Recent Tributes
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James Beebe, Ph.D.
John Winston Walker
John Winston Walker, Sr., born January 30, 1926, in East Liverpool, Ohio died at the age of 97 in his home in Oak Hill, Virginia on May 22, 2023. He was the son of Marcella C. Daugherty and Clifford Walker.
Jack served in the Army Air Corps in the Pacific on a B-29 Bomber during WWII. After returning and marrying his wife Dolores he attended The Ohio State University School of Veterinarian Medicine class of 1951. Jack retired from a full career with The Department of Agriculture, Animal Health in Washington, DC. He went on to enjoy a second career with USAID and lived in Pakistan and Somalia with his wife Dolores. They both loved traveling to many less traveled corners of the globe and loved sharing their stories around the table with family and friends enjoying the wonderful meals prepared by Dolores’s loving hands.
Jack loved running, completing several Marine Corps marathons, and hiking on the Appalachian Trail. He seldom missed a chance to watch Ohio State football or Redskins games. Jack was an avid gardener and each spring anxiously anticipated his much-loved tomato harvest.
His wife of 74 years, Dolores Pizzica Walker, died in 2020. Their son John Winston Walker Jr. preceded them in death in 1990. He is survived by his sister Mary Jane Noyes and his son, William David Walker (Betsy) and two daughters, Melissa A. Werthmann (Andy) and Nancy J. Bear (Terry) and their five grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.
Jack was interred with his wife Dolores in Arlington National Cemetery.
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Published by The Washington Post on Nov. 3, 2024.
Richard Paul Rosenberg
Richard Paul Rosenberg, 79, of Reston, VA passed away with gratitude for his life on October 10, 2024. He was born on November 29,1944 in Detroit, the first of four sons of Kathryn Regina Widmer and Arthur Bernard Rosenberg.
Rich was a member of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) from 1962 until 1977, received his BA from Loyola University of Chicago and taught at Walsh Jesuit High School in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, from 1968-1970. He taught English, Math, and Latin and moderated the Glee Club. He graduated Harvard Law School in 1977, and practiced law in Chicago three years before moving to the DC area to manage the office of Mr. Daniel Parker in late 1979. He worked with Parker’s national and international projects, especially Omniflight Helicopters Inc. in Janesville, Wisconsin, where he served on the board.
In 1983 he joined the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), where he led USAID’s efforts aimed at strengthening the private sector in both Costa Rica and Bolivia. In Costa Rica, his work led to a massive increase in nontraditional exports and new investment in the country. His support for CINDE, Costa Rica’s investment promotion agency, was successful to the point that it is now considered the world’s most successful investment promotion and whose model is copied around the world. In Bolivia, Rich led and supported groundbreaking programs with Bolivia’s premier microfinance institution, Banco Sol, that became the model for innovative and successful micro finance operations both regionally and internationally.
From 1995 until retirement in 2006, Rich was the Senior Advisor for the Consultive Group for Assisting the Poor (CGAP) in the World Bank. CGAP helped poor people throughout the world get financing for entrepreneurial opportunities. Mr. Rosenberg was one of the principal architects for CGAP’s growth and development and helped 30 or so aligned development agencies throughout the world. He was also one of the founders and the Senior Faculty Member of the Boulder Institute of Microfinance.
He is survived by his wife of 47 years Linda Joslin Rosenberg and a daughter, Monica Rosenberg, both of Reston; a son, Arthur Rowan, who lives in Kissimmee, Florida with wife Kelly Morris Rowan and three-year-old twins Atticus and Lincoln; his brother Arthur David Rosenberg and his wife Betsy Jarratt; his brother Phillip Rosenberg; and his loving dog Waldo.
Rich was a member of the Nova Catholic Community in Arlington, VA and active in the Insight Meditation Community of Washington. He served on the founding leadership team of the DC Ignatian Spirituality Project (ISP), a nondenominational spiritual-accompaniment program to help men and women overcome addiction and homelessness.
Rich had a wicked sense of humor. His house was the one with the alligator on the roof at Christmas. He was a fine pianist and gave several concerts for friends in Costa Rica and Reston. He and his wife, Linda, directed Christmas Choirs in San Jose and La Paz that provided music for Protestant and Catholic services as well as parties in the American and British Embassies. Rich leaves behind friends in many parts of the world whose lives he has touched. In the words of one, “Rich combined a stunning intellect with a warmth and humanity that made people love him”.
A memorial Mass and celebration will be held on November 15 at 10:00 a.m. at the Unity of Fairfax in Oakton, 2854 Hunter Mill Road. To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Published by The Washington Post on Oct. 27, 2024.
Frank Joseph Young
Frank Joseph Young, 74 years old, died peacefully at his home in Sarasota, Florida, on Thursday, September 26, 2024, in the loving presence of his immediate family. He had been diagnosed with serious brain cancer in early May.
Born in Rhode Island, he and his family moved to Modesto, California when he was three years old. He spent his youth in the San Joaquin Valley, enjoying debating and singing. With time, he decided that he wanted to see life beyond the US coasts. In his recent book “47 Aerogrammes: A Passage Through India 1969-1970” and in podcasts and oral history interviews, he highlighted pivotal moments in his college year abroad which inspired him to spend his life in a wider world. His early career took him to Washington DC as a legislative aide to Stockton’s member of Congress. Later he joined the US Foreign Service with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in 1976 launching his 36-year diplomatic career.
When not occupying various senior leadership positions with the State Department and USAID in Washington, DC, Frank served overseas in the Philippines, India, Bangladesh and Ghana. He taught diplomacy to senior officers at the National War College and courses on development at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School DC campus and the State Department’s Foreign Service Institute. Frank was USAID Mission Director in Ghana from 1998-2002 and during his six years in Bangladesh, he was USAID Deputy Mission Director from 1992-1994.
Retiring initially in 2005, Frank did short stints in the private sector as a vice president at Abt Associates, a Boston-based consulting firm, and General Dynamics where he helped establish the Pentagon’s Africa Command. He came out of retirement in 2010 to serve as USAID’s Acting Administrator for Asia, to do brief assignments as USAID Director in India and Thailand, and to contribute to USAID’s major leadership initiative to recruit new officers. He ended his diplomatic career in 2016 with a time in the State Department’s Inspector General’s Office.
In his later years, Frank split most of his time between Sarasota, Florida and Ottawa, Canada. He continued contributing and sharing his expertise on several boards and councils including the USAID Alumni Association, the Foreign Service Retirees Association of Florida and the University of the Pacific School of International Studies. Frank loved to take educational cruises, the last being to Norway, where he accomplished his longtime dream of seeing the northern lights. He is survived by his wife Patricia Oxley Young, daughter Andrea, son Alexander, daughter-in-law Crystal, and his beloved grandson.
Frank held a BA in International Relations from the University of the Pacific’s Callison College, MA and PhD from Tuft University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and an MS degree in National Security Studies at the National War College. He was recognized in multiple career service awards.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Glioblastoma Research Organization (https://www.gbmresearch.org/) or Brain Cancer Canada (https://braincancercanada.ca/).
