Recent Tributes
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Eugene “Gene” Szepesy
It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of Eugene “Gene” Szepesy, a dedicated USAID Foreign Service Officer and later contractor.
Gene began his USAID career shortly after serving in the Peace Corps in Peru. As a Foreign Service Officer he worked in Bolivia, the United States, Chile, Jamaica, Pakistan, Honduras, and Bolivia again before returning to the U.S. After retiring in 1994, he continued supporting USAID as a contractor through 2012 in Hungary (helping establish the Serbia mission), Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kazakhstan. He spent most of his career as a Program Officer and was proud of the impact of his work. He received the Meritorious Honor Award and the Superior Honor Award, and was a Georgetown University graduate known for his great sense of humor. Gene is survived by his wife, Carmen, three children, and four grandchildren.
Gene was remembered on 5 October 2026 at 11:00 AM at St. Patrick’s Church in Carlsbad, California.
Christopher Paul Kosnik
Christopher Paul Kosnik (Chris), age 64, of Quechee, VT, passed away peacefully on September 23, 2026, at the Jack Byrne Center for Palliative & Hospice Care at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. He died surrounded by his loving family after a long and hard-fought battle with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
Chris was born on June 12, 1962, in Bethesda, MD, to Joseph Thomas Kosnik and Joan Sullivan Kosnik. He grew up in Fairfax and Harrisonburg, VA, graduating from Harrisonburg High School in 1980. He went on to earn a BS in biology from the College of William & Mary in 1984 and an MPS in international agriculture and rural development from Cornell University in 1992.
He is survived by a large and loving family, including his wife of 34 years, Lindsay Hance Kosnik; three sons and their partners: Connor Winfield Kosnik and his fiancée, Rachel Tatge (Brooklyn, NY); Ian Sullivan Kosnik and his wife, Emily Philpot Kosnik (Lowell, MA); and Lucas Hance Kosnik and his partner, Katie Stein (Atlanta, GA); and his brothers, brothers-in-law, sisters, and sisters-in-law: Tom Kosnik (Palo Alto, CA); Jean and Jim Colyer (Tampa, FL); Beth and Mark Kosnik (Norfolk, VA); Julie Kosnik (Dallas, TX); and Allen and Heather Hance (Providence, RI). He was also beloved by many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins—too many to list. Finally, he is greatly missed by his devoted Labradors, Silver Belle and Ole Bae.
Chris served with the United States Peace Corps from 1985 to 1989 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as an aquaculture extension agent and volunteer leader. He met Lindsay at Cornell, and they were married in Hanover, NH, in 1992. For the next seven years, they lived in Africa, where Chris continued his work with the Peace Corps as an associate program director and training officer in Cameroon (1993–1996), and as country director in the Republic of the Congo (1996–1997) and Malawi (1997–1999).
From 1999 to 2025, Silver Spring, MD, was home. Chris continued his work with the Peace Corps as Chief of the Field Assistance Division in the Center for Field Assistance & Applied Research. He then worked at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for more than 20 years in various positions. Chris began his journey at USAID as a Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resource Management Specialist. He went on to become the Director of Land Tenure and Resource Management, and finally, ended his career as the Director of USAID’s Water Office. In 2016, at age 54, Chris was forced to retire early due to his illness. Lindsay retired in 2023 to become Chris’s full-time caregiver, and they moved to Quechee, VT, to enjoy their time together in the beauty of northern New England.
After learning of Chris’s passing, one colleague wrote:
“He was very special. As a team leader, he acted very differently … Most leaders tried to add numbers to their team. Chris recognized that he had team members with special talents that could be more effective if they had their own teams and more resources. He advocated for them and spun off two teams that produced innovative and noteworthy achievements.
“Some team leaders take choice assignments for themselves and assign mundane bureaucratic tasks to staff members. Chris did the opposite. He took on the mundane, clearing the way for his staff to carry out the more invigorating and stimulating assignments that also brought recognition. He was widely respected and admired.”
Outside of an inspiring and successful career of service, Chris loved his family above all else. Time with his wife and three sons was his priority: geocaching, camping, exploring woodland ponds and ocean tide pools, adventurous cooking and enjoying meals and conversation around the family dining room table, playing games, watching movies (especially a good horror film!), gardening, birding, traveling, cheering for the Washington Commanders, and watching his boys play lacrosse.
After family came friends, many of whom participated in Kosnik outings, often inspired and organized by Chris.
Chris was an avid reader and was always seeking out knowledge through books, media, and podcasts (way before they were cool!), but especially through conversations with friends, family, and strangers from every walk of life. He was patient, thoughtful, generous, empathetic, a lifelong learner, and volunteer. He was witty and silly and made people laugh. He was intelligent and a knower of very fun and extremely random facts. He was independent, passionate, a mentor, a teacher, and an advocate for people in need.
A celebration of life will be held in early 2027 in Silver Spring, MD. Details will follow.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to the Christopher Paul Kosnik Program Fund, an endowed fund supporting life-enriching programming for people living with dementia at the Upper Valley Adult Day Care in Woodstock, VT. www.uppervalleyadultdaycare.com/donate
This center, and far too few centers like it, provides a loving and safe place for people living with dementia and relief for caregivers, allowing them to keep their loved ones at home for as long as possible.
The family extends their heartfelt gratitude to the teams at Upper Valley Adult Day Care in Woodstock, VT; Ray of Hope Geriatric Mental Health at Cottage Hospital in Woodsville, NH; and the Jack Byrne Center for Palliative & Hospice Care at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH. Your professionalism, expertise, compassion, support, and love for Chris, his family, and all those you serve are profoundly important and deeply appreciated.
Chris enjoyed a life of love, family, friendship, and giving back to those less fortunate than he. In his honor, we share this excerpt from one of his favorite poems, so that it may inspire those after him to do the same:
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” —Robert Frost
Steven Derrick Orr
Steven Derrick Orr, 86, died on August 26, 2026, in Jacksonville, Florida. He was born on February 11, 1940, in Joplin, Missouri to Charles and Janice (Mackinnon) Orr. Steven inherited a tradition of public service from his grandfather, Charles Thomas Orr, a Joplin-area zinc-mine operator, World War I adviser to the U.S. War Industries Board, and first president of Freeman General Hospital.
Steven spent six formative childhood years in postwar Japan, where his father, the Rev. Charles Thomas Orr Jr., served as a Methodist military chaplain during the American occupation. The experience shaped the international outlook that guided Steven’s life of public service.
Steven served in the U.S. Air Force in Hawaii from 1957 to 1961, handling secure communications and classified conferences among senior commanders in Washington, Hawaii, and Asia. The experience helped prepare him for later work with the Peace Corps and USAID.
After attending the University of Missouri and studying for a year at the University of Madrid, Steven joined the Peace Corps in 1964 and served two years in Panama. There, he helped establish a vocational school that later became part of the University of Panama, launching a decades-long international-development career and friendships he cherished throughout his life.
In 1967, Steven joined the U.S. Agency for International Development, a division of the State Department. While training in Hawaii for service in Vietnam, he met his future wife, Maureen, a nurse preparing for the same mission. They subsequently served together in Nha Trang, where he worked in refugee resettlement.
Steven was seriously injured in Nha Trang by a clandestine bomb explosion, for which he was awarded the Purple Heart. Additionally, he was honored with an Agency for International Development service award for his actions that saved eight USAID colleagues and approximately a dozen Vietnamese employees. Both Steven and Maureen barely survived the harrowing Tet Offensive together, after which they were married on May 25, 1968, in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
Steven later served as a translator for the United Nations before returning with his young family to Arizona. As a health administrator for Planned Parenthood of Tucson, he worked to improve sexual and reproductive health education among at-risk young people. He subsequently moved his family to the White Mountain Apache Reservation, where he worked with the Tribe to improve health services for expectant mothers and reduce infant mortality.
