In Memoriam | July/August 2019

William George Barraclough, 84, died April 22, in Hilton Head Island, S.C. Barraclough served in the U.S. Navy and the Peace Corps before joining the Foreign Service in 1963. During his career, he served as the deputy assistant secretary for trade policy, chief negotiator for the first U.S.-China trade treaty, economic minister to Japan, deputy chief of mission to the EU in Brussels and deputy chief of mission in Paris. After 26 years in the Foreign Service and five years as CEO of the People to People International exchange programs based in Kansas City, Barraclough retired and volunteered his knowledge through various foreign affairs organizations. Barraclough is survived by two children, Keith and Jennifer; a granddaughter; and a great-granddaughter.

Maxine Joan Bradrick, 85, died March 2, in Bakersfield, Calif. Bradrick joined the Foreign Service in 1967 and served as a registered nurse in Bamako, Mali, and Accra, Ghana. She enjoyed reaching out to local professionals in each community and building bridges through medical needs. In 1992, Bradrick retired and enjoyed traveling and spending time with family and friends. She is survived by her sister, Verna.

Barbara “Genny” Jean Brenner, 80, died April 14, in Ocala, Fla. A member of the Foreign Service, Brenner served as secretary to the ambassador in London, England. She also served in various positions in Italy, Israel, Jamaica and Washington, D.C. She retired in 2003 and enjoyed reading, traveling, and playing cards and trivia. Brenner is survived by a daughter, Kimberly.

Virginia A. Crawford, 72, died March 6, in Yardley, Pa. Crawford joined the Foreign Service in 1970 and spent four decades working overseas in Vientiane, Vienna, Moscow, Bonn, Athens, Abu Dhabi, Jakarta, Singapore, Tokyo and Paris. She retired in 2008 and enjoyed reading, traveling, taking classes at the University of Alabama and spending time with family and friends. Crawford was predeceased by her husband Francis. She is survived by a stepdaughter; three step-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

Faye E. Dunn, 94, died April 11, in Tavares, Fla. Dunn served in the U.S. Naval Reserve during World War II. She entered the Foreign Service in 1951 and served at posts in Buenos Aires, Tripoli, Manila, Freetown, Rome, Seoul, Kinshasa, Kuala Lumpur, Rangoon, Pretoria and in the Bureau of African Affairs in Washington, D.C. Dunn retired in 1975 and was active in golfing, boating and volunteering with Habitat for Humanity. Dunn is survived by a niece, Linda.

Fredric A. Emmert, 73, died Nov. 10, 2018, in Washington, D.C. Emmert joined the Foreign Service in 1970. His career included assignments in La Paz, Salvador, Santiago, Mexico City, Athens, Bogota, Brussels and Rio de Janeiro. While at the Department, Emmert authored a three-part series called “U.S. Media in the 90’s” which was translated into four languages and featured on the Department’s website for more than 10 years. He retired in 1996 and continued working in public affairs for several telecommunications companies until 2017. Emmert is survived by his wife of 39 years, Deborah; and a son, Alexander.  

John “Jack” P. Felt, 74, died April 5, in Annapolis, Md. Felt was an officer in the U.S. Navy from 1968-1972 and served in Vietnam. He worked in the private sector in New York and Iran before joining the Foreign Service in 1976. Felt served as an economic officer with overseas postings in Kenya, Mexico, Canada, Nigeria and Greece. He achieved status as a Senior Foreign Service officer, and after his retirement in 2004, he wrote two books on genealogy and family history. Felt is survived by two children, Emily and Justin; and three grandchildren.

Donna Jean Hamilton, 74, died May 16, in Davis, Calif. Hamilton entered the Foreign Service in 1970 and served her first tour in Bogota, Colombia. She met her husband at their A-100 class and together they served in Mexico City, Thessaloniki, Lima, San Jose, Guatemala City and Washington, D.C. Hamilton’s last position, before retiring in 2001, was as principal deputy assistant secretary for the Bureau of Consular Affairs. In retirement, she served as the president of the Olympia World Affairs Council and was a member of the Advisory Board of the Washington State University Honors College. Hamilton is survived by her husband, John; two daughters, Kathryn and Erin; three grandchildren; and a sister.

William “Mac” McKinley Johnson Jr., 98, died April 8, in Washington, D.C. After graduating from Princeton University and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Johnson served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. In 1950, he joined the Foreign Service and served in Germany, Morocco, South Africa and Canada. He served as the U.S. minister to Canada from 1973-1976 and consul general in Johannesburg from 1976-1980. Johnson retired from the Foreign Service in 1980 but continued to work for the Department until 1995. In retirement, he chaired a Civil War Roundtable and co-captained an intercontinental U.S.-U.K. golf group. Johnson is predeceased by his first wife, Margaret, and his second wife, Anne. He is survived by three children, Valentine, Christopher and Priscilla; two stepdaughters, Jane and Molly; and nine grandchildren.

Terry Leon Kopf, 80, died Jan. 19, in Huddleston, Va. Kopf served in the U.S. Air Force from 1959-1963. He then joined the Foreign Service as a communications officer in 1965. Kopf was posted to Rio de Janeiro, Saigon, Geneva, Taipei, Sofia, The Hague and Mogadishu. He also served temporary post assignments in Helsinki, Beijing and Tehran. He retired in 1989. Kopf is survived by his wife, Elaine; a son, Kevin; a granddaughter; and many nieces and nephews.

Christopher Jay Milam, 58, died April 23, in San Antonio, Texas. Milam served in the U.S. Air Force, then performed various law enforcement duties in Texas ranging from local patrol officer to lead investigator on a state counter-narcotics task force. Milam joined the Department in 2009 as an export control and border security advisor for Kosovo and Croatia. He also served in this role for Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Albania and Montenegro. Milam is survived by his wife, Ljiljana; mother, Daneen; three children, Kymberly, Christopher and James; one sister; two brothers; and three grandchildren.

Elcira Hurtado Pruitt, 82, died April 22, in Potomac, Md. An employee family member, Pruitt traveled with her husband, a Foreign Service officer, to posts in Kinshasa, Brasilia and Mexico City. She was best known for her decorating and hostess skills. Pruitt is survived by her husband, Louis; a daughter, Monica; and two grandchildren.

Brynhild “Brynnie” C. Rowberg, 101, died May 17, in Northfield, Minn. Rowberg moved to Washington, D.C., in 1941 to work for the Department. She entered the Foreign Service in 1945 and was appointed to the London staff of the Office of the Political Advisor to the commanding general for Austria. Throughout her career, Rowberg served in posts in London, Florence, Verona, Salzburg, Vienna, Prague, Athens, Saigon, Bremen, Korea and Taipei. She retired from the Foreign Service in 1973. In retirement, she was active in the League of Women Voters, the Minnesota Historical Society and her church. Rowberg is survived by several cousins.

Catherine (Kay) Ellen Ward, 97, died March 12. Ward served as a Foreign Service secretary from 1975-1985. She was posted in Sri Lanka, Riyadh, Malta, Dhahran and Beijing before her retirement at age 65. In retirement, Ward spent 13 years in Sacramento to be close to her daughter, Kathy, and enjoyed spending time with her grand-doggie, Daisy. Ward is survived by three children, Kathy, Joe and Rob.

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.

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