Arthur Smith
Arthur Smith of Washington, DC, passed on Sunday, September 22, 2024. Born in Thomasville, GA, on October 12, 1929, Arthur was the youngest of seven children belonging to James Edward Smith and Frances Smith. Arthur, a veteran of the U.S. Army who served in Korea and Japan, attended Hampton Institute from 1946 to 1947 and then finished his BBA studies at Case Western Reserve University. He then received his MBA in accounting from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. After becoming a Certified Public Accountant, Arthur went on to have a respected career as Controller for the Agency of International Development and, later, the United Nations.
Arthur is survived by: his wife, Earlene Smith (of Cleveland, OH); sister, Mae Frances Holland (Miami, FL); and a host of nieces and nephews. Memorial services will be held on Sunday, October 13, 2024, at Foundry United Methodist Church at 1 p.m, 1500 16th St NW. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Jack Hadley Black History Museum with “Arthur Smith Memoriam” in the memo.
Published by The Washington Post on Sep. 29, 2024.
Paula Sigrid Harrell
Devoted wife, mother, grandmother and friend, as well as an accomplished scholar, teacher, and violinist, Paula Sigrid Harrell (née Johnson) passed away peacefully on September 3, 2024, due to medical complications arising from cancer.
Born July 28,1939 in Hartford, CT, Paula was raised in a family of educators and spent much of her formative years in Mexico and Burma which inspired her lifelong interest and passion for history, language and culture. She received a B.A. in Russian Studies from Smith College (’59) and a Masters (’64) and Doctorate (’70) in East Asian Studies and Chinese history from Columbia University where she met her devoted husband of 58 years, Ed Harrell, in Japanese language class.
Ed lovingly described Paula as “the best student in the class while I was the worst”. They had three children together, Erik and twins Matthew and Philip, and in the 1970’s spent eight years overseas in Thailand and Jordan, where Ed served as Mission Director of the Agency of International Development (AID) and Paula served as a Project Specialist for USAID.
After returning with her family to Chevy Chase, MD in 1981, Paula served twelve years in the World Bank’s China Department, where she took part in the appraisal, negotiation, and supervision of a series of Bank-financed projects that helped jump start China’s economic takeoff in the 1980s. An expert in both China and Japan, and fluent in both languages, Paula published two books on China-Japan relations: Asia for the Asians (MerwinAsia/WEAI-Columbia University, 2012) and Sowing the Seeds of Change (Stanford University, 1992) and later taught Chinese history as an Adjunct Professor at both Georgetown University and the University of Maryland.
An outstanding violinist and passionate believer in the power of music to aid in healing and personal development, Paula was also a dedicated musician, who served fifteen years as a violinist in the Avanti Orchestra in Washington DC. Besides her inspiring career and academic achievements, her three sons will best remember her for being a deeply caring, supportive and loving mother and grandmother. She will be deeply missed.
She is survived by her three sons, and her dear daughters-in-law, Marit, Liz, and Brooke as well as her 10 beautiful grandchildren Emilia, Mattias, Julia, Carson, Anna, Tessa, Andrew, Tommy, Libby and Emma. Services private. Paula’s family welcomes any contributions in Paula’s name to
https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/
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Published by The Washington Post on Sep. 15, 2024.
Howard Rolf Hong
Howard Rolf Hong, retired Sr. FSO/IG passed away August 12, 2024.
Rolf and Penny Hong in 2013
Passing of retired Office of Special Investigations (OSI) Special Agent (Lt Col) Howard Rolf Hong. (Adapted from Ken Seqin, USAF/OSI Special Agent)
It is with great sadness that I post the passing of retired Lt. Col. Rolf Hong, age 81, on August 12, 2024, in Doctors Regional Hospital in Corpus Christi, Texas. His wife of 47+ years, Penny, and son, Brian were with him. He was born 11/06/1942 in Northfield, MN, the second oldest of what became a large family of 8 children. His parents were Dr. Howard Hong and Edna Hatlestad Hong of St. Olaf College.
Rolf was my first Detachment Commander when I arrived as a new agent at OSI Detachment 1108, Carswell AFB, TX. He was an awesome, calm commander with a great sense of humor who was proud of his Norwegian heritage and hailed from Minnesota. During my time at the Detachment (1974-1976), I recall other co-workers who worked for Rolf (whom we called “Chief”) — Secretary Aline Quenon, and Special Agents Steve Minger, Ron Watson, Doug Crewse, Bob Cote, Chuck Poston, Bob Montgomery, Bob Amaon and Mary Dickey. Rolf had earlier (1970-71) served as OSI Detachment Commander in Danang, Vietnam. After leaving active duty as a Captain, Rolf remained in the USAF/OSI Reserve program, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. In his civilian occupation he rose to the ranks of a Senior Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)/Office of the Inspector General, serving in Cairo, Egypt, and Nairobi, Kenya, as well as in USAID/Washington.
He leaves to mourn his passing his wife Penny, who was also a Foreign Service Officer in USAID, and three children (Krestin, Brian, Karyn); seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Donald Thomas McNelis
It is with profound sorrow that we share the passing of Markham, Virginia, resident Dr. Donald Thomas McNelis, the sixth president of St. Thomas Aquinas College. He departed this life peacefully on August 13, 2024, at Delray Medical Center in Delray Beach, Florida. In his final moments, he was surrounded by Romaine, his devoted wife of 54 years, John, his loving son, and Avery Leigh and Megan Riley, his adoring granddaughters.
Born on September 26, 1932, in Plymouth, Pennsylvania, he was the fourth son of John Thomas McNelis and Margaret Young McNelis. His father was a conductor on the Delaware Lackawanna Western Railway, and his mother was a teacher and homemaker.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his three brothers, Dr. John, Dr. Robert, and James McNelis. Additionally, he was preceded in death by his two infant children, Donald Thomas II and Mary Margaret. He is survived by extended family.