Building on that success, Steven moved his family to Colombia. From 1978 to 1984, he managed USAID-funded health and family-planning programs in Latin America and the Caribbean, first from Bogotá and later from Miami. Despite frequent travel, he supported his sons as president of Miami Killian Senior High School’s Band Parents Association.
Steven’s later USAID work took him around the world. He helped negotiate the release of hostages, including himself, in El Salvador; establish broadcasting networks in Nepal; rebuild schools in Iraq; strengthen legal institutions in Afghanistan; and assess a management institute in Belarus. He also narrowly escaped a volcanic eruption in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Following the September 11 attacks, Steven volunteered with American Red Cross Disaster Services in New York. He managed a warehouse at Floyd Bennett Field and approximately $6 million in supplies and a round-the-clock logistics staff that supplied food and refreshments to approximately 130 emergency-response vehicles serving Ground Zero and other affected communities.
Steven cofounded Returned Peace Corps Volunteer chapters in Miami and the First Coast, welcomed international visitors through GlobalJax, and was named a Jacksonville Volunteer of the Year. He also served on the board of the Foreign Service Retirees Association of Florida and wrote several books, including his memoir, “The Perennial Wanderer: An American in the World.”
Steven is the husband of Maureen, brother of Charles Thomas “Tom” Orr III in Tucson (now deceased), father of two children, Sean C. Orr, MD and Brendan H. Orr (deceased in 2023), as well as father-in-law to Liliana. Additionally, he has 4 beloved grandchildren, Kevin, Francesca, Lukas and Chloe Eileen.
A memorial service will be held from noon to 2:00 pm on Saturday, September 19, 2026, at the Mandarin Community Club. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Planned Parenthood of Florida or the National Peace Corps Association.
Published in Florida Times Union
Michele Sumka
Tifereth Israel Member Michele Sumka, wife of Howard Sumka, died on Friday, September 25, 2026, 7 Tishri 5787, at the age of 82 after a long struggle with dementia. She is also survived by her daughters Shoshanna Sumka (David Weinreich) and Rabbi Ilana Ruth Sumka (Siebrecht Vanhooren), their children Naomi Weinreich and Jacob Sumka Vanhooren, and sister Ellen (Leonard) Parker. She was predeceased by her parents Louis and Rosalie Choper Stahl.
The funeral will be at Tifereth Israel on Monday, September 28, 2026, at 10:30am. Burial will follow at Mt. Lebanon Cemetery in Adelphi, Maryland. The Zoom link for the funeral is https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82724710005.
Due to the Sukkot holiday, the family will welcome visitors at the home of Howard Sumka, 409 Windsor Street, Silver Spring MD 20910 on Monday and Tuesday from 6-8:30pm and on Tuesday from 1-3pm. On Wednesday and Thursday, visitors will be welcome at the home of Shoshanna Sumka, 739 Thayer Avenue, Silver Spring MD 20910, from 1- 3pm and from 6-8:30pm In addition, evening minyan will be held at 7pm each night, Monday and Tuesday at Howard’s and Wednesday and Thursday at Shoshanna’s. If you plan to help make the minyan, please click HERE and signup.
Michele Stahl was born on September 24, 1944, in New Brunswick, NJ and grew up in Woodbridge, NJ. She graduated from Smith College in 1966 and later that summer, she and Howard married. All her life, her primary commitments were to her family; to Judaism, especially through her service to TI; and to her career as a teacher.
In the first 11 years of their marriage, they lived successively in Chicago, Chapel Hill, NC, and Lawrence, KS. In Chicago, Michele earned a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from the Eriksen Institute of Loyola University. Over her career, she directed a number of day care centers, was instrumental in creating Tifereth Israel’s center in the late 80s, and was the Director of Child Development Programs at the DC JCC from 1997 to 2002. In between, she tutored early childhood education students for four years in Nairobi, Kenya.
Her husband’s foreign service career (with USAID) took them to Nairobi; Sarajevo; and Tel Aviv. In all of those places, she pursued her love of and commitment to Judaism, finding community in the most unlikely places.
After returning to Washington, she immediately reengaged in TI, following her beloved Mollie Berch as the TI librarian. She also dove into the programs of Aleph, the Alliance for Jewish Renewal, enthralled with the wisdom and humanity of Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi. She studied Women’s Wisdom with Rabbi Nadya Gross and wise ageing, which she taught at TI. She also completed the Aleph program as a Spiritual Director.
Perhaps her greatest pleasures in life came from watching her daughters mature into wonderful, nurturing mothers and socially committed professionals – Shoshanna in international and experiential education and Ilana as an ordained Aleph rabbi. She lived a full, adventurous, and productive life. She will be sorely missed.
May the family be comforted and her memory be a blessing. To make a contribution in memory of Michele Sumka to Aleph, click HERE, or to Tifereth Israel, click HERE.
Copyright © 2026 Tifereth Israel Congregation, All rights reserved.
Donna Marie Ayerst
Donna Marie Ayerst, 78, the wife of retired USAID FSO David Hess, passed away on June 2, 2026, in Walling ford, Conn. Ms. Ayerst was born on October 28, 1947, in Ontario, Canada.
She migrated with her family to Orange County, California, when she was 8 years old and graduated from Orange High School, where she was editor of the school newspaper and a cheerleader. She attended Chapman College.
In a move that changed her life forever, Ms. Ayerst sailed and studied around the world on the Chapman-based program then called World Campus Afloat. After 1966, it was known as Semester at Sea. She was a student on the ship in the fall of 1966 and sailed as the ship photographer in the fall of 1969.
Once Ms. Ayerst saw the greater world in all the countries where the ship docked, her foreign adventures began, and she never looked back. She launched a professional photography career. A unique opportunity came when she successfully interviewed with Mick Jagger and became baby Jade Jagger’s nanny. Again, she traveled the world, this time with the world’s greatest rock star.
In 1975 Ms. Ayerst married Lindsay Elmendorf. Their son Stirling was born in 1976 and son Byron in 1978. From 1978 to 1980, the family lived in Honduras, where Mr. Elmendorf joined USAID’s Foreign Service and Ms. Ayerst was a professional photographer working mostly for the Honduran government. The family moved on to Mr. Elmendorf’s next post, Ecuador (1986–1991), where Ms. Ayerst began her career as a community liaison office coordinator (CLO) for U.S. Embassy Quito. A most energetic and successful CLO, Ms. Ayerst actively supported morale at post and all other social and community issues. The family then moved to India (1994–1997), where Ms. Ayerst served as the CLO for a much larger embassy.
The Elmendorfs’ marriage ended in 1997. Ms. Ayerst met USAID FSO David Hess in India, and they moved together to Rwanda (1997–1999), where she again served as an excellent CLO. Next was Mozambique (1999–2003), where she served once more as CLO. The couple married in 2002 in South Africa and returned to Washington, D.C., where Ms. Ayerst finished her State Department career in the Family Liaison Office (2003–2008). She wrote the State Department manual on the CLO program and traveled the world training CLOs.
After retiring in 2008, Ms. Ayerst joined the American Foreign Service Association staff as a photographer and associate editor with The Foreign Service Journal (2011–2014). Her final CLO gig was for the British High Commission in Tanzania from 2015 to 2017.
Ms. Ayerst was predeceased by her first husband, Lindsay Elmendorf, in 2017. She is survived by her husband, David Hess; sons Stirling (and spouse, Kumiko) Elmendorf and Byron Elmendorf (and spouse, Miranda Capriotti); stepdaughter Olivia (and spouse, Lee) Iovino; stepson Garth (and spouse, Amanda) Hess; and grandchildren Gabriel Hess, Gregory Hess, Calvin Elmendorf, Lainey Iovino, and Bowie Elmendorf. There will be a future memorial service for her.
Published in The Foreign Service Journal, Sept.-Oct. 2026 edition, p. 68
Tyler Chapman Holt
Tyler Chapman Holt, 54, a Foreign Service officer with USAID, died Sept. 28, 2021, at his home in Bethesda, Md., after a valiant battle with brain cancer. The son of a U.S. Navy officer, Mr. Holt was born in Newport, R.I., on Nov. 7, 1966. He spent his childhood in Hawaii and Lafayette, Calif., graduating from Acalanes High School.
