In Memoriam

Recent Tributes

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Nancy Louise Raubitschek

Nancy Louise Raubitschek, beloved mother and grandmother, passed away peacefully on January 6, 2025, in Fairfax, VA at the age of 81.

Born on August 6, 1943, Nancy spent her childhood in Dover, NH before moving to the Washington, DC area where she lived most of her adult life. She built a career as a secretary and paralegal for the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Agency for International Development, Mobil Oil Corporation, and the Arlington Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney.

Nancy was a devoted and active mother. She found joy in playing tennis and loved spending time at the beach, particularly in Ocean City, MD and Vero Beach, FL.  Nancy is survived by her daughter, Dr. Tamara Pringle; her son, Jeffrey Raubitschek; and three grandchildren, Mercer, Jason, and Camden Pringle. Nancy was preceded in death by her parents, Florence Castoras Gradeless and Henry Joseph Lanouette, as well as her former spouse, John Hugh Raubitschek.

Nancy was interred at Columbia Gardens Cemetery in Arlington, VA on January 28, 2025.  To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Published by The Washington Post on Feb. 9, 2025.

Gordon Haughwout West

Although he was taken from us too soon at age 77, Gordon Haughwout West lived an incredibly full life without regrets, defined by purpose and meaning. On January 26th, 2025, Gordon passed away peacefully in his sleep after a hard-fought battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. He remained healthy and active throughout his later years until a more pronounced decline in his final year of life. He leaves behind a legacy of hope, love, and humanitarianism. Gordon worked hard and played hard, with a remarkable strength of character that enabled him to remain committed to the core values he held most dear: family, friendship, generosity, helping others, and adventure. He left this world a better place and enriched the lives of many. His good will carries on, as do the fond memories of him we cherish in our hearts.

Gordon was born in Oak Park, Illinois on August 15th, 1947 to Wynant and Dorothy West. He grew up in a large and loving family with siblings Barbara, Donald, Norman, and Nancy. In addition to family; religion, music, and sports were defining aspects of his youth, shaping Gordon’s sense of spirituality, community, and adventure. After graduating from Wheaton High School, Gordon studied Industrial Engineering at Purdue University and worked as an engineer for Dow Chemical. Following an intuition that would lay a solid foundation for his future career, Gordon then attended the University of California, Berkeley and obtained a Master’s degree in Urban Planning.

Gordon’s vision for life began to crystallize when he decided to join the Peace Corps, the government volunteer agency for international development. He spent three years in Fiji volunteering on civil engineering and construction projects, which was a turning point in his life that firmly shaped his belief in helping others. His spirit of adventure was also able to shine through brightly, living on a boat for three years where he later fondly recounted stories of hurricanes, sharks, giant clams, and festive nights partying and celebrating life the Fijiian way. Little did he know at that time that his career would eventually take him across much of the globe. Gordon’s knack for recognizing and bringing out the best in people gave him a deep appreciation for the many cultures he experienced and an ability to connect with just about anyone.

After Fiji, joining the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was a natural next step for Gordon, who was first stationed as a Foreign Service Officer in Dhaka, Bangladesh. While visiting Thailand on summer break, Gordon was introduced by a long-time friend Henry (“Hank”) Merrill to the love of his life and future wife, Kanha (“Noi”) Cheyapanta, who at the time was working as a language instructor for USAID in Bangkok. Gordon and Noi married in Thailand on May 11th, 1979 and remained happily married, lovingly devoted companions for the 45 years that followed. Together they had two sons: Gavin Haughwout West in 1982 and Benjamin Kasem West in 1985. Gordon was adored by his family and possessed so many traits that made him a wonderful husband, father, and grandfather – patience, humor, and wisdom among them.