Donald T. McNelis will be remembered not only for his remarkable leadership and contributions to St. Thomas Aquinas College but also for the enduring love and legacy he leaves with his family. He was an amazing son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and friend. He was a kind and generous man with a compassionate heart. He served as a teacher, administrator, foreign service officer, and college president. A graduate of Kingston High School (PA), Dr. McNelis received his Bachelor’s degree from Bloomsburg University and his Master’s as well as his Doctorate from George Washington University. He did postdoctoral work at the Foreign Services Institute of the US Department of State, Boston University, and Columbia University. Dr. McNelis had a wide variety of experiences. After a stint as a cryptographer with the US Army, stationed at The Pentagon, he worked for the US State Department as an education advisor stationed in Ethiopia. In 1966 Dr. McNelis left government service and accepted a position as Dean of Instruction at Hagerstown Junior College (MD). Subsequently, he held teaching/administrative positions at the College of Steubenville (OH) and Lock Haven State College (PA) before joining the faculty/administration at St. Thomas Aquinas College (NY) as Professor and Academic Dean in 1970. He served in that position until 1974, when he was selected as the 6th President of the College. Dr. McNelis was the first lay President under the founding Dominican Sisters. He held this position for twenty-one years (1974-1995) when he was named President Emeritus. Dr. McNelis dedicated his life to St. Thomas Aquinas College (STAC) and STAC’s good health for 25 years. Dr. McNelis was synonymous with STAC. During his stewardship, the college not only received national recognition but doubled in size, both in enrollment and physical space. One of his most notable accomplishments was achieving 21 consecutive years of balanced budgets. In 1988-89 he was on professional leave from STAC as a Senior Fellow with the Council of Independent Colleges in Washington, DC. He was particularly heartened by the national recognition that STAC received, including several strong national rankings by Money Magazine. He said, “We discovered the operative formula in the early years of my involvement at STAC. If we provide quality education at an affordable cost, in a caring, embracing environment, on a beautiful state-of-the-art campus, the students will seek us out.” In 1998, he was awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters Degree from STAC. Following his retirement, he served as a higher education consultant for a variety of colleges/universities throughout the country, including serving as Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty at Marymount College in Tarrytown, NY. During his long career, Dr. McNelis accumulated regional and national activities, including being a member of the Council of Presidents of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics; a Trustee of the Council of Independent College and Universities; a Board Member of the Council for the Advancement of Small Colleges; a member of The Registry for retired college presidents; a member of the New York State Senate Advisory Committee on Higher Education; a Trustee, College of Mount Saint Vincent (NY); a member of the Board of Directors of ROMIC; a Director with the Rockland County Housing Action Coalition and the Rockland County Bioscience Park Corp. He served as President of the Associated Colleges of the Mid-Hudson area, a founding Board Member of Junior Achievement of Rockland; and President of Rockland County/St. Lucia Partners of America; an 18-year Board Member of Rockland Economic Development Committee (REDC), chairing its 1998- 2008 Task Force on Economic Growth, as well as serving as co-chair of REDC Forty Under 40 Program for a number of years. For 27 years, he was a Director of Provident (NY) Bank, having initially served as Director of Union Saving Bank of Mamaroneck (NY) for five years. He also was a member of Rockland Country Club, the former Lions Club of Valley Cottage, and the American Legion. In every action, he exemplified what it means to live a life of purpose, guided by a profound sense of empathy and a deep-seated desire to uplift and inspire. His legacy is not merely one of kind deeds but of a life richly lived, one where the happiness of others was his greatest reward.
A mass of Christian Burial was held Thursday, September 5, 2024, at St. John The Baptist Roman Catholic Church, Front Royal, Virginia. The interment will be private at Gate of Heaven Cemetery Silver Spring, Maryland. A special Memorial service will be held at St. Thomas Aquinas College.
Contributions can be made in Dr. McNelis’s memory to St. Thomas Aquinas College, Route 340, Sparkhill, New York 10976, St. John The Baptist Roman Catholic Church, 120 West Main Street, Front Royal Virginia 22630, or to the charity of your choice.
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Published by The Washington Post on Sep. 10, 2024.
Edward Michael Malloy
Edward Michael Malloy died peacefully on August 6, 2024. Beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend, Ed led a long, lively and fruitful life. Ed was born in Jackson Heights, New York, attending Regis High School and earning a B.S. from Manhattan College and a M.S. from Adelphi University. He grew up playing basketball throughout the city, and at 6’6″ played center for his high school and college teams. In 1962 he started a life on the move by volunteering with the Peace Corps in Nigeria where he taught science at Ibadan Boys’ Grammar School. His travels through Nigeria on his Peace Corps issued motor scooter fed his love of exploration and cultural immersion resulting in his writing a guidebook of Nigeria for Peace Corps volunteers. On leaving the Peace Corps in 1964 he traveled some 2000 miles in a jeep convey across the Sahara Desert to Tangiers, Morocco and continued to explore Spain until his money ran out.
Ed joined the U.S. Foreign Service in 1967, landing his first assignment as Economic Officer in Jakarta and Surabaja, Indonesia, where he met his wife Iris. They were married in Cambridge, Massachusetts. As Science Attache in Paris, France from 1972 -1975 he found himself in the middle of the OPEC oil embargo and used the unfolding events as source material for his Ph.D. dissertation, “France, the Alliances and the Global Energy Crisis.”
He received his Ph.D. in International Relations from George Washington University in 1978. Ed further served as Science Minister Counselor in Belgrade, Brasilia, Bonn and Tokyo.
On returning to Washington, DC from Tokyo in 1993, he taught Foreign Affairs at George Washington University while continuing to work on science policy at the State Department. Upon retiring after a 30-year career in the Foreign Service, he worked for USAID on telecommunication solutions for developing countries.
Between foreign assignments Ed lived in the Bannockburn Community, Bethesda, MD, for 45 years and was active in community affairs. In the 1980’s he steered a collaborative effort of residents to address environmental concerns over a dense townhouse development without environmental safeguards proposed for the community. Working five years with county officials, legal experts and a change of builders, the residents agreed to the construction of single-family houses with hard won conservation easements.
In his spare time Ed was a fierce foe on the tennis court, a fan of fine French cuisine and boxes of Breyers ice cream and a bodysurfer in search of “the biggest wave” from Australia to the Delaware coast. Warm and entertaining, Ed loved socializing with family, friends and newly-mets in discussions usually carrying well into the night.
He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Iris; children Tara and Matthew, son-in-law Preston and grandchildren Calista, Nadia, Coralie and Isaac. He is predeceased by brother John and sister Marilyn. He will be dearly missed. Celebratory services to be scheduled later.
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Published by The Washington Post on Aug. 29, 2024.
Syed Aamir Hussain
Syed Aamir Hussain, senior budget analyst with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), died May 12, 2024, in Glen Burnie, Maryland, at the age of 61. From 1992 to 2010, Mr. Hussain served as a Foreign Service national and financial specialist in Kuwait. He then worked as a contractor in the Bureau of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services in Charleston, North Carolina, as a financial management officer. He joined the Civil Service in 2018 in the Bureau of Budget and Planning as a senior budget analyst. His last assignment was at USAID. Mr. Hussain enjoyed mentoring, completing Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, and solving challenging problems. Mr. Hussain is survived by his wife, Ambreen Zehra; and three children, Sana Zehra, Syed Asad, and Zainab.
Reprinted from the DACOR Bulletin of September 2024
Seth Bloom, 49, Clown Who Brought Laughter to the Rubble of War, Dies
By Michael S. Rosenwald, New York Times, published Aug. 15, 2024, updated Aug. 21, 2024
A virtuoso of physical comedy, he performed around the world with his wife. Most notably, he helped stage clown shows in Afghanistan.
Seth Bloom, a blue-haired clown and physical comedy virtuoso who helped outreach organizations in Afghanistan and other remote places stage circuses that roused smiles from children while also teaching them important life skills, like how to avoid land mines, died on Aug. 2 in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. He was 49.
He died by suicide, said his wife, Christina Gelsone, with whom he performed in two-person clown shows around the world, including at the Big Apple Circus in New York City.
Based in Harlem, the duo, who performed as the Acrobuffos, were renowned for “Air Play,” a wordless one-hour show for children and families featuring balloons, giant swatches of silk and Styrofoam packing peanuts that floated around the theater.