As a 15-year-old high school exchange student with the American Field Service, he lived with a Rwandan family in Kenya and attended the Nairobi School for Boys with his host brother. This experience was the catalyst for his interest in international development.
Mr. Holt received a B.A. in mathematics and economics from Wesleyan University in 1988 and an M.A. in international development economics from American University in 1997.
In 1998, he met his future wife, the daughter of a Foreign Service officer, in Washington, D.C. The two married in Shepherdstown, W.Va., in May 2000 and departed days later for a five-year tour in Egypt with USAID.
During his career as a Foreign Service officer, Mr. Holt focused on economic solutions to poverty, inequality, corruption and lack of opportunity. He was fluent in Arabic and did much of his work in the Muslim world and Africa.
Subsequent assignments took his family to the Philippines, Egypt again, Washington, D.C., Germany (for the Middle East Regional Platform, including projects in Tunisia, Yemen, Israel, Libya and Jordan) and Ethiopia, along with an unaccompanied year in Iraq. Most recently, he served as the entrepreneurial environment team lead in USAID’s Center for Economics and Market Development.
The great joys of Mr. Holt’s life were his children, Lilly and Daniel. A lover of the classics, Mr. Holt would regale them with Greek myths as bedtime stories and often read from the “Odyssey” or “Iliad.” He proudly saw his children off to college: Lilly at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, and Daniel at Wesleyan, his beloved alma mater.
Mr. Holt had developed a passion for running in high school and ran wherever he went—the trails of Rock Creek Park, the Boston and New York marathons, and through the dry wadis, chaotic streets, dense woods and high elevations near their homes in Cairo, Manila, Frankfurt and Addis Ababa. Even in his final year, his daughter would join him on regular jogs along the C&O Canal towpath.
At USAID, Mr. Holt’s intelligence, patience and constructive and calm voice won him deep respect from colleagues who sought his guidance on economic issues. When the brain tumor forced Mr. Holt to leave work, he posted the news on Facebook, asking colleagues to remember why they did the work they did, “as this world still needs us all to try and improve people’s lives.”
Many recalled his encouragement, fearlessness in speaking up to leaders, sense of humor, enthusiasm and empowerment of local country staff. USAID Administrator Samantha Power, too, sent a note: “I am struck by your imprint across this agency you love so much. I can see it in the outpouring of affection and admiration that your colleagues have stepped forward to share with you. … Their lives are richer because of the experiences they have had with you.”
Tyler Holt is survived by his wife, Anne Martin Holt; children, Lillian and Daniel Holt; parents, Richard and Robin Holt of Lafayette, Calif.; his sister, Stannie Holt, of San Mateo, Calif.; and his brother, Spencer Holt, of San Diego, Calif. He is also survived by many aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws and six nephews.
Because Mr. Holt’s exchange student experience in Kenya was so life-changing, he wished that an American Field Service scholarship be established in his name. Donations may be made at bit.ly/AFSscholarship.
Mary Lee Lincoln McIntyre
01/31/1933 – 04/02/2026
Mary Lee Lincoln McIntyre died peacefully at the age of 93 on April 2, 2026, in Albuquerque, NM of natural causes. She graduated from Springside School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland; and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, where she took part in the first class to Bologna, Italy, within the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) program, in 1954-55. Lover of dogs, history, political science, books, playwriting, singing, reunions, MSNOW, laughing, jewelry and all things chocolate, she lived her life to the full. Embracing adventure and the new and different, she spent considerable time abroad in Italy, India, Pakistan, Lebanon, Bangladesh, and Eastern Europe. Her career culminated as a diplomat with the US Agency for International Development (USAID). She understood firsthand that kindness and travel are fatal to bigotry, prejudice, and narrow-mindedness–and demonstrated it. During her 11-year residency at Vinson Hall Retirement Community, she wrote several plays about women who lived ahead of their time and changed the course of history. She leaves behind her three children, Julie, Andrew, and Margaret, and a legacy of teaching until the age of 86.
A celebration of her life will be held on Saturday, October 24th, in McLean, Virginia, at Vinson Hall’s Alford Auditorium, at 2pm, with a reception to follow at Vinson Hall. All who knew her are welcome. To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Published by The Washington Post on Sep. 10, 2026.
James Roche Phippard
James Roche “Jim” Phippard, a former USAID official and lawyer, passed away August 16, 2026 at Sunrise on Connecticut Ave in Washington, D.C. after a long illness. Jim was born on May 26, 1933, in Springfield, MA and spent his early years in Willimantic, CT. He was still in grade school when the family moved to Greenfield, MA. A graduate at 17 of Greenfield High School, he won a diocesan scholarship to Catholic University where Jim studied economics, graduating in 1954. After graduation, he joined the Navy as a junior supply corps officer. He served in the Mediterranean supplying the 6th fleet and served as a Naval Reserve Officer until 1977.
After active duty, he attended Georgetown Law School graduating in 1961. His early legal career included stints at the National Capitol Planning Commission (to work on the Metro) and a clerkship with Justice Prettyman at the U.S. District Court in Washington. Appointed as Congressman John Blatnik’s(D-MN) legal advisor, Jim took on the jobs of tracking legislation and budget issues, where he met the USAID General Counsel and joined the Agency for International Development in 1965, serving initially as Assistant General Counsel for Legislation and then as Assistant General Counsel for Africa working on many African assistance projects.
Joining the U.S. Foreign Service in 1973, Jim became the legal counsel for USAID’s West African Development Services Office then based in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, covering work in the region from Mauritania to Zaire. In 1976, USAID appointed him legal advisor at its new Cairo Mission created in the wake of the U.S. decision to restore relations with Egypt in support of the Egypt-Israeli Sinai Accords. In this position he facilitated major investments in Egyptian infrastructure and economic development.
Moving to USAID management, Jim attended the Harvard Kennedy School during 1979-80 where he focused on economic development and strategic planning, becoming Director of the Office of North Africa and European Affairs in 1980. Responsible for programming in Morocco, Tunisia, Spain and Portugal, he also coordinated the U.S. response to the Southern Italian earthquake in 1980.
Appointed Mission Director to Tunisia in late 1982, Jim sought to reduce Tunisa’s aid dependence and diversify the economy. His vision to move control of many projects to the community level led to the development of water user groups in Central Tunisia promoting irrigation and fruit production in the area. This work merited three Senior Foreign Service Performance awards. In 1987 upon his departure, the President of Tunisia awarded him the Commander of the Order of the Republic – the only USAID Mission Director since independence to be so honored.
Returning to Washington, Jim joined the Senate Ag Committee Staff at the request of Senator Patrick Leahy to help reshape U.S. food assistance. In this position he made key contributions to the 1990 Farm Bill and the U.S. Foreign Operations Appropriations Act, revamping PL 480 legislation, promoting privatization of state run marketing agencies, and recognizing the potential impact of climate change on agriculture.
Retiring as a Minister-Counselor in 1991, Jim applied his expertise initially as Vice President for Central Europe and Global Programs at Agricultural Development International (ACDI) and later serving the expanded nonprofit, ACDI-VOCA as Chief Financial Officer through 2004.
In retirement, Jim maintained his active interest in North Africa serving as a member and then President of the American Tunisian Association until 2004 and organizing a trip to the region in 2001. In 2008 the Tunisian American Association awarded him its Ibn Khaldun Award for his efforts in promoting Tunisian-American relations. In 2010, Catholic University recognized his work in economic development with as Distinguished Alumni Award Until 2022, Jim split his time at a Florida condo, summer stays in Linekin Bay and Mount Desert, Maine and home in DC. An ardent traveler in later years, Jim toured Sicily in 2016 and explored the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza in 2018.