Following his marriage to Noi, Gordon moved back to Chicago to help his brother Don with an entrepreneurial pursuit before rejoining USAID, an agency he served proudly for 28 years on behalf of the American people to build a better, safer, and more just world. Gordon loved his country, believed in democracy, and cared deeply about uplifting the less fortunate and those in need. His overseas assignments included Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan, and the Philippines before serving as Mission Director in both Cambodia and during a second tour in Bangladesh. In Washington DC, he served as the director of Economic Restructuring of Eastern Europe from 1991-1993 after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Deputy Assistant Administrator (Asia and Near East Bureau) from 2001-2004, and Senior Reconstruction and Stabilization Advisor from 2004-2005 with focus on Afghanistan and Iraq. Gordon retired from the federal government in 2005 and received the Administrator’s Award for Distinguished Career Service. His first retirement was short-lived as he felt the pull to join RTI International in Indonesia to lead their Democratic Reform Support Program for five years, followed by three years as their Vice President of International Development in Washington, D.C.

After Gordon’s second retirement, he continued on his path volunteering as the president of the neighborhood association as well as a devoted volunteer of the Shepherd’s Center of Northern Virginia, helping to drive and assist the elderly. He also rediscovered his love of music through singing for the Fairfax Jubil-Aires chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society. With a sailor’s spirit, Gordon fought Alzheimer’s as best as he could. He taped Albert Einstein’s quote “once you stop learning you start dying” to his wall and continued to pursue his hobbies and volunteer activities to the best of his abilities. He relished time spent with friends and family and was especially grateful for his wife Noi, who cared for him at home for as long as she could until December 2024 when his condition required professional care and medical support. While physically gone, Gordon’s zest for life, love, and generosity continue living in all of us that he touched.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Obituary published on Legacy.com by Money and King Funeral Home and Cremation Services on Jan. 29, 2025.

Heather Goldman

(No obituary yet)

Bruce Warren Rush

Bruce Warren RUSH, Sr., Foreign Service Officer with U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID), died October 15, 2024, in Floyd County, Indiana, at the age of 86. Mr. Rush was born September 1938, in Louisville, Kentucky. In 1960, Rush enlisted in the U.S. Army and volunteered for duty in Asia. He arrived at the Military Assistance Advisory Group headquarters in Vietnam in March 1962. He joined the Foreign Service in 1963, serving as a rural development first strike ration officer with USAID. By 1968, he was commissioned as a Foreign Service Officer. Mr. Rush’s overseas assignments continued through 1985, including posts in Southeast Asia; Western, Central, and East Africa; and the Middle East. He was thereafter posted at the Department of State in Washington before retiring in 1991. In retirement, Mr. Rush relocated to a ranch in the Republic of Namibia. He had a passion for genealogy, wildlife conservation, and international travel. Mr. Rush is survived by his wife of 33 years, Araceli; and two sons, Bruce Jr. and Douglas.

Neil P. Cohen

Neil P. Cohen, PhD, retired Foreign Service Officer with U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID), died October 9, 2024, in Gainesville, Florida. Dr. Cohen was born March 9, 1945, in Brooklyn, New York. He received a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and a PhD in development economics from the University of Wisconsin. He February 2025 • DACOR Bulletin 31 taught at Eastern Michigan University and St. Louis University. His first international stint was teaching economics at Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Nigeria, He accepted a Fulbright teaching fellowship in Kathmandu, Nepal, and moved to Arusha, Tanzania, with Development Alternatives. He joined USAID as an economist in 1980. Dr. Cohen’s overseas posts included Mbabane, Swaziland (now eSwatini); Colombo, Sri Lanka; Kathmandu, Nepal; Nairobi, Kenya; and Pretoria, South Africa. He retired from USAID as an officer in 2000 but continued with USAID as part of President Bush’s program to combat AIDS in Africa. In 2006, Dr. Cohen moved to Gainesville, Florida. He continued short assignments abroad to Afghanistan, Yemen, and Cambodia. He was a runner and a biker, racing for pleasure and good causes. He was a proud Rotarian and Fulbright board member. Dr. Cohen was predeceased by his brother Jeff and beloved second son Richard. He is survived by his wife Jan, son Matthew, daughter Leah and grandchildren Sawyer, Grady, and Calyra.