Like his purple-haired wife, Mr. Bloom renounced garden-variety clown props — floppy shoes, honking horns, rubber chickens — for artistic comedy that blended physical tomfoolery with music and expressions of curiosity, wonder and love.
“Seth was like a jazz musician of physical comedy and clowning,” said David Kilpatrick, the director of education at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, which staged “Air Play” two years ago in one of its largest theaters. “He was clearly an extraordinary artist who leaned into a kind of connective, communal laughter that was really transformative.”
Mr. Bloom’s career, and his relationship with Ms. Gelsone, began in one of the world’s most humorless and unromantic places: Afghanistan in 2003, during the aftermath of the United States’ overthrow of the Taliban.
“Two clowns meet in Afghanistan — it sounds like a joke,” Mr. Bloom often said.
Mr. Bloom, who had studied at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College, traveled there on the recommendation of his mother, an international aid worker. She had heard about an organization, the Mobile Mini Circus for Children, that was trying to stage educational clown shows in remote areas of the country. Ms. Gelsone was in Kabul, the Afghan capital, doing similar outreach for Bond Street Theater, a New York company.
“We wanted to make a circus, but we had no background in this,” David Mason, the founder of the Mobile Mini Circus for Children, said in an interview. “We got some equipment together, like juggling clubs. We tried our best, but we had bruises all over our bodies because we were throwing the clubs, and they were beating us on the head and nose and body.”
Mr. Bloom taught the group how to use clown equipment (safely) and helped Mr. Mason craft scripts and costumes that entertained children and taught them about the dangers that surrounded them. A script about malaria explained the proper use of bed nets. Another one taught children how to freeze if they walked near an area that might have land mines.
“The country is stark and beautiful,” Mr. Bloom told The Widow Stanton, a circus blog. “I was going to areas that no media was going to, and no one was taking positive pictures of kids laughing and mullahs laughing and old guys with donkey carts pulling up to watch our shows.”
He saw himself as helping to rebuild the country in ways that many aid organizations and politicians had overlooked. His work there made him an early pioneer of the social circus movement, in which clowns entertain and educate children in the world’s most troubled places.
“Hospitals and infrastructure are part of what’s needed,” he told The New York Times in 2009. “But people need to be people. What we do lets kids dream. What we do lets them imagine a future.”
Mr. Bloom and Ms. Gelsone eventually began dating. They returned to Afghanistan for seven straight years, including for their honeymoon after they married in China while performing there in 2007. The bride wore a dress made from hundreds of tiny white balloons.
“It’s not the best place for a honeymoon, in case anyone’s curious,” Mr. Bloom told the Pennsylvania newspaper The Morning Call. “Most often you’re sleeping in rooms with other people.”
The original scripts that Mr. Bloom helped create are still being used in Afghanistan. Mr. Mason said that at least 4.3 million children have seen the shows. Mr. Bloom and his wife also started a program in Egypt for Darfur refugees and children living on the streets, as well as teaching social circus in Mexico, Chile, Taiwan and other places.
“Seth was strong — not only his body, but his voice,” Mr. Mason said. “He knew exactly what he knew and what he wanted us to do. That gave us a kind of security that we were in the right hands, that this guy knows what’s right.”
Seth Allan Bloom was born on Jan. 4, 1975, in Washington. His father, Peter Bloom, was a foreign service officer in the U.S. Agency for International Development. His mother, Gretchen (Brandow) Bloom, worked for the World Food Program.
Seth grew up around the world — in India, Kenya and Sri Lanka, among other places. He learned to juggle after moving back to Washington for high school.
“When I was applying to college, I saw I could either go to regular college and keep learning English and French and math, or I could go to clown college and learn to throw pies, wear big shoes and fall down,” he told The Widow Stanton. “And I thought that would be fun.”
At age 19, he enrolled at the Ringling clown college, graduating in 1993 with a bachelor’s in fun arts (seriously). He then toured the country as a professional juggler and studied at the Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theater in Northern California. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in dance from Wesleyan University in 2000 and a master’s in physical theater from the London International School of Performing Arts in 2005.
His wife used to introduce him at clown workshops as “the most overeducated clown in the world.”
The Acrobuffos act took the couple around the world. For part of “Air Play,” which was probably their biggest hit, they jumped around in giant balloons, with only their heads visible.
“The most important thing we’ve learned about climbing inside balloons is not to fart,” Mr. Bloom once said.
In addition to his wife, Mr. Bloom is survived by his father and his sister, Claire Bloom.
In recent years, Mr. Bloom experienced debilitating foot pain, most likely as a result of performing. After shows, he submerged his feet in ice baths. More than 40 foot specialists examined him, but the pain didn’t react to treatments.
“He had to be so careful onstage,” Ms. Gelsone said. “We would climb in these giant balloons and hop in them, and that was like the worst thing for his feet. And so there would be days where I’d be like, ‘Don’t hop today. I’ll hop twice as high for you.’”
If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for a list of additional resources.
A version of this article appears in print on Aug. 19, 2024, Section D, Page 8 of the New York Times edition with the headline: Seth Bloom, Clown Who Brought Laughter Amid War, Is Dead at 49. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe
John M. “Jack” Miller
John M. Miller (Jack) of Green Valley, Arizona, 85614, passed away on May 8, 2024, at home from complications of COPD. He would have been 83 in June. Jack was born the second of three children, on June 20, 1941, in Orange, California to Kathleen and Eugene Miller. He graduated from California State University at Long Beach (CSULB) in 1964 with a BS degree in Industrial Relations. Jack married Patricia Lynne Ellis, daughter of J. Sidney Ellis Jr. and Mary Lynne (Pruett) Ellis on September 2, 1963, in Las Vegas, Nevada. They both worked to complete college. Jack would return to CSULB to obtain his MBA in 1970. With the Viet Nam War heating up, Jack enlisted in the army in February 1966 and was accepted into Officer’s Candidate School at the Army Training Center at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Nine months later, he received his commission: second lieutenant, Army Armor. During the training cycle from February to April 1966, when he was Acting Corporal, he was cited for his training of the Outstanding Platoon. He was posted to Fort Lewis, Washington as a Tank Commander training recruits for two years. He was relieved from active duty on December 16, 1968, as a First Lieutenant.
After receiving his MBA, where he graduated 13th out of a class of 64, he applied to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and was accepted into its International Development Intern Program, including 3 months of Portuguese, and was posted first to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and subsequently to Brasilia for four years as Assistant Program Officer. Patrick John Miller, a son, was born on July 9, 1974, in Gramado, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. After serving 4 years in Brazil, Jack and his family were assigned to Seoul, Korea in December of 1974 as Assistant Program Officer. While stationed in Seoul, he attended the Department of State’s intensive economics course in Washington D.C. The intensive course is the equivalent of a Bachelor of Science Degree in economics. Following a several year posting to D.C., Jack was assigned to 4 years as Program Officer in both Sri Lanka and Honduras. However, before arriving in Honduras, Jack took the Foreign Service Institute’s Conversion to Spanish from Portuguese course, polishing up his Spanish. Later, based in Pakistan, Jack was the Deputy Representative for Afghan Affairs from 1986 to 1990. Jack’s work to develop a significant bilateral program was recognized by John Bolton and others. Mozambique, where he served as deputy director, was his final tour. He retired in 1994. In the 2000’s he did consulting in Eastern Europe, including Moscow and later in Mozambique.