Jim’s first marriage to Janet St. Marie Gary ended in divorce in 1973. His elder son, Jim, Jr. died in 2014. He is survived by three adult children, Edwin of Arlington, VA, Kathleen of Millsboro, DE, and Melanie of Walnut Creek, CA and his wife of 53 years, Melinda L. Kimble, a retired Senior Foreign Service Officer.
Relatives and Friends are invited to call on Sunday August 30 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Joseph Gawler’s Sons, 5130 Wisconsin Ave NW. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow on Monday August 31 at 10:30 AM at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 3513 N St NW. Interment will be private. To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Published by The Washington Post on Aug. 24, 2026.
Gary Wayne Bricker
Gary Wayne Bricker passed peacefully in his sleep after a decades long battle with Parkinson’s disease on August 22nd, 2026, with his family by his side. Gary was born to Dr. Earl Melvin Bricker Jr and Vera Louise Bricker on January 7th, 1947, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. After graduating first from Casady School and then the University of Oklahoma with a BA in French language, much to Earl and Louise’s chagrin, he “flew the coop” and landed in France. For two years he studied politics both at the Sorbonne and in the streets of a politically tense Paris. In May of 1968 he joined his French counterparts in a student rebellion that would quickly escalate into a nationwide protest. For his effort, the Gendarmerie gifted Gary with a 6-inch scar on his leg, the result of trying to protect his camera which held evidence of police abuse against protestors.
He returned to the United States with his mind open and his pockets empty. He taught French in New England boarding schools, eventually leading a class trip across Eastern Europe and into Moscow where he drank vodka from pop-top cans and perfected his signature mustache.
A life-long student of the world, Gary graduated Middlebury College with a MA in French in 1972 and then from Columbia University in 1975 where he studied economics and urban planning with a focus on West Africa. He joined the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in 1976. In 1977, he met Lee Ellen Clyburn at a party. Ignoring the rest of the guests, the two spent the evening lost in conversation as Gary promised Lee a life of adventure of “faraway lands with names we can’t pronounce.” The two were married nine months later in 1977.
As if far away locales with unpronounceable names weren’t enough, the two embarked on the adventure of parenthood when Carl Steven was born in 1980 followed shortly by Anna Louise in 1983.
Gary would go on to serve USAID for 27 years, with long-term assignments in Tunisia, Morocco, El Salvador, Somalia, Indonesia, the Republic of Georgia and Zambia. Without fail, each post would see Gary dive headlong into the language, the food, the music and the culture that surrounded him. He worked on development projects that would genuinely change the lives of the communities he served, and he approached everyone he met with equal respect, regardless of their status in life. He retired from USAID in 2007 and dedicated his early retirement years to licensing cures for global diseases such as sickle cell anemia and malaria as a board member of the firm EpimedX.
Gary’s personal life was as colorful as the Hawaiian shirts he wore nearly everyday. At the age of 40 he was licensed to SCUBA dive, completing hundreds of dives across Asia, Africa and Central America before hanging up his fins. He was an avid lover of art, mythology, history, philosophy and music. His record collection contained everything from Soviet protest marches to Indonesian gamelan orchestras to the “Divas” – Gloria, Mariah and Edith, of course. He was one part starched white oxford shirt, and one part brightly colored batik tunic. He was both CNN and South Park. He was as serious as he was silly.
Gary wrote poetry throughout his life, and later in his retirement self-published Just Imagine a life-poem that he began at the age of 33. From his poem I Shall Be:
I shall never again “be at home”.
I shall be the visitor, bystander, voyeur,
a relativist nibbling appetizers at life’s smorgasbord.
I shall join an ashram, monastery, synagogue, and madrasa to learn
“why are we here, where are we going”
and then never tell a soul.
Gary Wayne Bricker is survived by his wife, Lee Ellen Bricker, two children Carl Steven Bricker and Anna Louise Bricker, older brother Earl Melvin Bricker III, and younger sister Linda Suzanne Bricker.
Gary’s life will be celebrated on August 29th, 2026 at 2:00 PM by the San Marcos Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, at the First Lutheran Church of San Marcos, 130 W Holland St, San Marcos, TX 78666. In lieu of flowers, the family is accepting donations to the San Marcos Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, https://smuuf.org/giving/
Nancy Lee Estes
Jun 5, 1948 Aug 18, 2026
Nancy Lee Estes passed away peacefully on August 18, 2026, in Tucson, Arizona, following a long battle with cancer. She is survived by her brother, Richard (Chip) Estes of Ocala, Florida, cousins in Maine and elsewhere, and many members of her USAID ‘family.’ Memorial arrangements and a memory book were entrusted to Evergreen Mortuary, 3015 N. Oracle, Tucson, AZ. (Evergreenmortuary-cemetery.com)
Nancy was born on June 5, 1948. A native Arizonan, she grew up in the Phoenix area. Nancy’s desert roots and education reflected her two enduring passions — music and Africa. After graduating from UC Berkeley (music), she moved to the Boston area where she worked at Harvard University, attending concerts at Symphony Hall (choosing seats that allowed a view of the pianists’ hands!) and art exhibitions. She then moved to Washington, DC, where she began her career in humanitarian assistance and Africa by working for IFPRI and completing a Masters Degree in African Studies at The John Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (1984-1986).
In the early 1990s, Nancy’s interests led her to a career at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) where she worked on some of the world’s most demanding humanitarian challenges. Nancy served as a Food for Peace Officer in Rwanda, Mali, REDSO/West Africa (USAID’s regional office in Cote d’Ivoire), and REDSO/East Africa (USAID’s regional office in Kenya) – all with USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance. She subsequently served in Ethiopia as Deputy Director, in Guinea as Mission Director for Guinea and Sierra Leone, and finally in Pakistan as a Deputy Director. Her tour in Pakistan was curtailed for health reasons, and she was assigned to the Bureau for Democracy and Humanitarian Response until her retirement. Nancy continued to work with USAID for a number of years as a consultant, serving for nearly a year at USUN/Rome to support the US relationship with the World Food Program and the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization. She undertook several consultancies to Sudan and the Horn of Africa region during times of drought and civil strife, and to Bangladesh to support the Rohinga refugees.
Nancy is remembered by hundreds of people in many countries with whom she lived and worked; they cite with great fondness her warmth, adventurous spirit, love of life, and commitment to the world’s most disadvantaged peoples. She is remembered as a good and generous friend, an accomplished professional, a kind soul, a woman with a constant smile and twinkle in her eye.
“She had a deep connection to her experiences in Africa. We bonded over our mutual love for the continent and admiration for its people. I loved her passion for cats and dogs, African art, beautiful music, sunsets and travel.” “I will always remember Nancy for her mentorship, and very kind hospitality in Nairobi. I don’t remember ever staying at a hotel during TDYs there – that Nancy would open her home to me was just a given. And I’ll never forget racing down a road known for kidnapping, with Nancy like a Formula 1 driver!” “Dear Nancy, I will miss your kind and bright spirit in this world… We had such fun in Addis Ababa, running around over the weekend to various art galleries and museums. You encouraged me to buy a lovely Ethiopian painting that I still have hanging in our living room; when I look at it I think of you.” “Nancy’s indomitable spirit continued until just before she passed and she continued to travel and remained interested in hearing about the lives of her friends and their families. Her greatest pleasure while in Tucson was watching the sunset from the hills near her house with a small group of friends and their dogs which she did almost every evening. And, she willed her African art collection to a former USAID colleague who feels very honored by the gesture.” “Nancy was such a fun and adventurous person! She made the world a better place … her love and enthusiasm were contagious. I miss and will always remember her.” “She was an artist at heart, an accomplished musician, art collector, and supporter of African artists. She immersed herself in the cultures of the countries in which she served. She supported female staff to achieve their goals. She believed strongly in the work of USAID, whether that was HIV/AIDS, emergency relief, or nutrition programs.” “She brightened lives around the globe through her work, her exceptional ability to learn the languages and cultures of others, and her determination to leave the world a better and friendlier place.”
We will each have lived a good life to be remembered so fondly.