Jack Arnold Royer

Jack Arnold Royer of Arlington Virginia passed away at The View in Alexandria, VA on September 9, 2024, at the age of 83.  He was born in Rochester, Indiana, on June 20, 1941, to Vern Fletcher Royer and Erda Enone (Robinson) Royer. Jack grew up in Akron, Indiana, and attended Akron Public Schools before graduating from Purdue University in 1965.

He then spent the next two years in the US Army. After infantry training in South Carolina, he volunteered for The Old Guard, the ceremonial unit based at Fort Myer in Arlington, Virginia.

After completing his military service, he joined the US Agency for International Development (USAID). At USAID, he worked on programs mostly in Africa and Latin America, and his last assignment was in Swaziland from which he retired in 1997. Following his retirement, he worked with a friend he had served with in Swaziland to establish Arlington Learning in Retirement Institute, later renamed Encore Learning, a volunteer-run organization for lifelong learning. He served in various capacities at Encore Learning, including 12 years as vice-president, and teaching several Civil War classes. He remained involved in the organization until health problems prevented his active participation.

Jack is survived by a sister, Sharon Williams, Greentown, Indiana; two nephews, Christopher Williams, West Lafayette, Indiana, and Michael D. Williams (wife Laura) Kokomo, Indiana; and Michael and Laura’s daughter, Cassandra.  He was preceded in death by his parents and one sister, Linda Royer.

No services have been planned. Donations may be made in Jack’s memory to Encore Learning, a charitable organization, at: https://encorelearning.net/about/donate.  To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by The Washington Post on Dec. 21, 2024.

David I. Steinberg

David I. Steinberg, a preeminent Western analyst on Myanmar whose insights on the country informed journalistic coverage during decades of coups and bloodshed, including a scorched-earth campaign against the Rohingya Muslim minority, died Dec. 5 at his home in Bethesda, Maryland. He was 96.  His son Eric Steinberg confirmed the death but did not cite a specific cause.

David Isaac Steinberg was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Nov. 26, 1928. His father was head of proctology at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, and his mother was a homemaker.

Mr. Steinberg said his interest in East Asia began in high school when he noticed the textbooks had few references to Chinese history. While at Dartmouth College, he was part of the last group of exchange students at Lingnan University in Canton, now known as Guangzhou, just before Mao Tse-tung came to power in the 1949 communist revolution.  Mr. Steinberg graduated from Dartmouth in 1950 and during the Korean War he worked for the National Security Agency, trying to decipher the codes of Chinese forces.

He received a master’s degree in Chinese studies from Harvard University in 1955 and did additional postgraduate work at the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies.

His four years in Myanmar with the Asia Foundation ended in 1962 when the country expelled all outside groups. Mr. Steinberg remained with the organization and relocated to Hong Kong and then South Korea, where he met his future wife, Myung-Sook Lee, a singer. (She later was known as Ann Myongsook Lee and became a music professor at George Washington University.)

In the late 1960s, Mr. Steinberg began a nearly two-decade career with U.S. government agencies, including coordinating programs in East Asia and other regions with the U.S. Agency for International Development.

He served as president of the Mansfield Center for Pacific Affairs think tank before joining Georgetown as a professor of Korean studies in 1990. He was the director of Asian studies at the university from 1997 to 2007.

His more than a dozen books include “Turmoil in Burma: Contested Legitimacies in Myanmar” (2006) and “Stone Mirror: Reflections on Contemporary Korea” (2002).  Mr. Steinberg often challenged U.S. policies on Myanmar, appealing for American engagement rather than sanctions.

In addition to his wife of 58 years and his son Eric, survivors include another son, Alexander; and two grandchildren.

