq and Lebanon. She survived the bombing of the Ameri­can embassy in Beirut on Sept. 20, 1984, and received the State Department’s medal for heroism in Lebanon.

Retiring in Tucson and Phoenix, Ariz., she was active in the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Foreign Service Retirees’ Association and the Arizona Federation of Republican Women (she founded the Lincoln Republican Women’s Club). She also worked on alumni events in Phoenix for St. Ambrose College and Loyola University, and she was recognized for these services by both schools.

Her photographs of the Middle East were on display at the University of Arizona in Tucson’s Middle East Center and her photographs of Catholic churches in Arizona were printed in the Phoenix Diocese calendar for two years.

Ms. Kinney was preceded in death by her husband, Bert M. Tollefson Jr., who died in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Arlene Erickson Mitchell, 82, died on May 17 in North Palm Beach, Fla., surrounded by her family. The daughter of Lenora Olson Erickson and Lewis E. Erickson, a minister, Mrs. Mitchell was born on the family farm in Maryfield, Saskatchewan, Canada, where they raised cattle and grew wheat.

After graduation from Maryfield High School, she moved to Minneapolis, Minn., where she attended business school and worked as a stenographer. Her passion for music and natural ability to play the piano had begun as a child, and continued throughout her life.

In 1966, she joined the U.S. Foreign Service as an executive secretary for the U.S. Agency for International Development. For the next three decades she served in assignments around the world, including postings in Liberia, Ethiopia, Korea, Thailand, Pakistan, Syria, Niger and Egypt. She received the distinguished Meritorious Honor Award from the Department of State for her devotion to duty under extremely hazardous and difficult circumstances in Islamabad.

In 1982, she married the love of her life, Stanley D. Mitchell. She enjoyed fishing trips with her husband, both overseas and with the West Palm Beach Fishing Club. Mrs. Mitchell loved to garden and grew broccoli, hot peppers, tomatoes and flowers. One of her true passions was cooking, and she prepared many gourmet meals for friends and family. She often spent hours poring over recipes to choose the best ingredients and cooking methods.

Throughout her years in the Foreign Service, she loved entertaining and hosting parties, enjoying the company of other expatriates and local community members. Parties often involved piano playing, singing and delicious meals. Friends and family members remember her graciousness, especially when welcoming people into her home. They recall her spunky, adventurous spirit and wry sense of humor that brought laughter and joy to those around her.

Following her retirement from the Foreign Service, Mrs. Mitchell lived in North Palm Beach for nearly 30 years.

John “Jack” Garney of Sun City, Arizona, passed away on October 21, 2017. Born in Minneapolis, MN in 1927 to the late George and Mary Garney, née Boyce, John grew up and attended school in St. Paul, MN. He graduated high school from Cretin (ROTC – Staff Sergeant) and with a B.A. in Political Science from the College of St. Thomas. He met his wife, Amelia “Joy” Wojack, a student at the College of St. Catherine’s in St. Paul, through their passion for politics and bridge.

John did a considerable amount of volunteer work for the early campaigns of Hubert Humphrey (VP 1965-1969) and Eugene McCarthy (D-MN). He enlisted in the Navy under the V-5 program in July 1945, was discharged in 1946, and was commissioned as a Naval Reserve officer after graduation from college. In 1971, he was warded two medals for his Civilian Service in Vietnam.

John was dedicated to his job and to the service of his country. He joined the U.S. Agency of International Development (USAID) in 1956. When friends asked him about his job, he replied “It’s so rewarding – Just ask when and not what.” He started his USAID career as a Personnel Officer in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and from there he was promoted to Executive Officer and assigned to Tanzania, Kenya, Vietnam, Thailand, Washington DC, the Philippines, Guatemala, and Honduras. After retiring with the rank of Counselor in the Senior Foreign Service, John returned to USAID as a contractor working in Honduras, Tanzania, Somalia, Burundi, Czechoslovakia, Pakistan/Afghanistan, Botswana, and Swaziland.

With the exception of living in Taiwan while he was in Vietnam, his wife and six children traveled and lived with him during the first eighteen years and visited him throughout the following twenty-two years. The two youngest children were born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In a 1965 interview with the Minneapolis Star Tribune, John stated that he viewed his career “As a chance to do something humanitarian,” and “It’s certainly a matter of building up and not knocking down.”

John enjoyed his life overseas, not just in his service to his country but also as a consummate traveler. He and his family enjoyed every one of his assignments and took full advantage of the opportunity to explore their new homes as well other countries along the way. John loved to drive and he could drive any car in any country, no matter the conditions. One of his favorite adventures was when he summited Mt. Kilimanjaro in 1963.

John made many friends throughout his life, keeping in contact with many of them his whole life. He was known for his fierce bridge playing and played at every post and far into his retirement. He loved to play a good game of tennis, golf, and bowling with family and friends. He volunteered for the St. Michael’s Parish SHARE Program, in Annandale, VA, as well as the Sun City, AZ PRIDES (Proud Residents Independently Donating Essential Services). He was on the Board of Directors at the international schools in Tanzania and Thailand. After fully retiring, John pursued his genealogy by traveling to Canada and the Midwest for his research. He would also jump in his car and travel the US to visit family and friends. He was a man who couldn’t sit still.

In 2006, he moved to Sun City, Arizona, where he spent his last eleven years at Royal Oaks retirement community (RO) where he was very well taken care of by his loving companion, Dorothy Warner, a good friend of the Garney family since the early Ethiopian years. His final years were spent in RO’s Friendship House (a skilled memory unit) and the Care Center where in both locations, he received the utmost compassionate care from all the RO staff. He is survived by his six children, Debbie Ciminski of Naples, FL; Lynn Garney of San Francisco, CA; Celia Wolter of Alexandria, VA; Geoffrey Garney (Virginia) of Alexandria, VA; Tennessee Garney (Kyung Mi) of Yorktown, VA; Suzanne Garney (Dan Kane) of Santa Fe, NM; and his four grandchildren Jesse, Monica, Claire, and Georgia. He is remembered by numerous relatives and dear friends all over the world. He is preceded in death by his sister Elizabeth, his brother Thomas, and his wife Joy Garney.

Thomas James Mehen, 81, of McLean, VA passed away in his home on November 10, 2017. Tom was born and raised in Charleston, WV, and served in the US Navy after finishing Charleston Catholic high school. He received a BA and MBA from Cornell University and an MSC from the London School of Economics.

He served as an Economist at the US Agency for International Development and the Department of State for over 40 years, where he worked extensively in Latin America, Africa, Eastern Europe, as well as Afghanistan and Pakistan. In his early seventies, he finished his career in public service as an Americorps volunteer in Guam.

He was a voracious reader, a world traveler, an ardent sports fan, and a loving father. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Elizabeth Mehen, his sister Caroline, his sons Thomas, George, and Michael, and his grandchildren Zoey, Amelia, and Connor.