Jack retired a second time to the deserts of Arizona at the foothills of the beautiful Santa Rita Mountains, pursuing his interest in music appreciation and filling multiple iPods with over 5000 pieces of music. He leaves his wife Patricia, their son Patrick, his sister Julie, and two grandchildren. His brother Larry pre-deceased him. He and Patricia were married 60 years, and he loved his job. He had a good life.
Roger Allen Bloom
On Sunday, July 28, 2024, Roger Allen Bloom of Alexandria, VA passed away unexpectedly at the age of 74. Born in Port Clinton, OH, he is survived by his wife, Carol A. (Wagner) of 45 years.
A graduate of Ohio State University, a Peace Corps Vol. from 1973-76 in Upper Volta. Received his M.S. in Ag Econ at Michigan State Univ. In 1979, joined U.S.A.I.D, for 6 posts in Africa and Asia for 21 yrs. Retiring in 2006.
A memorial service will be held at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 8009 Ft. Hunt Rd., Alexandria, VA on Friday, August 9 at 11 a.m. To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Published by The Washington Post on Aug. 3, 2024.
Norman Cohen
On July 31, 2024, Norman Cohen, 90, passed away peacefully. He is survived by his beloved wife and soulmate of nearly 68 years, Marilynn Weitz Cohen, and his loving children, Dr. Evelyn Cohen Reis (Dr. Steven Reis) and Jordan Cohen. He will be dearly missed by his three grandchildren and his many nieces and nephews. He was the cherished brother of the late Ruth Orleans (Arnold) and brother-in-law of Alan Weitz (Cynthia) and the late Barbara Weitz.
Born in Norfolk, he lived in Washington, DC, Potomac, MD, and recently, Pittsburgh, PA. After graduating from George Washington University, he earned a law degree from Georgetown University. In addition to a long career at the U.S. Agency for International Development, he was a volunteer Commissioner for the Montgomery County Housing Commission for 20 years. He served as a visionary leader of the Lafayette Federal Credit Union Board for over 45 years and was honored by their naming their headquarters building after him. He demonstrated his strong belief in Tikkun Olam through his work in Asia, Africa, and Central America and his many years as a volunteer. He leaves behind a legacy of love, compassion, and a commitment to repairing the world. He will be deeply missed and forever remembered by those whose lives have been touched by his kindness, acts of service, and passion for uplifting communities.
Funeral services will be held at Congregation Har Shalom in Potomac, where he was a founding member, on Sunday, August 4 at 12 p.m. Internment will follow at Judean Memorial Gardens in Olney. Memorial contributions may be made to Congregation Har Shalom or the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation. To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Published by The Washington Post from Aug. 2 to Aug. 4, 2024.
Mary Kathleen Huntington
10/24/1932 – 4/5/2024
Mary Kathleen Huntington died in her Washington, DC residence on April 5, 2024, after an extended illness. Through a long career with the U.S. Agency for International Development, she gave a lifetime of service to making the world a better place.
Mary was born in 1932 in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, the third of four children of Dr. Robert H. and Kathleen Butt Huntington. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Arkansas in 1954 and went on to earn a Masters in Advanced International Studies from Johns Hopkins University. In addition, Mary studied at the Sorbonne as a Fulbright scholar, and completed a fellowship at the Princeton School of International and Public Affairs.
With her sharp mind and a desire for public service, Mary began her decades-long career with the US Foreign Service. She would eventually find her home with the newly established U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), instituted by the Kennedy administration in 1962. Born out of the post WWII Marshall Plan and various initiatives from Truman’s Point Four Program, USAID’s mission was to provide technical knowledge to improve social, economic, and political conditions in ‘underdeveloped’ nations.
Known for her administrative skill in a diplomatic world dominated by men, Mary garnered the respect and admiration of her peers. Over the course of her distinguished career, she served as USAID Director of Laos Affairs (1974), Program Officer in Damascus, Syria (1982), and Deputy Director in Swaziland (1991).
To her family and friends, Aunt Mary was at once both a formidable intellect and a quick- witted bon vivant with an infectious laugh and a talent for stimulating conversation. She had refined tastes in art and music and entertained with an epicurean flourish. She is remembered as a loyal and generous friend and a shining example of independence and achievement to her extended family. She was a treasure.
She is pre-deceased by her brother, Dr. F. K. Huntington, and sister, Lynn Premselaar. She is survived by her brother Robert H. Huntington of Portland, OR and eight nieces and nephews. A private memorial celebration was held in Washington, DC on July 20, 2024. To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Published by The Washington Post on Jul. 28, 2024.
Marjorie Anne Koblinsky
Marjorie (“Marge”) Anne Koblinsky, a pioneering figure in the field of maternal and neonatal health, passed away at home in Washington, DC on July 1, 2024, after a courageous battle with cancer. She was 79 years old.
A public health scientist, world traveler, lifelong learner, and artist, Marge was born in Hartford Connecticut to Chester and Marjorie Koblinsky. She showed an early aptitude for leadership and teamwork as Senior Class President and head cheerleader at Manchester High School. Marge graduated from Simmons College and earned a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Columbia University, furthering her education with a Certificate of Community Medicine and Health.
Dr. Koblinsky dedicated her life to improving health outcomes for mothers and infants throughout the world. As Project Director of MotherCare at John Snow, Inc., she led initiatives to develop, implement, and evaluate community-based approaches to maternal and infant health in developing countries, including Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Zambia, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, and Guatemala. Marge connected and collaborated with local community members and public health professionals to understand women’s experiences and develop best practices for improving their healthcare. Her work significantly reduced maternal and infant mortality and newborn illness in these regions.
Marge contributed her leadership, research, and mentoring skills in many other influential positions. As Senior Maternal Health Advisor at USAID, she led the agency’s development of a global initiative to “End Preventable Maternal Mortality.” As Director of the Public Health Sciences Division at the International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, she worked closely with Bangladeshi researchers and policy makers for almost a decade to improve the health of Bangladeshi women and children. Her extraordinary vision, passion, and expertise also enriched her work at Save the Children, the Ford Foundation, and the Canadian International Development Research Center.
A mentor to countless public health students and professionals, Marge’s research, books, and publications have advanced knowledge of how to define and measure maternal mortality, achieve healthy pregnancies and safe deliveries, and implement effective reproductive health programs. These contributions have been recognized with prestigious awards, including the NCIH International Health Award (1993) and the World Health Day Award of the American Association for World Health (1998).
Beyond her professional achievements, Marge was a magnificent and caring mother, sister, and friend. She inspired others with her intellect, creativity, warmth, and generosity. Marge loved spending time with family and friends, walking her faithful dog Raffi at neighborhood parks and Rock Creek, attending Osher courses, practicing yoga, and tending her garden. She created beautiful watercolor paintings and unique beaded jewelry that are treasured gifts.