At a Senate subcommittee hearing in 2009, Mr. Steinberg tried to convey Myanmar’s collective mindset, including the military brass. He surprised lawmakers by saying that many in Myanmar’s military harbored “enormous fear” of a U.S. invasion.  “We talk about regime change, we talk about outposts of tyranny,” he said. “This reinforces the problem, I think, of trying to negotiate with them.”

Excerpts from the obituary article by Brian Murphy, The Washington Post, December 6, 2024.  For the full article by Murphy, please click here.

Priscilla Sampil

Dear Colleagues,
It is with profound sadness that I share that our dear colleague Priscilla Sampil, USAID/Zimbabwe Supervisory Executive Officer, passed away on November 23, 2024. Priscilla was a loving mother to her three children, Aboubacar Dinah, Charlotte Binta, and Youssouf Emmanuel, and a devoted partner to her husband Mohamed. She is also survived by her mother Leslie Hunter, stepfather John Hunter, brother Emmanuel Ashamu, sisters Charlotte Ashamu and Elizabeth Deng, also a USAID Foreign Service Officer, and stepsister Madeline Hunter. My deepest sympathies are with them and all of her family and friends during this time of loss and grief.

Priscilla leaves behind an impressive legacy of achievements from her many years of public service. Earlier this year, I conveyed my appreciation to her for her initiative to advocate for and empower FSNs and advance our Agency’s priorities in locally led development. The energy and dedication she brought to her work with USAID distinguish her as one of our Agency’s finest officers.

Priscilla’s career in public service spans more than 20 years and multiple U.S. agencies, including the Department of State, Peace Corps, and USAID. She grew up between Lagos, Nigeria and Charlottesville, Virginia and later attended Barnard College, Columbia University, where she studied Political Science and Economics. Priscilla began her journey in international development as an NGO worker in Guinea, later assuming positions with the U.S. Embassy and USAID in Guinea, with the Peace Corps in both Togo and Guinea as an Administrative Officer and Director of Management and Operations, and later with the USAID/Guinea Mission.

Priscilla’s enthusiasm for international development led her to join USAID as a Foreign Service Officer in 2016, and in her first Foreign Service overseas assignment she served as the Supervisory Executive Officer in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In Zimbabwe, as Executive Officer since 2021, Priscilla served as a champion for local staff and led efforts to improve FSN benefits such as health care. She also acted as the Deputy Mission Director through a period of extended leadership transition during which she led the Mission to partner with civil society and other stakeholders in the lead up to the 2023 Zimbabwe presidential election. Priscilla embodied the core values of our Agency and put Zimbabwe at the forefront of USAID’s goal to ensure those we serve are at the center of their own development. Her efforts to launch and execute USAID/Zimbabwe’s local internship program earlier this year left a lasting impact on the Mission and on the youth who participated. In fact, thanks to the success of the first intern cohort, a follow-on program has already seen over 1,000 applicants from Zimbabwe’s talented pool of young people. Priscilla has left an important legacy through this initiative, which is expanding opportunities for youth and laying the groundwork for a future generation of local leadership.

Priscilla’s memory lives in the minds and hearts of all who knew her. Please take a moment to reflect on and honor Priscilla by signing this link or the physical books to be placed in the lobby of the Ronald Reagan Building and the USAID Annex in Washington, DC; the U.S. Embassy in Harare; and at the USAID Mission in Kinshasa.

The loss of a colleague and friend can evoke powerful emotions of grief and sadness. We encourage you to seek support from our Staff Care Program and its team of clinicians now or at any time in the days ahead. You can reach them at 1-877-988-7243 (toll-free), or +44-0-208-987-6200 (reverse-charge), 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
From USAID Counselor Clinton White, Dec. 2, 2024

George Ray Gardner, Jr.

