The Foreign Service Journal, January-February 2023

84 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2023 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL IN MEMORY n Eli William Bizic, 83, a retired Foreign Service officer, passed away on Sept. 4, 2022, in McLean, Va. Mr. Bizic was born April 8, 1939, in Rochester, Pa., to Eli and Helene Bizic. As a child, he moved frequently; his father’s job with the U.S. Air Force and NASA took him from the East Coast to the Midwest, the West Coast, and even to Tokyo for a few years. In 1957 Mr. Bizic graduated from Clover Park High School in Tacoma, Wash., with honors and recognition for his achievements in football, student council, drama, and choir. He went on to study at the University of Southern California, where he received a B.A. in international relations in 1961 after completing study abroad programs at the University of Maryland in Munich, Germany, the University of Paris (known as the Sorbonne), and the Institute for American Universities in Aix-en- Provence, France. He continued his education at the University of Texas at Austin where he obtained his law degree in 1964. That year, he was sworn in as a member of the U.S. Foreign Service. He embarked on his first assignment to Rabat, Morocco, followed by Tangier. During this assignment he met the love of his life, Evelyn, who was working at the U.S. consulate in Casablanca. They married in 1968 and spent their honey- moon driving across the United States in his convertible, followed by a cruise across the Atlantic. Mr. Bizic took great joy in all their adventures together. He was fluent in French and German and learned Arabic at the Middle East Centre for Arab Studies in Shemlan, Leb- anon. Subsequent assignments included Beirut, Tel Aviv, Bern, and Vienna, his last overseas post, where he served as economic counselor. During his 25-year State Department career, Mr. Bizic was recognized for many accomplishments. He received the Meri- torious Honor Award in 1981 for serving as the principal liaison between the Swiss and U.S. governments during the initial stage of the hostage crisis in Iran. In 1988 he was honored for his dedication and superior performance as an FSO. Always happy to come back to the Washington, D.C., area between assign- ments or on home leave, Mr. and Mrs. Bizic, along with their daughters, Natalie and Elizabeth, enjoyed the many cultures and overseas experiences in which they were immersed. After Mr. Bizic retired from the Foreign Service, his career continued for another 25 years, beginning at the United Nations in New York. He later led the National Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity and worked as an attorney advising on immigration and citizenship cases and issues con- cerning the Freedom of Information Act, and as a consultant for the State Depart- ment’s Passport Agency. A member of the State Bar of Texas since 1964, Mr. Bizic was admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court Bar nearly 30 years later as an attorney and counselor. As he approached full retirement, Mr. Bizic joined his wife in managing her Georgetown antique store. The couple shared an appreciation for fine art and antiques, which was evident not only in the store, but also in their home, where personal finds collected throughout their travels together were showcased. Mr. Bizic’s love for travel, fun, and family infused each decade of his life. He fulfilled his thirst for knowledge and adventure with his family on their many trips to the south of France and the slopes of the Alps while in Europe, and their day trips to the Chesapeake Bay while at home in McLean. Of all his accomplishments, he viewed his family as his greatest. Mr. Bizic is survived by his adoring wife of 54 years, Evelyn, of McLean, Va., and his loving daughters, Natalie McCollum (husband Carl and daughter Sophia) of McKinney, Texas, and Elizabeth Bizic Cole (husband Peter and children Parker and Ella) of McLean, Va. n William L. Jacobsen Jr., 85, a retired Foreign Service officer and former ambassador, died in Easton, Md., on Sept. 20, 2022. Born in Seattle, Wash., Mr. Jacobsen graduated from the University of Wash- ington and later earned a master’s degree at Harvard University. In his teens and college years, he paid for his education by working summers as a commercial salmon fisherman. After beginning a teaching career in the Seattle Public School System, Mr. Jacobsen and his first wife traveled to Japan in 1961 as the first sister-city exchange teachers representing Seattle in Kobe, Japan. They remained for three years, during which time he played baseball on the U.S. Consulate General Kobe team. Mr. Jacobsen entered the U.S. Foreign Service in 1966. His first overseas assign- ments were to Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Belem, respectively. From 1971 to 1974, he served in Lis- bon as press attaché. He was present in April 1974 for the Carnation Revolution, when a military coup overthrew the civil- ian authoritarian government and started the move toward decolonization. In late 1974 he was assigned to Lou- renço Marques (now Maputo) as public affairs officer. Attaining independence in June 1975, the new Frelimo govern- ment asked that Jacobsen—then serving as chargé d’affaires—be replaced after