Obituaries

George was an exceptional student at Williams College where he received a BA in American History and Literature in 1952. He was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to Queens College, Oxford University in England where he received a BA in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics in 1954. In 1954 George enlisted in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and served as a map compiler in West Germany during the Korean War. He subsequently developed a keen appreciation for cartography. In 1957 he began his lifelong career as a civil servant, firstly as a Foreign Service Officer with the Department of State in Washington, DC. Before leaving for his first posting in Eritrea, he was introduced to the love of his life, Alice Wells. He proposed marriage on their second date and pushed along by his flooded basement, moved into her Georgetown townhouse. They were married for 56 years. Shortly after their daughter Sarah was born, they moved to Asmara, Eritrea, where their daughter Audrey was born. They were also posted to Milan, Italy and Nairobi, Kenya before they settled in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Their travels, often with their two daughters and subsequently with their families, and many friends, touched five continents, motivated by a love of adventure, cultural exploration, and ornithological pursuits.

Returning to Washington, DC. George continued to work for the State Department in African Affairs and on the Sinai Support Mission directing and writing about the U.S. peacekeeping mission in the Sinai desert from 1979-83. But he never forgot his calling to the environment. He worked for the UN, the OES, and UNEP, was involved in establishing International Tanker safety standards and response protocol to Ocean Dumping, and authored the Panama Canal Treaty's environmental commission. For a decade he worked for NOAA, coordinating and managing marine natural resource conservation and assessment, including Superfund emergency response to oil and chemical spills. He wrote the environmental-effects chapter on the EXXON VALDEZ oil spill report submitted to the President, and developed, coordinated, and strengthened environmental protective measures for offshore oil and gas lease sales.

Following his retirement, George found a new calling in his community of Chevy Chase, Maryland, serving on the Village Board from 1996-2006 and as Board President from 2005-06. He was also a member of the Tree Committee, and was a daily litter picker upper. He supported his wife's many interests; the Chevy Chase Historical Society, book groups, many parties, and travel adventures. While at home he loved perusing his large rare bird book collection. George and Alice spent their summers in Vermont, a welcome respite from Washington's heat. Their days were filled with dog walks and forays in search of wildflowers, ferns, and of course, birds. Their afternoons and evenings often found friends gathered on the porch, with George sitting in his favorite corner wicker perch. 

Michael Bloom graduated from the University of Natal in 1967, obtained a Rhodes Scholarship in 1968 and read law at the University of Oxford from 1968 to 1970. Michael joined Fluxman’s Attorneys in 1974 and was appointed Fluxmans Director in 1977. His areas of expertise were commercial law, property law and estate planning.

Roy passed away on December 23, 2018 in his 88th year. A graduate of McGill University and a Rhodes Scholar at Balliol College, Oxford (M.A.), Roy worked first as a Consulting Engineer and then as Assistant to the President of Dupont before joining five other professors to set up McGill University’s first Graduate School of Business in 1962. Roy served on the Board of Governors of McGill University, the boards of Inotech Aviation and Peacock Inc. in Montreal, of Kingston General Hospital in Kingston and of the Thousand Islands Playhouse in Gananoque. Roy was known for his business acumen, his cheerful disposition and sense of humour.

Fred attended the University of New Brunswick, and Oxford University, as a Rhodes Scholar.

Throughout his 38 year career of public service Fred advised Premiers and Ministers in the Governments of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, and the Government of Canada. He retired in 1993 as Associate Deputy Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. Subsequently he returned to public service as Executive Assistant to the Minister of Transport whom he accompanied to the Departments of Human Resources and National Defense.

He was a Commissioner and Chairman of the Roosevelt Campobello International Park Commission, a Commissioner of the Judicial Remuneration Commission of New Brunswick, a Director of the Huntsman Marine Science Centre and a Chairman of the R.C.M.P. Pay Council.

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Robert was a trial lawyer who led the legal fight to breathe life into the North Carolina Constitution's guarantee of a sound basic education for all public school students. Full obituary here.

James H. Billington, an eminent American scholar of Russian culture, reigned for three decades as librarian of Congress, propelling the expansion of the world’s largest library.

Donald was professor emeritus of English at the University of Notre Dame where he spent the entirety of his career. He also for many years served as assistant dean for the College of Arts and Letters. A specialist in 19th-century Victorian poetry and African literature, he received numerous University accolades, including the Thomas Madden and Charles Sheedy Awards for Teaching.

Peter was an Investment Executive at the Helen MacPherson Smith Trust 2013-2018 having had a32 year career in stockbroking and funds management previously. Peter spent the bulk of his stockbroking career with Australian firm McIntosh Securities in both London and Melbourne. Peter was managing director of Wallara Asset Management, the boutique funds management firm he founded in 1995. He was a director of the listed investment company, Australian United Investment Co., and the charity Royal District Nursing Service (now known as Bolton Clarke).  He was also a councillor of Graduate House at the University of Melbourne and a member of the investment committees of the Geelong Grammar Foundation and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.