December 3, 1940 — June 19, 2024
Crofton
George Ray Gardner, Jr. passed away on June 19, 2024, following a long illness. Born in Panama City, FL on December 3, 1940 to George Ray Gardner and Agnes Holbrook Gardner, George was the oldest of 8 children. From the very beginning, George loved the water – fishing, swimming and boating in Panama City, working on a tugboat through his college years, sailing in Mobile Bay in Alabama, Cayuga Lake in New York, Elephant Butte Lake in New Mexico and the Chesapeake Bay.
After graduating from Auburn University, he joined the Peace Corps, working with credit unions in Valparaiso, Chile. This experience led to a lifetime dedication to international development, working with such organizations as Project Hope and the Agency for International Development. He earned a doctorate in Development Sociology from Cornell University, then served as Associate Director of International Programs at New Mexico State University.
In 1980, he joined the Agency for International Development, working with Africa and Near East programs. For nearly 40 years, he travelled through Yemen, Egypt and 20 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, evaluating, advising and supporting programs to improve agriculture development and food security.
He loved his work and he loved the people he met. He shared that passion by being the founding force for an international outreach program at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Crofton.
George was the “go to” guy for questions about how to care for trees and flowers, how to fix a broken bike, how to fix almost anything. He especially liked fishing with his son in the Chesapeake and was delighted to see his grandchildren inherit his love for the water and nature.
He was predeceased by his parents, George and Agnes Gardner, by his sister Ann, and by two brothers, Thomas and Frank. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Nancy Gallant, his sons, Stephen Gardner and Michael Gardner and daughter-in-law Linda Gardner, by grandchildren Alice, Henry, Colin and Hazel, his sister Rose Gardner Flowers (Robert), brothers John David, J. Marshall (Joan), Patrick (Kathleen) and sisters-in-law Jenese Gardner, Louise Gardner, Sheila Aitken, Mary Ellen Obreiter (William), Kathleen Baril, Virginia Toland (Daniel), Julie Veilleux (James), 21 nieces and nephews and many great nieces and nephews.
The world is a better place because he was here and we are grateful.
Visiting hours will be July1 from 6-8 at Beall Funeral Home in Bowie. A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m. on July 2 at St Elizabeth Ann Seton in Crofton, with interment at Lakemont Memorial Gardens in Davidsonville.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of George Ray Gardner, Jr., please visit our flower store.

Arthur D. Silver

“If you are reading this, I am dead and you are not.”

Arthur D. Silver, of Bethesda, MD, died on November 24, 2024, at 82. Beloved and devoted husband of 30 years to Robin Ritterhoff, he also leaves behind many brothers- and sisters-in-law, cousins, three generations of nieces and nephews, and friends. His web of kith and kin — including an entire Nepali chosen family, and several brothers-from-other-mothers — was wide and, like Arthur himself, defied easy categorization.
Born on in the Bronx to Maurice and Dorothy (Davis) Silver, Arthur was predeceased by his elder sister Tina Lorris and their parents. He attended Bronx High School of Science, Cornell, and University of Chicago. Arthur served a long career as an International Development Officer (with USAID), with postings in Somalia, Pakistan, Guatemala, Nepal, and DC. In retirement, Arthur did good works for the infirmed and impoverished, and served as a Montgomery Co. Election Judge. He loved traveling the world, attending theatre and music festivals, spoiling his cat, and walking the entire 184-mile C&O Canal with Robin. Arthur was a voracious reader with a particular love of murder mysteries, and an avid New York Times crossword puzzler, using only ink and not deigning to bother until at least Thursday.
All who knew Arthur have stories of his wit, smarts, compassion, commitment to social justice and civic duty, love of adventure and dining, and penchant for puns. But above all was Arthur’s love of family and friends, and his ability to maintain relationships over many decades and miles.
Arrangements by Hines-Rinaldi Funeral Home Inc. under Jewish Funeral Practices Committee of Greater Washington Contract. Services were private. In lieu of flowers please donate to the ACLU.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Published by The Washington Post on Dec. 1, 2024.