Marge leaves behind her son Evan Henrich and wife Paige; sister Sharon; brother Chet (Sally); nephew John (Rachel; sons Otto and Hugo); former husband Richard Henrich, and countless friends. The Koblinsky family especially appreciates Marge’s wonderful friends and caregivers who lifted her spirits daily, attended medical appointments, and prepared delicious meals throughout her illness. Marge will forever be remembered for her keen wit, joyful spirit, and loving kindness, as well as her legacy as a trailblazer who brought hope and better health to women and children around the world.
Services are private but memorial donations can be made to BRAC, an international nonprofit that has established a public health scholarship for Bangladeshi women honoring Marge. https://bracusa.org/donation/?form=Marge A Celebration of Life is planned for July 29. To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Published by The Washington Post on Jul. 27, 2024.
Roberto Justino Castro Suarez
Roberto Justino Castro Suarez, 90, of Fairfax City, Virginia, passed away on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, after a courageous battle with Parkinson’s. Roberto was born on April 14th, 1934, in Jauja, Peru. Roberto was the son of the late Pedro Nemesio Castro Villarreal and Dolores Teodora Suarez Chavez. Roberto graduated from the National Agrarian La Molina University in Lima, Peru, where he met Marcela Carmen Acevedo whom he married in January 1959. In 1967, Roberto came to America and settled in Raleigh, North Carolina to pursue a new life in a new country with a new dream, together with his wife and two children where they soon welcomed their third and fourth child. Coming from a region with little education beyond 8th grade, Roberto graduated from North Carolina State University with a Masters in Economics and a Doctorate in Philosophy in 1973. Roberto then established a successful and storied career with the United States Agency for International Development, where his 25 years of service made a profound impact throughout Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
Roberto served as the wise, patient, and kind patriarch of the larger Castro family and was a devout follower of Christ and member of St. Leo the Great Catholic Church. Roberto’s love of God and Peru led to establishing multiple Hermandades de los Señor de los Milagros in the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, and America. An avid traveler and epicurean, Roberto visited over sixty countries throughout the world and had many stories to tell from his adventures. From the jungles of the Amazon to the peaks of Nepal to the beaches in the Caribbean and plains of Africa, Roberto loved experiencing other cultures and societies. He enjoyed hiking the Inca Trail in the Andes and often spoke fondly of his time in The Dominican Republic where the family spent time at Boca de Yuma and Boca Chica snorkeling, kayaking, windsurfing, and fishing.
A passionate agriculturalist, Roberto altruistically shared his time and knowledge which made a dramatic change not only in his hometown of Jauja, where he planted thousands of trees through a non-profit agricultural-based initiative, but also in shaping the next generation of agriculturalists and farmers in Central America and the United States.
Roberto’s kind nature was welcome everywhere he went and no one knew it better than his children, grandchildren, and great grandchild. Roberto embodied a strength of spirit and perpetual determination to advance in all that he did, which his children took to heart in their own lives, leading them to great success. Most importantly, Roberto always emphasized to everyone to honor and love God, to cherish the people in our lives, to appreciate the earth – the trees, the beaches, the mountains, and the fresh air, and to always give back.
Roberto is pre-deceased by brother Pablo Landeo Suarez and survived by his wife of 65 years, Marcela Carmen Castro Acevedo, brother Pedro Castro Suarez of Lima, Peru, sister Violeta Castro Suarez of Lima Peru, brother Fernando Luis Landeo Suarez of Pflugerville, Texas, sister Alejandra Zenaida Ormeño of Pflugerville, Texas, son Ricardo Antonio Castro (Delia Farfán Decerra) of Rockville, Maryland, grandson Antonio Alejandro Castro-Ossorio (Gizem Yucel), great-granddaughter Vanessa Imani Castro-Yucel, daughter Carmen Margarita Castro (Juan Carlos Surinach) of Fairfax, Virginia, grandson Juan Enrique Surinach, grandson Daniel Alexander Surinach, daughter Marcela Elizabeth Curtis (Daniel) of Annandale, Virginia, grandson Nathaniel Peter Curtis, daughter Susana Patricia Douglas (Jimmy) of Columbia, Maryland, granddaughter Marissa Leilani Douglas, granddaughter Coral Sierra Douglas, and granddaughter Adalae Miriam Douglas.
The family will receive friends to celebrate Roberto’s life at Demaine Funeral Home (Main St) in Fairfax, Virginia on Monday, May 6th from 6:00-8:00 pm. The Funeral Mass will be held at Saint Leo the Great Catholic Church on Tuesday, May 7th at 1:00 pm followed by burial at Pleasant Valley Memorial Park at 2:30 pm.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Roberto Castro’s Tree Reforestation Program in the Andes and Amazon Rainforest.
Judith Davis Johnson
Judith “Judy” Davis Johnson passed away peacefully on June 11, 2024, from complications of dementia. Judy was born in Washington, DC, in 1942 to Howard and Ruth Davis and grew up in Arlington, Va. She graduated from William & Mary in 1964, where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, before marrying fellow alum Edward Q. Johnson in 1966 and embarking on a 30-year career with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Rising from secretary to contracting officer and ultimately to division chief, she oversaw contracts for civilian foreign aid and development assistance in the Asia-Near East bureau. Highlights of her career and post-retirement consultancy included trips to Pakistan and Afghanistan following the end of the Soviet-Afghan War in 1989, as well as assignments in Kenya, Ghana, Egypt, Iraq, and beyond.
Judy retired to Charleston, SC, where she lived for 20 years and remained active in music, arts, history, and conservation. She is survived by her children Capt. Edward Davis Johnson, USN (Stephanie), and Katherine Johnson Gordon (Quin); three grandchildren; her former husband, Edward Johnson; and her sister, Katherine Richardson (William). A memorial service will be held at Grace Church Cathedral in Charleston on Sept. 14 at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to South Carolina’s Coastal Conservation League. To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Published by The Washington Post from Jul. 5 to Jul. 7, 2024.
Ambassador Howard Dean Pittman
Ambassador Howard Dean Pittman (Dean), 67, passed away suddenly at his residence in Washington D.C. on June 4, 2024. Dean touched many lives, leaving a legacy reflective of his gentle manner and southern charm. Born in Norfolk, Virginia on August 31, 1956, to Paul Howard Pittman and Betty Pittman, Dean was six when the family moved to his father’s hometown of Tylertown, Mississippi. Growing up in a small town with his sisters Shane and Elise, his childhood was filled with Sunday dinners at his grandmother’s house, neighborhood games of kick the can, scouting adventures, school, and sneaking off to the bakery in the wee hours of the morning.
Perhaps working as a cub reporter and photographer for the family business, the Tylertown Times, sparked his interest in politics. Considered one of the nation’s best small-town newspapers, the Tylertown Times was a principled voice for equality and progress during the tense civil rights movement. Through her many efforts to promote tolerance and fairness, his mother was a voice of reason in this era. Moved by the example of his parents, Dean developed a love for political participation, a strong sense of place, service, and ethics.