Leveo Victor Sanchez
Leveo V. Sanchez II, devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed away peacefully on August 11, 2026, at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He was 95 years old.
Leveo was born on September 8, 1930, in Lamy, New Mexico, the son of Leveo M. Sanchez and Victoria D. de Sanchez. His father died before he was born. His mother, Victoria, went on to become one of New Mexico Highlands University’s first Hispanic professors and a pioneer in teacher education throughout the Americas; Highlands University’s School of Education building is named in her honor. Victoria was her son’s greatest mentor and one of the most influential figures in shaping his character, values, and outlook on life.
Leveo spent most of his childhood in northern New Mexico before his mother’s teaching career took the family to Guatemala when he was sixteen. They spent a year there, and it was during this time that Leveo fell in love with the country and with Latin America more broadly. His experience there had a profound impact on him, inspiring a deep interest in diplomacy that would stay with him throughout his career and life. He returned to New Mexico to attend Las Vegas High School for his senior year. He earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from New Mexico Highlands University and graduated from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Officer Candidate School at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. He then went on to serve in the U.S. Army as an officer stationed in France during the Korean war as a part of the 94th Engineer Construction Battalion. Upon returning from his tour of duty in Europe, he earned his master’s degree in foreign affairs, with a major in Latin American studies, from the George Washington University School of Government in Washington, D.C.
It was at George Washington, in the fall of 1955, that Leveo met Patricia Ellan Marshall. Their courtship carried them between Washington and Long Island, and on September 8, 1956, which was also his twenty-sixth birthday, they married in a small Catholic church in North Port, Long Island, with the reception held at the Marshall family home. Their marriage lasted sixty-six and a half years, until Patricia’s death on March 16, 2023.
Leveo’s early career took the young couple abroad. In 1959, he joined the Agency for International Development (AID), working first on the Peru–Ecuador desk in Washington before transferring to Lima, Peru, where he served as Assistant Program Officer until 1962. While in Lima, he was appointed by the American Ambassador as liaison to the newly established Peace Corps, work that soon led the Peace Corps to bring him on as an evaluator of its Latin American and Caribbean programs. He went on to serve as deputy director of the Peace Corps’ Latin American Region, director of the U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity’s Mid-Atlantic Region, and director of the U.S. Office of Institutional Development in AID’s Latin American Bureau.
Beginning in the late 1960s, Leveo built a career as an entrepreneur. In 1969, he founded and chaired Development Associates, an international consulting firm specializing in social and economic development, which grew under his leadership into one of the largest minority-owned and operated consulting firms in the country, with offices in eight U.S. cities and projects in more than 100 countries. He sold the firm in 2005. In 1974, he was a founding partner and the first chairman of Hemisphere National Bank in Washington, D.C., later serving as its president from 1979 to 1981, when the bank was sold. Over the course of his career, he also built businesses in real estate development and investment, property management, and export trading.
Click here to see Leveo’s full obituary.
Published by The Washington Post on Aug. 16, 2026.
Denis Michael Neill
April 27, 1943 – July 20, 2026
Denis Michael Neill died peacefully at home in Bethesda, Maryland, on July 20, 2026. He was 83. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Mary Kathleen (Golden) Neill, their two children and five granddaughters.
Mr. Neill was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to Thomas P. and Agnes Weber Neill. His family soon after moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where he grew up as the second of nine children. Denis was a proud “Triple Billiken.” He graduated from Saint Louis University High School in 1960, Saint Louis University in 1964, and Saint Louis University School of Law in 1967.
Following law school, Denis moved to the New York area, where he worked briefly for the Internal Revenue Service in Newark, New Jersey. He then moved to Washington, D.C., where he served for three years as a lieutenant and attorney in the United States Coast Guard. After working in private practice, he joined the Office of the General Counsel at the United States Agency for International Development. He later served as Assistant General Counsel for Legislation and Policy Coordination before being appointed by President Gerald Ford to serve as Assistant Administrator for Legislative Affairs. During his time at USAID, he received both a Superior Unit Citation and a Distinguished Honor Award.
Shortly after leaving government service, Mr. Neill founded Neill & Company in 1981. Among its clients were major American companies and numerous foreign governments, including Egypt, Pakistan, Jordan, Morocco, Kenya, and El Salvador. During this time, he became known for his expertise in foreign assistance, defense policy, and United States relations with the Middle East. Later in his career, he served as president and chief executive officer of General Technologies Associates, LLC.
One of his proudest achievements was helping to found the Yellow Ribbon Fund in 2005. The organization supports wounded, ill, and injured post-9/11 service members, their caregivers, and their families. Mr. Neill also served on the board of the Barker Foundation and was a longtime member of Columbia Country Club.
Above all, Denis treasured his family. Kathy was his beloved partner of 60 years, and he was devoted to her and to the life they built together. He delighted in gathering the Neill family for celebrations in St. Louis, Bermuda, Paris, and wherever else they could make memories together. He loved traveling for both business and pleasure, particularly to France. He especially enjoyed playing his own version of poker with his granddaughters, handing out $2 bills to the winners, and often to everyone else he encountered as well. Guided throughout his life by his strong Catholic faith and his love of family, he was a source of love and generosity to all who knew him.
Mr. Neill is survived by his wife, Mary Kathleen (Golden) Neill; his son, Mark Neill of Lake Worth, Florida, and Mark’s daughters, Sarah, Ailani, Emma, and Charlotte; and his daughter, Erin Neill, her husband, Lee Emmert, and their daughter, Poppy, of Bethesda, Maryland.
He is also survived by his siblings, Cathy Neill of Durango, Colorado; Mark Neill (Kelly), Maggie Neill (Diane Ford), and Joe Neill (Beth), all of St. Louis, Missouri; Ed Neill (Linda) of Harrisville, Michigan; and Jim Neill (Chip Fangman) of Albuquerque, New Mexico; his brother-in-law, Tony Golden (Rita) of Jamesville, New York; and many beloved nieces and nephews across the country. He was predeceased by his parents and his brothers, Tom and John.
Adieu, Denis. Que Dieu te garde.
Family and friends are invited to attend a Mass of Christian Burial on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, at 11 a.m. at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church in Potomac, Maryland. A Celebration of Life will follow. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, August 4, from 3:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. at Joseph Gawler’s Sons, 5130 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20016.
Those wishing to honor Denis’s memory are invited to consider a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association or the Yellow Ribbon Fund.
Floyd Rudolph Spears
Floyd Rudolph Spears, 90, a retired Foreign Service officer with USAID, died on January 31, 2026, in Miami, Fla. Mr. Spears was born on September 5, 1935, in Clinton, La., to Frank and Olivia Spears.
In 1979 he graduated from the University of Maryland with an MA in urban management. Mr. Spears joined the Foreign Service with USAID in 1968. He held executive officer posts in Vietnam, Senegal, Ghana, Uganda, Nigeria, and Jamaica until his retirement in 1996.
Settling in Miami in 2003, Mr. Spears remained active in retirement, holding contract positions as an executive officer in Bangladesh, Ghana, and Liberia until 2010.
Mr. Spears loved entertaining, traveling, reading, keeping up with international and local affairs, watching various sports, and, in earlier years, playing tennis avidly. He also served as president of the board of his homeowner’s association in Miami, Fla., and volunteered at local polling stations.
Mr. Spears will be remembered for his kindness, calm demeanor, supportive nature, and dedication to family and many friends around the world, with whom he maintained close ties throughout his life.
Mr. Spears was predeceased by two of his children, Floyd Jr. and Therese Spears. He is survived by his wife, Cheryl; son Brian; sisters Hilda and Velma (and spouse, Manuel); brother, Frank (and spouse, Jean); and six grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.
Published in The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2026 edition, p. 76
Gary L. Bayer
Gary L. Bayer, 84, a retired Foreign Service officer with USAID, died on March 16, 2026, in Cusco, Peru, surrounded by his family. Mr. Bayer was born on March 8, 1942, near Neenah, Wis. The second person in his family to attend college, he joined his elder brother at Lawrence College in Appleton, Wis., in 1960.