Elizabeth Ann Donahue

Elizabeth Ann Bursky Donahue, 80, of Aldie, VA, passed away on November 15, 2024, just one day shy of her 81st birthday. Born on November 16, 1943 near Ambridge, PA, Elizabeth was known for her kindness and loyalty, and for her caring and giving nature. She aimed to be a source of encouragement to those around her.

Elizabeth graduated from Ambridge High School. She had a long career as an administrative assistant at USAID, where she was known for her dedication. Elizabeth’s faith was important to her; she was a devoted member of Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Aldie, VA, and Saint Agnes Catholic Church in Arlington, VA.

Elizabeth enjoyed a variety of activities that included playing bingo, solving word searches, reading mystery books, and watching Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy. Elizabeth also loved watching football, and she cherished the time she spent with family and friends.

Elizabeth is survived by her sons, Lieutenant Colonel Daniel (Kristin) Donahue and Patrick (Kim) Donahue; grandchildren, Emma, Evan, Katherine, and Brynn Donahue; brother, Stephen Bursky; and many cousins, nephews, and nieces. She was preceded in death by her parents, Ann and Stephen Bursky, and sister-in-law, Abby Bursky.

Funeral services and burial will be held for the immediate family at Fairfax Memorial Funeral Home in Fairfax, VA, on November 25, 2024, at 10 a.m. A celebration of life for family and friends will be scheduled at a later date. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to The Parkinson’s Foundation (www.parkinson.org) or the USO (www.uso.org) in memory of Elizabeth. Her kindness and generosity will forever touch the lives of those who knew her.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Published by The Washington Post on Nov. 24, 2024.

Peter Henderson

It is with great sadness that I share that our colleague Peter Henderson passed on October 22, 2024, after a battle with cancer.

Peter served two tours in the Marine Corps during the height of the Vietnam War, where he earned numerous commendations, including a Combat Action Ribbon. After graduating from Howard University, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, embarking on a distinguished military career spanning more than 20 years, retiring as a Major.

Peter first worked with USAID in 1994 while serving with the U.S. Army’s XVIII Airborne Corps in Haiti, where he worked with USAID’s Disaster Assistance Response Team. His expertise in organizing complex logistics, forging relationships with global communities, and maintaining composure in crisis situations, combined with his deep commitment to public service, made him a highly effective humanitarian leader.

After retiring from the Army, Peter joined USAID in 1996 as Team Leader for Operations Support in what is now known as the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance. Over the course of his 28-year career at USAID, Peter held various pivotal roles, including in the Office of Civil-Military Cooperation (CMC). During his tenure in CMC, Peter served as the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) Coordinator and Unit Security Officer. In doing so, he advanced USAID’s partnerships to build more stable and prosperous communities.

Peter devoted his life to serving his country and humanity, often at great personal sacrifice. He placed himself in grave danger, endured separations from family and friends, and faced physical and mental hardships. Peter’s service was never about personal reward or recognition; rather, it was about protecting others, upholding peace, and serving a higher purpose. He was always an optimist, witty and engaging, and, through thick and thin, thinking about others first.

Peter is survived by his wife, Joyce Evans, and his two sons, Evans Peter Henderson and Marcellus Thomas Henderson IV. My deepest sympathies are with them and all of his family and friends during this devastating time.
Peter’s memory is carried in the hearts of all who knew him. You can reflect on and honor Peter’s memory by signing this virtual memorial book.
From USAID Counselor Clinton White, Nov. 5, 2024

Roger “Monty” Freeman

Roger “Monty” Freeman, 71, a retired State Department Foreign Service officer, died on Aug. 17, 2024, in Eugene, Ore. The cause of death was acute myeloid leukemia. Born in Olympia, Wash., to Roger Adolf Freeman, who was at the time working for the governor of the state of Washington, and Emily Harpster, an English language teacher, Mr. Freeman accompanied his parents on their job-related moves to Bolivia, Washington, D.C., Virginia, and California. During his junior year at Beloit College, he studied geography at Sheffield University in the U.K. There he met Kay Jackson, a British fellow student, and the couple married a year later.