While earning a B.A. in political science from Millsaps College in Mississippi, Dean interned with Senator Ted Kennedy. After graduation, Dean entered the Peace Corp teaching English in a remote village in Gabon. Heading to Washington, D.C., Dean dove into the flurry of political life, working as a Legislative Assistant for U.S. Congressman Wayne Dowdy for eight years and subsequently as his reelection campaign manager. Propelled by a keen interest in politics and international affairs, Dean received an M.A. from The Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies before joining the Department of State in 1989.
Throughout his career, Dean served in numerous senior leadership positions within the State Department, at the National Security Council, and overseas. He quickly became known as a talented leader with significant policy and management expertise. He sought out opportunities to serve in conflict prone states, promoting peacebuilding, and reconciliation, and taking difficult stances guided by his core ethical principles. His early postings included Guyana, Mozambique, and Bosnia-Herzegovina, as well as a year as a diplomat in residence with the National Democratic Institute (NDI), focusing on democracy-building initiatives.
From 2000 to 2002, Dean served at the National Security Council as the Director for Balkan Affairs, coordinating all of U.S. Government efforts bringing stability to this conflict-affected region. While special assistant to Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, Dean volunteered to go to Iraq when few others would consider such a risky mission. Once in the Green Zone, as the Deputy Director in the Governance Office of the Coalition Provisional Authority, Dean assisted Iraq’s transition to an Interim Iraqi Government and engaged with provincial teams to improve governance throughout the country. It was in Iraq that Dean met his future husband, Chris Milligan, a USAID Foreign Service Officer.
Dean served as Consul General in Belfast, Northern Ireland from 2004 to 2007, where he furthered peace and reconciliation actively engaging with political and community leaders and building intercommunity cooperation. His efforts contributed to a power sharing arrangement and increased stability, a legacy which is still felt today. While a member of the Secretary’s Office of Policy Planning, Dean was appointed Senior Diplomacy Advisor to the Department’s First Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review instituting reforms that improved the effectiveness of the State Department and USAID. First as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary and then as the Acting Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of International Organization Affairs, Dean leveraged the contributions of multilateral organizations and allies to advance U.S. foreign policy goals. Dean returned to Mozambique as the U.S. Ambassador in 2016. He was thrilled to be back in a country that meant so much to him, embracing the cultures, music and its natural beauty, travelling extensively to connect with communities across the country.
Retiring in 2019, Dean read extensively, particularly about American history. He enjoyed travelling, tennis, and cooking with and for friends. Always generous with words and smiles, he will be remembered for his gumbo and martinis, wit and intelligence, and warmth and character. He is survived by his husband, Chris Milligan, his mother, Betty Pittman, and his sisters, Shane Pittman and Elise Pittman, his mother-in-law, Ann Milligan, his brothers-in-law, Mike McLenagan, Peter Milligan, Mark Milligan, sister-in-law Liz Milligan, and nieces and nephews (Callie, Erin, Hayley, Devin, Harper, Ava, Maggie, Gabriel, and Luke).
A Celebration of Life will take place at a later date this year.
Susan Collins Russell
Susan Collins Russell, age 86, a resident of Washington, DC, died on February 2, 2024, at Georgetown University Hospital. The cause of death was a hemorrhagic stroke resulting from a fall. Born on April 24, 1937, she was the daughter of Joseph Kinney Collins and Grace Mullowney Collins. She spent her childhood and young adult years in Boston, Massachusetts. She attended Newton College of the Sacred Heart, graduating in 1959.
She met her husband, Ron, while teaching elementary school students in the Boston area. Upon marriage she joined Ron in Sabah, Malaysia, where he had moved to work for the Ford Foundation. They started a family in Malaysia, and their life of travel continued when Ron joined the U.S. Agency for International Development. During his career with USAID, he was posted to Argentina, Bolivia, and Panama. She was active all these years in the communities where they lived, while simultaneously running a household.
As her children grew older, she returned to teaching. Following a permanent move back to Washington, she worked at the Department of State, processing freedom of information requests. In retirement she and Ron travelled widely, including to Australia, Thailand, France, and Mexico.
She is survived by her sons Thomas, Andrew and Michael and by her grandchildren Sarah, Aaron, Michael and Melanie. Her husband, Ron, died in 2020. A private memorial service will be held at a later date.
Published by The Washington Post on Jun. 16, 2024.
Sarah Evelyn Wright
Sarah Evelyn Wright, retired education specialist with U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), died January 28, 2024, in Chicago, Illinois, at the age of 75. Ms. Wright was born December 9, 1948, in Marianna, Arkansas. She received a bachelor’s degree in 1974 and a master’s degree in multicultural and bilingual education in 1976 from California State University, Hayward. She joined the Peace Corps in 1982, serving in Gabarone, after which she worked for the Botswana Council of Women. Upon returning stateside, she attended Columbia University Teacher’s College and received a master’s and doctorate in education in 1988. After a brief stint working for the Anti-Defamation League in New York City, she joined the School of Education faculty at California State University, Fresno, in 1989. She joined USAID in 1991. Ms. Wright served as a regional education officer in Guatemala City (1995-1998), Lilongwe (1998-2002), Islamabad (2002-2005), Nairobi (2005- 2009), and Washington, D.C. She retired from USAID in 2011. In retirement, Ms. Wright settled in Chicago. She was an active member of the University of Chicago Service League, a parishioner and volunteer of St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, and a regular book club member. Ms. Wright is survived by her sisters Samella Johnson and Dorothy Lazard, and a brother, Al-Pierre El. DA
From DACOR, June 2024
David Henry Mandel
David Henry Mandel, retired Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), died January 24, 2024, in Tucson, Arizona, at the age of 82. Mr. Mandel was born April 29, 1941, in Brooklyn, New York. He joined USAID in 1965. In a 35-year career, Mr. Mandel served in Nepal, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Colombia, Lebanon, Oman, Côte d’Ivoire, Botswana, and Uzbekistan. He retired in 1998. In retirement, Mr. Mandel volunteered with the Arizona attorney general’s office, Tucson Botanical Gardens, and as a U.S. Forest service patrol member. Mr. Mandel is survived by his wife of more than 60 years, Jill; their children Jennifer, Elizabeth, Douglas, and Duncan; and 5 grandchildren.
From DACOR, June 2024
Elizabeth Schoenecker
November 9, 1945 – May 1, 2024
On May 1, 2024, Elizabeth Schoenecker peacefully passed away at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore with her husband, Lee, and two sons, Steven and John, at her side. She also had five grandchildren.
Elizabeth, or “Liz,” Schoenecker was born November 9, 1945, and raised in Neenah, Wisconsin. She has an undergraduate major in economics from Marquette University and a graduate degree in Foreign Service from Georgetown University. From 1966 to 1974 she worked as a housing economist with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban development. When her husband went to the State of Wisconsin on a federal employee exchange program, she was very active in the Madison League of Women Voters, including programs on the future of the Presidency.
In her return to Washington, she became heavily involved in an effort to secure one voting Congressman and two United States Senators for the District of Columbia under Article V of the Constitution. It passed the U.S. Congress but failed to get the required three-fourths approval from the 50 states. During most of the 1980s she was involved in numerous civic affairs, including serving as President of the Lafayette Elementary School Home and School Association in northwest Washington, DC.
