THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MARCH-APRIL 2026 77 Meade completed a one-year course at the University of Michigan to prepare him for the assignment. One of his joys during his time in Manila was his daily bicycle commute to the U.S. embassy, a source of solace, independence, and exercise. He rarely used other transportation, even after powerful typhoons swept through the region. Mr. Meade subsequently served in the Pentagon and at the State Department in Washington, D.C., on the Philippines, Thailand, and Myanmar desks. In 1972 he took a sabbatical to study oceanography and underwater photography under the tutelage of renowned underwater photographer pioneer Cathy Church in the Cayman Islands. He later received an MS in oceanography from the University of Rhode Island. In 1986 Mr. Meade retired from the State Department. A lover of nature, he was devoted to his cats, Calico, Torte, and Jennyanydots, and relished snorkeling and scuba diving in the Philippines and Haiti. He also had a lifelong passion for sailing, rooted in childhood summers at his grandfather’s cottage on North Haven. During his final overseas post, in Haiti, Mr. Meade acquired a 38-foot sloop, Fortuna. After his tour ended, he embarked on an 11-day voyage through the Bahamas to Florida with friends and family, later sailing the boat to Chesapeake Bay and eventually Penobscot Bay. He even took up writing mystery novels with a nautical theme. Mr. Meade’s devotion to his wife, Susan, was unwavering. Overseas, she accompanied him through demanding social schedules and shared equally in recreation and play. After his retirement, the couple lived briefly in Georgetown, S.C., and Richmond, Va., before buying a home in Newcastle in 1993. There, he became a dedicated driver for Lincoln County Friends in Service Helping (FISH) an all-volunteer organization in Damariscotta that offers free rides to people who need transportation. He also tutored at Nobleboro Central School. A fluent speaker of French, he religiously scheduled an hour of online language instruction before lunchtime every day. Together, the Meades founded the Haiti Fund at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Newcastle in 1998, raising funds through Haitian art sales to support a school in Figaro, a mountain village. After the 2010 earthquake, they expanded their work through the Lincoln County Ecumenical Committee for Haiti. Mr. Meade was predeceased by his wife of 70 years, Susan, on January 11, 2025, and by his brothers, Richard Hardaway Meade and David Everard Meade. He is survived by a brother, James Gardiner Meade; daughter Jennifer Meade; two sons, Andrew Meade (and spouse Lila Metres Meade) and Billy Meade; four grandchildren, Kristen, Lily, Elizabeth, and Nathaniel (and spouse Katelynn); and one great-grandchild, Evren. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Lincoln County FISH. Checks for FISH should be made out to St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, with both his name and FISH in the memo line, and sent to LCFISH, c/o St. Andrew’s Episcopal, P.O. Box 234, Newcastle ME 04553. Condolences and messages for his family may be expressed by visiting www .stronghancock.com. n Robin Diane Meyer, 68, a retired Foreign Service officer, died in Washington, D.C., on December 24, 2025, from gastric cancer, surrounded by her family. Ms. Meyer received her bachelor’s degree from Grinnell College and master’s degrees from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs and the U.S. Naval War College. She then worked at the Department of Justice on the resettlement of Cubans and Haitians who arrived during the 1980 Mariel boatlift and at the Department of Commerce on steel trade issues. In 1988 Ms. Meyer joined the U.S. Foreign Service, serving in Brazil, Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Ecuador, as well as the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York. At the State Department, Ms. Meyer led offices focused on the United Nations and Central Africa. She received numerous awards for her work. In 1996, following her expulsion from Cuba by its government, a Washington Post editorial, “Our Woman in Cuba,” praised her “personal courage and fortitude” in her contacts with Cuban human rights activists. After 34 years with the Foreign Service, Ms. Meyer retired, volunteering as a mediator at a community mediation center and with voter protection organizations. Ms. Meyer is survived by her beloved siblings, sisters June Meyer and Lindy Meyer, and brother Harris Meyer (and spouse Deborah Mihm), as well as her niece, Scarlet Levy, and nephew, Oliver Levy. She was buried in her hometown of Chicago, Ill. The family will hold a memorial in Washington, D.C., for Ms. Meyer on her birthday, March 22, 2026, from 3 to 5:30 p.m. at the Edlavitch D.C. Jewish Community Center, 1529 16th Street NW. Friends and colleagues are invited to attend and share memories of Ms. Meyer and her work. n To submit an obituary for In Memory, please send the complete text (up to 500 words) to InMemory@afsa.org. Be sure to include the date, place, and cause of death, and details of the individual's Foreign Service career. Submissions must come from, or be confirmed by, a next of kin or other family member.
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