Mr. Bayer began his adventures overseas as a Peace Corps volunteer in Peru (1966–1967).
He joined the U.S. Foreign Service in 1967 and served until 1969 as a USAID refugee adviser in Vietnam, where he became adept at learning dialects and developed an appreciation for Southeast Asian cuisine.
In 1970 he married Nelly Arias, his companion for 56 years.
In Laos (1971–1975), Mr. Bayer regularly met with the Crown Prince and the Red Prince for cigars and brandy. He was even captured and held (for a few hours) as a POW by Pathet Lao forces. Luckily, his family recalls, his knack for languages stood him in good stead and he talked himself out of captivity and across the river to safer ground. He was on the last Air America flight out of Laos to Bangkok after the Pathet Lao took control of the country.
Mr. Bayer’s next posting was Botswana (1976–1978), where he taught agriculture extension at the Botswana Agriculture College and regularly invited his students to his home on weekends for lunch, lively discussion, and laughter. Serving subsequently in Lesotho (1978–1980) and Bolivia (1980–1984), he would bring along his young son on field trips to project sites, thereby guaranteeing that another Bayer generation would join USAID.
He then served in Panama (1984–1987), the Canal Zone a great assignment for a Wisconsin kid who loved to fish for bass. In Sudan (1988–1990), he would drive across the desert and sail down the Nile, making friends among the locals wherever he went.
Posted to Uganda (1990–1994), he supported the establishment of Lake Mburo National Park and protection of the gorillas of Bwinde National Forest. Sri Lanka was Mr. Bayer’s final official USAID assignment (1995–1999). Retirement, however, was short-lived. Mr. Bayer was soon off to Mozambique with World Vision, where he implemented the USAID agriculture portfolio (2000–2008). During this period, he took several epic road trips on the dusty roads of Kruger National Park, Namibia, and beyond.
In 2009 the Bayers settled in Cusco, where he is remembered by a large community of local inhabitants and civic groups who enjoyed his sense of humor, his willingness to lend a helping hand, and his overall love of life.
Mr. Bayer is survived by his spouse, Nelly of Cusco; son, Tom (and spouse, Marinyl), and grandson, Cyrus of Biliran Province in the Philippines; and brother, Melvin Bayer of Jensen Beach, Fla.
Published in The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2026 edition, p. 67
Catherine “Cathy” Anne Wright Norris
Catherine “Cathy” Anne Wright Norris, age 91, of Arlington, Va., died peacefully at home on June 14, 2026, from complications related to Parkinson’s disease. She was the wife of James A. Norris, a retired USAID foreign service officer. Cathy was born April 21, 1935, in Dalton, Ga., and was the eldest child of Hubert Davis Wright and Genevieve Pontrich Wright. Over the next 10 years, the Wright family lived in Charleston, S.C.; Arlington, Va.; and Norfolk, Va., before moving to Tokyo, Japan in 1946, marking the beginning of Cathy’s love of travel and exploring other cultures.
Returning to Norfolk in 1949, Cathy graduated as salutatorian of Granby High School, Class of 1953, where she was also the editor of the school newspaper and president of the Spanish club. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a bachelor’s degree in economics from Duke University, Class of 1957.
After working for the Federal Reserve in the Bureau of Research and Statistics in Washington, D.C., Cathy drove cross-country to California where she began graduate courses in economics at UC Berkeley in 1959. It was at UC Berkeley in 1961 when Cathy met James Arnold Norris, who was pursuing a Ph.D. in chemistry.
Cathy and Jim were married in 1963 and then made their way to Boston, where Jim was a post-doctoral fellow in the MIT chemistry department and began his studies of economics. They welcomed their first child in 1965 and then started their life overseas in 1966, six months after Jim began his career with the US Agency for International Development.
Over the next 37 years, Cathy and Jim, with their three children, lived and worked in Tunisia, Indonesia, Egypt, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Russia, and Egypt (again), before retiring in Arlington, Va. Cathy oversaw the landscaping of the Joint Embassy School campuses in Jakarta; trained Bangladesh Central Bank employees in the use of computers; managed the computerization of an agricultural university in Pakistan; and, as a contractor for USAID in Moscow, managed the development and implementation of an agricultural project in Russia.
She loved a competitive game of tennis; cooking and enjoying gourmet meals with friends and family; staying up all night to finish a book; discussing current events, movies, art, history, and politics; and planning and completing multiple home and garden renovations.
Cathy is survived by her husband of 63 years and dedicated caregiver for the past two and a half years, Jim; children: Suzanne Norris Bronzi (Luca), Erica Norris Perlman (David), and James Wright Norris (Melinda); and grandchildren: Giulia Bronzi, Olivia Bronzi, Sofia Perlman, Wright Norris, Stella Norris, and Jimmy Norris. Cathy is also survived by many lifelong friends from college, graduate school, and her years of living overseas.
Cathy was preceded in death by her parents; sisters, Yvonne Floyd and Frances Wright; and brother, Hubert “Pete” Wright. She is survived by her sister, Mary “Beezie” Shiflet (Harvey), and her sister-in law, Marilyn Holt Wright.
Keith Warren Sherper
Keith Sherper of Falls Church, Virginia passed away following 90 years of life on Saturday, June 27, 2026. Born February 10, 1936, Keith grew up in Minneapolis. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in animal husbandry from the University of Minnesota followed by a Master’s degree in agricultural economics from the University of Minnesota. He used these degrees in the Peace Corps in India, where he suggested, taught, and implemented improved farming practices.
In his following 30+ year career at USAID, he left resounding impacts that were recognized by the Presidential Meritorious Honor Award and the Outstanding Career Achievement Award. He traveled all over the world over the course of his career, serving in Vietnam, the Philippines, Georgia—Eastern Europe, Sudan, and Uganda, where he was the Mission Director. An incredibly bright mind with an even brighter soul, Keith’s kindness, humor, and intelligence will forever be remembered by the multitude of lives he touched and bettered.
Keith is survived by his wife, Phyllis, children Linda and Steven, and grandchildren Brandon, Eric, Tyler, and Rian. He was preceded in death by his parents, Julia Olson and David Sherper, and his four siblings: Bob, Dave, Naomi, and Ken (twin).
A visitation will be held at National Funeral Home, 7482 Lee Highway, Falls Church, VA 22042, US, on July 5, 2026, from 9:30 am to 10:45 am, followed by a funeral service at the same location from 10:45 am to 12:00 pm. A committal service will take place at National Memorial Park, 7482 Lee Highway, Falls Church, VA 22042, US, on July 5, 2026, from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm. A reception will be held at the funeral home following the funeral and burial service.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making donations to the American Heart Association in Keith Sherper’s name.
Janis Timberlake
Janis K. Timberlake, 71, passed away peacefully on Jun 24, 2026. Most recently a resident of Alexandria, Virginia, and Corolla, North Carolina, she spent forty years working in international public health.
Born on January 20, 1955, in Schenectady, New York, Janis was the daughter of Dale Timberlake and Virginia (Terry) Timberlake. She joined the Peace Corps in 1978 after graduating from Alfred College, living in a rural village in Senegal for three years.
This experience sparked her lifelong passion for public health and international development, and brought her family around the world.
Janis completed a PhD in health policy and planning at Virginia Tech, and spent most of her career working for USAID. She lived and worked in Senegal, Burundi, Guyana, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. Her career culminated in Washington, DC, with senior leadership roles in the USAID Bureau for Global Health and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). She retired from government in 2018 and founded an executive coaching practice that supported organizations and individuals. Her lasting impact on global health is reflected in the wide range of programs she helped shape, in the countless lives saved especially through her leadership in expanding HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, and in the many colleagues who grew under her mentorship and carry her example forward.
Janis is remembered as an incredible friend, mentor, coach, and champion. Her passion was always people, and she built community everywhere she visited. Janis led a life full of adventure and love: from keeping in touch with colleagues around the world, to her friends in Cameron Station and Corolla, NC, and extensive travels with Mike, her children and grandchildren.