In the late 1980s she went to work for the U.S Agency for International Development (AID), focusing on family planning in developing countries. In that job, she served as a Division Chief for Policy, Evaluation, and Communication until retirement in 2012. In her 2012 retirement, she received the AID Administrators Distinguished Careers Service Award. In retirement she was appointed to the Board of the Population Reference Bureau, including serving as its Chair for two years.
A reception will be held at Joseph Gawler’s Sons Funeral Home, 5130 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 20016 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM on Monday, June 3. The funeral Mass will be held at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, in Georgetown, 3513 N Street NW Washington, DC 20007, starting at 10:30 AM on Tuesday, June 4, 2024.
Dignity Memorial
Susan Chuwa Easley
Susan
It is with great sadness to share that our dear colleague, Susan C. Easley, passed away unexpectedly in Washington, D.C., on May 13, 2024. Susan, a career Foreign Service Officer, was in the United States following her assignment in the USAID/Sudan Mission as the Supervisory Executive Officer, and was on her way to serve in a critically important role in South Sudan. Susan leaves behind her two sons whom she absolutely adored and admired, Devin and Gavin Easley, and mother, Mary Kintu. Our deepest sympathies are with them and all of her family and friends during this devastating time.
For more than 37 years, Susan dedicated her life to service, including 22 years in the U.S. Army as a Commissioned Officer. During that time, she worked on DoD-sponsored HIV/AIDS programs in Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. She joined USAID in 2009 as an Executive Officer and served overseas in Ghana/West Africa, Afghanistan, Uganda, South Sudan, Haiti, and Sudan. While in Washington, D.C. beginning in 2018, she was the Acting Division Chief for the Overseas Management and Travel and Transportation Divisions supporting Executive Officers in the field and travel customers around the globe. USAID benefited greatly from her enduring commitment to public service and the steady leadership she demonstrated throughout, particularly in times of crisis.
Susan was a trusted colleague and friend to many and she was clearly proud of her two sons, Gavin and Devin. In conversations with her colleagues during trips to the field or over a meal, she always lit up when speaking about them. As a mother, she spoke of how much she wanted to instill a sense of empowerment and proactivity in them, to not wait for others to solve problems. She was so proud of how they grew into adulthood – a testament to their characters and the relationships they cultivated.
Susan’s legacy will live on through the many USAID colleagues and friends who deeply admired her ability to keep the big picture in view while demonstrating unrelenting service to others. We extend our deepest sympathies to Susan’s family, friends, and community.
Susan is carried in the memories and hearts of all who knew her. You can reflect on and honor her memory by signing this virtual memorial book or the physical book that will be located in the lobby of the USAID Annex at 500 D Street starting on May 17, 2024.
Office of Origin: M/MS/OMD, Notice Category: General Personnel
Date of Announcement: May 16, 2024, Distribution: USAID/General Notice
Any questions concerning this notice may be directed to:
— Everton J. Palmer, M/MS/OMD, (202) 921-5024, evpalmer@usaid.gov
Marion Horace “Tex” Ford
Marion Horace Ford, known as “Pug” or “Tex” to his friends, passed away on Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Tyler, Texas. Tex, a valued member of the USAID Peru Alternative Development team, was always focused on helping the poor, the downcast, and the persecuted.
He was born in Paris, Texas, on March 28, 1935, to parents Morris Ford and Sallie Brown. He attended Paris High School, Paris Junior College, and East Texas State University, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Sciences.
After college, Tex worked at the Department of Agriculture in Dallas. Then, he joined the inaugural class of Peace Corps volunteers the year it was created by President Kennedy, saying he might as well since everything he owned already fit in one suitcase. After his first two years overseas in the Dominican Republic, he went on to have a remarkable thirty-three-year career as a foreign service officer with USAID (the United States Agency for International Development), where he designed and implemented agricultural and development projects in Bolivia, Peru, Panama, Vietnam, Cameroon, Morocco, Haiti, and Sudan, before retiring in Cochabamba, Bolivia with his wife, Mariela, and their two daughters, Mariana and Melissa.
Tex’s life was a testament to dedication and service, and he is considered a legend by many for his transformative work in economic development and agricultural projects.
He is survived by his wife Mariela, two sons, Morris and Marion, two daughters, Mariana and Melissa, and oldest sister, Ann Ford.
Tex was preceded in death by his parents, his two brothers Jack and Billy, and his two sisters Delma and Myra.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 4th at 10:30am in Fry Gibbs Funeral Home, 730 Clarksville Street, Paris, Texas.
Obituary published on Legacy.com by Fry-Gibbs Funeral Home – Paris on Apr. 26, 2024.
I. Austin Heyman
On Monday, April 15, 2024, I. AUSTIN HEYMAN, of Bethesda, MD, died. Son of the late Irving A. Heyman and Madeleine Strauss Heyman Sliosberg. Beloved husband of the late Barbara (LeVine) Heyman. Devoted father of Stephen M. (Susan Steinman) and David F. (Victoria White) Heyman. Dedicated grandfather of Madeline, Henry and Miles Heyman. Dear brother of the late Marilyn Heilprin. Austin was born in 1931 in New York, NY. He graduated from Harvard College, Harvard Law School, earned a Certificate from the Academy of International Law at the Hague, and a Master’s Degree in International Public Policy from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). After law school, he served in the U.S. Army and was stationed at Ft. Sheridan outside Chicago, IL, where he met his future wife, Barbara He returned to New York City to practice law before moving with Barbara to Washington, DC to join the U.S. government as part of President Kennedy’s Alliance for Progress. He served as the U.S. representative in Paris for the U.S. Agency for International Development on the Development Assistance Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD). After 25 years of federal service, and at a time when his volunteer life and civic engagement in his local community advocating for and bringing younger and older people together became his calling, he founded Interages and served as its first Executive Director until 1997.
His community service included serving as the first Chair of the Montgomery County Commission on Children and Youth, President of the Montgomery County Council of PTAs, member of the Maryland Task Force on Guidance and Counseling, and founding board member and Vice-Chair of the Volunteer Partnership Montgomery. He initiated and chaired the Montgomery County Vital Living Steering Committee and twice served as a delegate to the White House Conference on Aging. He also served as moderator for two county cable television programs—’Seniors Today’ and ‘Montgomery Citizens Agenda.’ For his more than 50 years of service to Marylanders of all ages, he was awarded the AARP Maryland Lifetime Achievement Award. He earned many other honors, including the Award for Distinguished Service to Public Education from the Montgomery County Board of Education and the Montgomery County Paths of Achievement Award and was inducted into the Montgomery County Human Rights Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Maryland Senior Citizens Hall of Fame in 2009.
Services will be held at Temple Sinai in Washington, DC on Sunday, April 21 at 10:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the JCA Heyman Interages Center at the Jewish Council for the Aging of Greater Washington, 12320 Parklawn Drive, Rockville, MD 20852. Arrangements entrusted to TORCHINSKY HEBREW FUNERAL HOME, 202-541-1001.