Mr. Freeman’s interest in the Foreign Service was sparked by Beloit College’s diplomat in residence, who had endless fascinating stories about serving in Chad. After obtaining an MBA from the University of Southern California, Mr. Freeman took the Foreign Service examination, becoming a Foreign Service officer in 1978. Throughout Mr. Freeman’s 20-year career with the State Department, he focused on assisting developing countries to build trade capacity. His first assignment (1979-1981) was as an economic and commercial officer in Côte d’Ivoire. Subsequent overseas State Department assignments included Bamako, Rabat, Colombo, and Cairo. In Bamako, Mr. Freeman worked with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank on Mali’s first economic reform and structural adjustment program and coordinated the sale of Air Mali’s last remaining Boeing airplane to FedEx.

While Mr. Freeman worked at the embassy, his wife, Kay, began her USAID career. As an early joint State-USAID tandem couple, they dealt with many logistical challenges, including spending significant time in domestic assignments. The highlight of their time in Mali was the birth of their first daughter, Laura Antonia Freeman. In Rabat (1988-1990), he worked initially as a general services officer (GSO). He was then assigned as an economic/ commercial officer (1990-1992). In 1991, his family, now including their second child, Heather, was evacuated ahead of the first Gulf War, but Mr. Freeman remained in Rabat because his experience as a GSO had given him useful knowledge about the embassy building.
After transferring to Colombo in 1992, he organized the country’s first American Trade Fair in 1993, featuring the film premiere of “Jurassic Park,” attended by Sir Arthur C. Clarke.

Back in Washington, D.C., he served as energy policy officer involved in multilateral negotiations of the law of the sea and the Antarctic Mineral Regime, was part of the State Department delegation responsible for China–World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations, and worked on development of the African Growth and Opportunity Act. In 1999, Mr. Freeman was assigned to Cairo, where he focused on building Egyptian trade capacity in textiles, infrastructure, and professional services. Upon return to Washington, D.C., in 2000, he became director of developing country issues in the office of the U.S. Trade Representative, coordinating analysis for WTO trade policy reviews for 22 countries.
In 2003, as a result of a pre-retirement medical exam, Mr. Freeman was diagnosed with mantle cell lymphoma, a non-Hodgkins lymphoma with an extremely high mortality rate. This was successfully treated at Johns Hopkins Medical Center in Baltimore, where he received a stem cell transplant.

When well enough to work again, he spent three months in Mongolia on contract as a USAID international trade specialist. He then served as USAID’s senior trade economist in Indonesia from 2005 to 2007. The highlight of his time in Indonesia was successfully developing a master’s degree program in international trade policy at the University of Indonesia. He then transferred to the USAID trade program in Cairo, where he continued to work on trade policy issues. Back in Washington, D.C., he served for almost 10 years as an anti-corruption adviser for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement. As his final contribution, he provided support to atrocity prevention programs around the world.

Mr. Freeman retired for a second time in 2018 to Eugene, Ore., where he enrolled in university classes and earned his fifth and final college degree, a BA in psychology. In 2023 he was diagnosed with blood cancer, myelodysplastic syndrome. This cancer often results from stem cell transplants and eventually developed into acute myeloid leukemia that was ultimately untreatable.

Mr. Freeman is survived by his daughter Laura Freeman, of Eugene, Ore.; his daughter Heather Freeman (and spouse Ethan Amarant), of Bellingham, Wash.; his sister, Chrissy Freeman, of Grass Valley, Calif.; and his former wife, Kay Freeman, of Eugene, Ore. Donations can be made in Mr. Freeman’s memory to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society at https://www.lls.org.

Published in the November 2024 issue of The Foreign Service Journal

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.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
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/

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

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.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
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.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

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.

 

 

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