Janis was the beloved partner of Michael Foose and a proud mother to her children and their spouses: Allison & Bijit Kundu, Benjamin & Charlotte Whitney, and Dominique & Brittany Badji. She was a devoted Mima to her six grandchildren, whom she adored.
Service Information
A celebration of life will be held July 19th in Alexandria, VA. Details to follow.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Janis’s memory to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation: https://join.pedaids.org/s/1928/2594.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Published by The Washington Post on Jul. 4, 2026.
Paul Philip Spishak
Paul Philip Spishak passed away peacefully on May 27, 2026, at the age of 87. He was born on November 18, 1938, in Johnstown, PA, son to the late John and Mary Spishak. Paul was preceded in death by his wife of 51 years, Mary Louise, whom he met on a blind date, and raised four children. A devout Catholic, member, and usher of St. Mark parish in Vienna, VA, Paul’s faith, politeness, generosity, and intelligence, along with his calmness, sense of humor, and dedication to family define him. Welcoming all with a handshake and a smile, Paul found connections with everyone. His work at USAID, helping others here and abroad, was an important part of his many, many years of service to the government. Paul will be remembered for his devotion to Mary Lou, his stories about the 85 countries he visited, playing poker and basketball, and his love of singing, all the way to the end. May this Virginia Gentleman rest in peace. Dobrú Noc, Papa.
Paul will be missed by his brother (Fr. Carl Spishak), children and children-in-law (Steven Spishak, Kristan Cybriwsky, Tanya Spishak, Jessica Allister, Sabrina Spishak, Jason Kemp, Cindy Spishak, and Dethrell Garcia), and grandchildren (Kollar, Mila, Charlene, and Marlowe) along with many relatives, ushers, poker buddies, neighbors, and those who helped care for him in his final years. Paul was preceded in death by his brother, Leo Spishak.
A funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at 11:00am at St. Mark Catholic Church followed by a reception. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to St. Mark Catholic Church, 9970 Vale Road, Vienna, VA, or to your favorite charity.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Published by The Washington Post on Jun. 21, 2026.
Douglas Perry Broome
Douglas Perry Broome passed away peacefully with his son and daughter by his side, on March 28, 2026, in Cortland, New York from Parkinson’s disease. He was born in Waltham, Massachusetts on August 28, 1941, to Edwin Cornelius Broome and Edith Perry Broome.
Douglas earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Swarthmore College in 1963 and went on to obtain his master’s degree at American University, followed by doctoral studies at the University of Denver. He studied Arabic at the University of Cairo and continued his doctoral studies until obtaining a position at the United States Treasury Department.
His love of travel, history, politics and culture led him to a position at the U.S. Department of State as a foreign service officer for the United States Agency for International Development, where he pursued a thirty-year career in the developing world and in Washington, D.C. His posts included Lagos, Nigeria; Ankara, Turkey; Banjul, The Gambia, where, as attaché, he launched and implemented USAID mission; Dakar, Senegal; New Delhi, India and Kinshasa, Zaire. He traveled extensively with his family throughout every continent in which he served. He spoke Arabic most fluently, but also learned Wolof, French and Hindi.
He was assigned to the Foreign Service Grievance Board, and after retiring, was asked to return as a Senior Labor Management Advisor for the American Foreign Service Association. As a gifted writer, avid reader and lifelong scholar, he nurtured an insatiable interest in world political history, culture and religion. Douglas could also fix anything and spent his free time rebuilding vintage Mercedes automobiles, Gravely tractors and literally everything from the kitchen sink to the dock on the waters of his beloved forty-year respite on Lake Champlain in Westport, New York.
He is survived by his wife of sixty-two years, Mariana Henriette Jalil Khalil Atiyeh Broome; his son, E. Jason Broome; his daughter, Justine B. Shay; his son-in-law, Devin Shay; his adopted sister, Jano Brown and his grandchildren Serafina Broome, Jonah Shay, Alexa Shay, Julian Shay. He was predeceased by his father and mother; his stepmother, Madelin and his brother, Standish.
A direct descendant of Captain Myles Standish of the Mayflower, Douglas had a mischievous bent combined with a dry delivery that belied a curious and observant mind, often delicately walking the line between witty dark humor and inappropriate roasting. He was passionate about his wife’s Palestinian cooking, good beer and summer days with friends and family on the lake.
A private memorial gathering will be held at his daughter’s home in Tully, New York on Father’s Day, June 21, 2026. Donations may be sent to Mariana Broome, care of Justine Shay, 411 Babcock Road, Tully, NY, 13159, where they will be consolidated and sent directly to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Please contact the family for more information.
Douglas Broome was a highly intelligent and hardworking man, a loyal husband and a consistent, steady advisor and mentor to his close and extended family and his decades-long friends. He was always willing to lend a hand to someone in need. He will be especially missed by all who appreciated the correlation between the twinkle in his eye and his sardonic grin.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Published by The Washington Post on Jun. 14, 2026.
Helen Donovan Grayson
Helen Donovan Grayson, 91, of Alexandria, Virginia, passed away peacefully at home on June 9, 2026. Born October 23, 1934, in Bayonne, New Jersey, Helen lived a remarkable life filled with service, adventure, and dedication to her family and community.
She earned a degree in history from the College of New Rochelle in 1956 and attended the Georgetown School of Foreign Service. Helen served as a Foreign Service Officer with assignments in the State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research and Paris, France. After leaving the Foreign Service in 1960, she pursued a diverse career, including teaching in Hong Kong, working for USAID in Panama, serving as an economist for the Department of Commerce, and leading as Executive Director of the American Restaurant China Council.
Helen was a devoted member of Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Alexandria. She found joy in traveling, playing bridge, cooking, volunteering, and spending time with her family.
She is survived by her daughter, Winifred Grayson; nieces Honore Wagner and Marcella Walker; and nephew Daniel Patrick Donovan III. She was predeceased by her husband of 59 years, Benson “Bill” Lee Grayson; her son, Richard Andrew Grayson; her parents, Dr. Daniel Patrick Donovan and Helen Lankford Donovan; and her siblings, Daniel Patrick Donovan and Anne Donovan Whalen.
Helen’s memory will be cherished by all who knew her. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society or Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Alexandria, Virginia. Services will be announced at a later date.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Published by The Washington Post on Jun. 14, 2026.
Charles “Chuck” Kapar
Charles “Chuck” Kapar, age 98, passed on May 19, 2026; born May 31, 1927, Charles resided in Fairfax, Virginia. Chuck Kapar was an auditor with USAID for many years. He is survived by his wife Nga Kapar and two sons, David and Marc. A Graveside Service was held at King David Memorial Gardens, 2712 Hollywood Rd, Falls Church, VA 22042, US, on May 22, 2026, from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm.
Hank Johnson
Hank Johnson of Somerset Apartments in Chevy Chase, Maryland, passed away during the May 9-10, 2026, weekend. He was a USAID Agricultural Officer and worked in Yugoslavia, Bolivia, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Washington. He and his wife had four children all born abroad. After his retirement in 1990 his wife became a Foreign Service Officer, and they served in Mexico City and Rome. Before his wife passed, they lived in the Washington area in Carderock Springs, Spring Valley, and moved to Somerset in 2015.
Carl Hughes Leonard
Carl H. Leonard, of Falls Church, VA, died peacefully of complications from multiple myeloma at INOVA Fairfax Hospital on May 8, 2026. A retired Career Minister in the Senior Foreign Service, he served for 30 years with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Following his retirement from USAID, he joined ACDI/VOCA and led the organization as its President and CEO.
