THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2026 79 IN MEMORY n Bonita “Boni” Lynne Bender- Klosson, 77, a retired Foreign Service specialist and FS spouse, died on October 2, 2025, in Rockville, Md. Ms. Bender-Klosson was born in Aiea, Hawaii, in 1948, the daughter of Harold F. Bender, a U.S. Navy chief commissary steward, and Elsie Rose Bender. She spent her earliest years in Honolulu and Samoa before the family settled in Redwood City, Calif. Ms. Bender-Klosson graduated from Woodside High School in 1966 and obtained an associate of arts degree from Cañada College in 1973. The combination of a summer in Switzerland with a Swiss family and encouragement from her mother led to Ms. Bender-Klosson’s decision to join the Foreign Service as an office management specialist (OMS) in 1973. Her first two assignments were to New Delhi (1973-1975) and Athens (1975-1977), where she worked for the economic affairs counselors. A dog lover, Ms. Bender-Klosson got her beloved Shanti while in India. After a brief leave from the Foreign Service, she rejoined in the fall of 1978 and was posted to Embassy Moscow’s science and technology section, which she always said was her favorite tour. Assigned then to Embassy Bonn (1980-1982), she worked both for the embassy’s legal adviser and the political section’s Berlin unit. During a visit by Secretary of State George Shultz, she was recruited to serve on “the Line” (S/S-S) from 1982 to 1986 and staffed countless trips by the Secretary. When she staffed the Secretary for his grueling United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) schedule, Ms. BenderKlosson and the line officer coaxed a smile from a beleaguered Secretary by surprising him with a mock briefing memorandum for an end-of-day bilateral with “King Kong.” Secretary Shultz’s Executive Assistant Charlie Hill chose Ms. Bender-Klosson to serve as his personal assistant from 1986 to 1988. She was proud of the recognition she received from Secretary Shultz for her work and her “terpsichorean” abilities when he took time out with the staff for dancing. After serving in the office of the Department of State’s Counselor (1989), Ms. Bender-Klosson married Michael Klosson in June 1990, and they were assigned as a tandem couple to Stockholm (1990-1993), where she worked for the regional security officer. This was followed by The Hague (1993-1996), where she worked for the administrative counselor. Ms. Bender-Klosson became stepmother to Michael’s daughter, Emily, and the couple adopted another daughter, Karen, through an odyssey to Bolivia in 1994. Erin, a West Highland terrier, and Scratch, a golden retriever, rounded out their family. Ms. Bender-Klosson worked for the director of the Executive Office in the Bureau of African Affairs (1996-1998) before retiring to care for her daughters, while also transcribing oral histories for the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training. She accompanied her husband to Hong Kong (1999-2002) and Cyprus (2002-2005), where she involved herself in their daughters’ schools, chaired the local American women’s associations, and made significant contributions to the missions’ representation initiatives. After returning to Rockville, Md., in 2005, Ms. Bender-Klosson chaired the Rockville High School after-prom party Decoration Committee and organized the Flower Valley House and Garden tour. A devoted mother and grandmother, she also enjoyed travel, visiting more than 50 countries. She welcomed new pets, usually rescues, into the family. She was known for her artistic flair, memorable dinner displays, and elaborate themed children’s parties. She was a skilled artist, talented interior designer, and enjoyed tennis, skiing, music, and dancing. Above all, with her radiant smile, she conveyed a special warmth toward all, making everyone, in the words of a friend, “feel like they’ve known her since second grade.” Ms. Bender-Klosson is survived by her husband, Michael Klosson; their children, Emily C. Robbins (and spouse Nate Robbins) and Karen L.B. Klosson; grandson Wyatt L.C. Robbins; and her brother, Harold F. Bender (and spouse Lynda Bender). In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in her memory to Lucky Dog Animal Rescue of Arlington, Va., or the Alzheimer’s Association. n Donald Boissonnault, 83, a retired Foreign Service communications specialist, died on September 13, 2025, in Holyoke, Mass. Mr. Boissonnault served in the U.S. Army from 1963 to 1965, before joining the Foreign Service in 1967. During a 27-year career, Mr. Boissonnault served in Tehran, West Berlin, Tel Aviv, Brasília, Moscow, Nairobi, Bonn, Damascus, and Islamabad. He retired in 1994. n Theodore Bennett Carter, 87, a retired Foreign Service officer, died on October 6, 2025, at his home in Reston, Va., after a courageous battle with cancer. Born in New Bedford, Mass., in 1938, Mr. Carter attended high school in Newport, R.I., where watching ships move through the harbor sparked a lifelong interest in ships of war and all things nautical. He earned degrees from
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