Byron Earl “Zip” Byron, 91, died Jan. 27, in Gainesville, Va. Byron served in the U.S. Army before graduating from the University of California, Berkeley in 1952. He joined the Foreign Service that same year and his overseas posts included the Belgian Congo, Lebanon, Cambodia, Congo (post-independence), Mozambique and Turkey. After retiring in 1980, Byron assisted his wife, Dori, in her real estate business. Byron is survived by his wife; three children, Samira, Carl and Leila; four stepchildren, Penny, Skip, Doug and Ted; 11 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and eight great-great-grandchildren.
Ralph R. Crain, 93, died Jan. 23, in Silver Spring, Md. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1944–1946. Afterward, he went to work for the General Services Administration and the Department of State. He joined the Foreign Service in the early 1970s and his posts included Saigon, Vietnam, and Paris. Crain received the Department’s Meritorious Honor Award and a medal for Civilian Service in Vietnam. He retired from the Foreign Service in 1984 and maintained an active life. Crain was predeceased by his wife of 63 years, Dolores. He is survived by three children, Terri, Betsy and Scott; seven grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
Dale Warren Dover, 69, died Jan. 14, in Alexandria, Va. Dover attended Harvard University where he played basketball and led the team to a top 10 national ranking. This led him to be a player and coach for the Portuguese National basketball team, which ultimately brought him to the Foreign Service in 1974. Dover served as vice consul in Denmark, as well as consul in Tel Aviv, Israel. He frequently returned to Harvard, receiving his doctorate in jurisprudence and becoming a corporate lawyer in 1984. In 1990, Dover was elected the first African-American mayor of Falls Church, Va., and opened his own law practice, in Alexandria, advocating mainly for children. Dover is survived by two children, Lauren and Noah; four brothers; and five grandchildren.
H. Roy Eidem, 96, died Jan. 2, in Naples, Fla. Eidem served in the U.S. military during WWII, Korea and three tours in Vietnam. He attended the University of Maryland and Catholic University of America, attaining multiple degrees including cultural anthropology. Eidem served in the Foreign Service in multiple posts including Milan; Rome; Monrovia, Liberia; and Japan. He retired in 1984. Eidem was a black belt in judo, a tai chi master and he became a Third Order Franciscan in 1961. Eidem is survived by his wife, Janet.
Maurice “Maury” Gralnek, 82 died Feb. 24, in Scottsdale, Ariz. Gralnek graduated from the University of Michigan in 1958 and served in Korea with the U.S. Army. He joined the Foreign Service and served in Barbados; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Saigon, Vietnam; Vientiane, Laos; Honolulu, Singapore, Tokyo, Frankfurt, Germany; Cairo; and Jakarta, Indonesia, before retiring in 1997 after 35 years. Gralnek then followed his Foreign Service specialist wife to Tokyo, Paris and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He received a cuisine diploma from the Cordon Bleu in Paris while indulging in his love for cooking. Gralnek later moved to Scottsdale and was active in the Phoenix Council of Foreign Relations and volunteered at the Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Gralnek is survived by his wife of 47 years, Wendy; two children, Karin and Andrew; two grandchildren; and two brothers.
Jeanne W. Kincaid, 69, died Feb. 14, in Quinton, N.J. Kincaid received a master’s of accounting from Gardner-Webb University. At the age of 56 she entered the Foreign Service, becoming an office management specialist and serving in Afghanistan, Tunisia, Serbia and Algeria. Kincaid retired in 2013 and traveled extensively throughout the U.S. and enjoyed gardening and reading. She also enjoyed time with her nieces and nephews and their children. Kincaid is survived by four sisters, Marcia, Chris, Laurie and Wendy; 12 nieces and nephews; and 19 great-nieces and great-nephews.
Ernest William Norwood, 89, died March 17, in Rockville, Md. Norwood served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War from 1951–1953. He began as a civil servant at the Department of State in 1959. He worked for the U.S. Information Agency where he was an accountant and budget analyst for Voice of America. After more than 34 years of service, he retired in 1994 and became a substitute teacher. Norwood was also an avid tennis player from the age of 12. He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Hilda; one son, Donatien; one daughter-in-law, Debra; and four grandchildren.
Questions concerning employee deaths should be directed to the Office of Casualty Assistance at (202) 736-4302. Inquiries concerning deaths of retired employees should be directed to the Office of Retirement at (202) 261-8960. For specific questions on submitting an obituary, please contact Amanda Richard at RichardAJ@state.gov.