Born in Chicago, IL, on November 4, 1948, to Carl Leonard and Shirley Ann Jones Leonard, Carl spent his early years in Clarendon Hills, IL, and attended high school in Hinsdale, IL. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude, from Vanderbilt University with a BA degree in economics, and at Vanderbilt, fell in love with his future spouse, Glynne Clair Borden. After completing an MA degree at the University of Wisconsin in Ibero-American Studies, he began his USAID career in 1971. Early assignments included Washington, DC (1971-73 and 1979-1983), Bolivia (1973-1975), and Peru (1975-1979). During the 1983-1984 academic year, he was a Princeton University Mid-Career Fellow in Public Affairs, followed by an assignment as the USAID Deputy Director in Honduras (1984-1988).
Over the next 10 years, Carl led large missions as the USAID Mission Director in Costa Rica (1988-1990), Bolivia (1990-1995), and El Salvador (1995-1997). He returned to Washington, DC, in 1997 to serve as the Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator in the Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean, and in 2000, as Acting Assistant Administrator. He retired from USAID in 2001 after a distinguished career and numerous awards, including two Presidential awards and a Distinguished Career Achievement Award. The latter award noted:
In recognition of an extraordinary and illustrious 30-year career with USAID in which Mr. Leonard demonstrated exceptional vision, leadership, direction, and management of the Agency’s programs and staff including the current [2001] Plan Colombia Program, El Salvador Peace, and Bolivia Alternative Development. His lasting contributions, tremendous achievements and significant impact upon U.S. foreign policy objectives in the LAC region have been carried out with rare diplomatic distinction.
Carl joined ACDI/VOCA in 2001, and was selected as President and CEO in 2005, a position he held until his full retirement in January 2014. Under his leadership, the organization achieved a sound financial foundation; grew sustainably; and brought expanded economic opportunities for farmers, rural communities, enterprises, and small businesses around the world. In retirement, Carl actively pursued his keen interests of travel, fly fishing, genealogy research, writing family history, and spending time with family and friends. He is remembered fondly for his kindness, integrity, resolve, humanitarianism, leadership skills, and sense of humor.
Carl is survived by his wife of 53 years, Glynne Borden Leonard; son Curtis Owen Leonard and daughter-in-law Michelle Melara Leonard; granddaughters Maggie Carolina Leonard and Ruby Raquel Leonard; daughter Emily Leonard Ayubi and son-in-law Suliman Ayubi; sister Sharon Leonard Eisenstat and brother-in-law Theodore Eisenstat; brother Charles Curtis Leonard and sister-in-law Susan Smith Leonard; brother-in-law Stephen Borden; and numerous nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Carl’s memory to the International Myeloma Foundation (https://www.myeloma.org/) or ProMujer (https://promujer.org/).
Jack Vanderryn
Jack Vanderryn passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, on April 17, 2026, three days after his 96th birthday.
Jack was born in Groningen, the Netherlands, on April 14th,1930. His family fled the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands in 1939 settling first in Kew Gardens, NY and later in Great Neck, Long Island. He went to P.S. 99, he learned to play tennis with his dad and piano, both of which became lifelong hobbies. His interest in science led Jack to brave the long daily subway ride to Brooklyn Technical High School for a more focused high school experience. After high school, Jack attended Lehigh University for both his undergraduate and graduate education, earning a Ph.D. in chemistry in 1955. Jack maintained his connection with Lehigh for the rest of his life.
His first position was teaching chemistry at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute (VPI) in Blacksburg, VA. During a vacation in New York, Jack asked Margrit (Marge) Wolfes to do him a favor and marry him; they were wed in March of 1956. The couple set up housekeeping in Blacksburg and started their family with the birth of David.
Dr. Vanderryn had been teaching for two years when a guest lecturer he was giving a ride to, offered him a job at the Atomic Energy Commission in Oak Ridge, TN, where Judith was born. That initial position began Jack’s long career of government service in several federal agencies. After two years in Tennessee, an opportunity arose to work for the AEC in the Washington, DC area and they moved their family to Garrett Park, MD. There they started to indulge in their shared interests in art and music, frequently attending theater, concerts, and art shows.
In 1967, Jack was asked to serve as the Senior Scientific Advisor to the U.S. Mission to the International Atomic Energy Agency. The family – now four children, David, Judith, Amy, and Danny (often said all in one all-purpose breath) – moved to Vienna, Austria. Jack was responsible for providing technical information to U.S. diplomats negotiating international nuclear nonproliferation treaties. During this four-year period, Jack and Marge took enthusiastic advantage of music, art, social offerings, and – to the eternal consternation of their children – antique stores. They also travelled extensively, together and individually, and Jack made connections with art dealers in almost every place they visited. His favorite place was Paris.
The family returned to the US in 1971, moving to Bethesda MD. Jack continued in his government service in a variety of senior positions with the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Agency for International Development. He broadened the focus of his national and international work including projects to enhance environmental management and biodiversity, support for renewable energy projects, and collaborating with nations to build organizational capacity. Click here to see Jack’s complete obituary.
Published by The Washington Post on May 3, 2026.
John Holliday Zentay
John Holliday Zentay, 93, of Washington, D.C., died peacefully at home on Wednesday, April 8, 2026. He was a beloved husband, father, and grandfather. He was extraordinarily mentally astute until the end, consistently correcting his children on dates and names, and accurately describing the many important events he had witnessed in his long life. John’s beloved wife of 56 years, Diana, passed away in 2020 after battling Alzheimer’s for almost a decade. He was her dedicated caregiver during those years, which was an honor for his children and grandchildren to witness. For the last years of his life, John was lovingly cared for by Melda Saga and Arnele Quiamco.
John was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on June 9, 1932, the year he would often cite as the low point of the stock market during the Great Depression. He attended the Community School and the John Burroughs School in St. Louis, and then went to Harvard College, graduating in the Class of 1953. He was drafted for the Korean War, but the conflict ended while he was in basic training. Instead, he served as an Army private for two years in Germany. John returned to Boston to attend Harvard Law School and then moved to Washington, D.C. to pursue his lifelong ambition of becoming a Washington attorney. From the young age of 11, his hope was to work in Washington D.C. someday.
John’s first job in Washington was working for Senator Stuart Symington of Missouri. He then worked in the Legislative Affairs Department for the United States Agency for International Development. His work as an oil and gas attorney began at Ginsberg, Feldman, and Bress, where he remained for many years before moving to become a partner at Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, McPherson & Hand, which was eventually subsumed into DLA Piper. He loved his law practice and continued going into the office until the Covid pandemic, at which time he was 88 years old.
As much as John loved practicing law, his greatest joy was his family. He adored his wife Diana and his children Susan and Charles. He cherished his seven grandchildren and was very fortunate that they all lived nearby. For the last 22 years of his life, he saw one or more of his grandchildren each and every week. For many years, on Saturday mornings, he and Diana would host the grandchildren for trips to the zoo and local museums or let them play at the house. He also ensured that his grandchildren were educated in his great love of musical theater, taking them to numerous productions at Arena Stage over the years. All seven of his grandchildren are gregarious conversationalists who love connecting with and learning from others, traits they inherited from both John and Diana. John had many lifelong close friends during his nine decades, including those from St. Louis, his tennis group, and his friends from Harvard “Q Entry.” He and Diana vacationed often with many of these friends, and together the “Q Entry” group established a scholarship fund at Harvard.
John served on the Board of the National Archives Foundation for many years, as well as the Finance Committee of the National Cathedral. He was an enthusiastic tennis player who spent hours on the courts at St. Albans. He loved military history and talking politics, and he was an avid reader until the very end of his life. He also collected historical prints of Washington, D.C. and donated many prints from his large collection to the Lincoln Cottage, Mount Vernon, and Blair House.
John is survived by his daughter Susan Zentay (Adrian McAloon) and his son Charles Zentay (Amanda Nimmer) and seven grandchildren: Conor, Eamonn, Jamie, Finn, Emory, Grace, and Luke.
Memorial contributions in John’s honor may be directed to the National Archives Foundation (https://archivesfoundation.org).
A service will be held at St. Albans Church on the Cathedral Close at 1 pm on Monday, May 18th with a reception following.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Published by The Washington Post on Apr. 19, 2026.