66 MARCH 2025 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Ms. Colm grew up in the Lo ancestral home—a traditional compound overlooking the Tamsui River. It had been on the front lines of the 1884 Battle of Tamsui, a significant French defeat during the Sino-French War. Today, the Lo family home stands as one of Tamsui’s few surviving riverside homes from that era. As the eldest of 10 children, Ms. Colm developed strong survival skills early in life. During World War II, she helped her mother move the family to a mountainside cave to escape U.S. bombing but then returned to Tamsui on her own to cook for her father, who had stayed behind to continue supporting the family as a fisherman. In 1968 Ms. Colm moved to the Washington, D.C., area, where she lived for much of the rest of her life. Her travels took her to Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand, Cambodia, China, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. In 1981 she married FSO Peter Colm, who was serving as chief of the political section at the U.S. consulate general in Hong Kong. After his retirement in 1987, the couple moved to Lusby, Md., where they enjoyed crabbing, kayaking, and visits with their grandchildren. Throughout her life, Ms. Colm was affectionately known as the Boss. No matter where she went, friends and family members recall, she naturally assumed a leadership role, and few dared challenge her fierce authority. She not only oversaw her nine brothers and sisters but also stood up and defended her family against any vendor, clerk, or individual who tried to take advantage of them. Ms. Colm was predeceased by her husband of 34 years, Peter Colm, in 2014. She is survived by three sisters and two brothers, four stepchildren, 16 nieces and nephews, and six grandchildren. Her niece, Li Ping Lo, is a Foreign Service officer serving as the public affairs officer at the U.S. consulate general in Sydney. n Tracy Thiele, 67, a retired State Department Foreign Service officer, passed away in 2023 and was buried at the Larkspur Conservation area at Taylor Hollow in Westmoreland, Tenn. Born in 1956, Ms. Thiele graduated from Chatham College in Pittsburgh, Pa., with a dual major in history and political science. In 1990 she joined the U.S. Foreign Service. She served with the U.S. Information Agency (USIA) from 1990 to 1999, when she became an employee of the U.S. State Department. Ms. Thiele served as a branch public affairs officer (PAO) in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, People’s Republic of China (1991-1993); as deputy PAO in Singapore (1993-1997); and as one of the first PAOs in Hanoi (1998-2000). Returning to Washington, D.C., she served in the State Department’s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs’ Office of Public Diplomacy (2000-2002) and with the State Department Board of Examiners (2002-2003). In 2005 she took up duties as chief of the Kaohsiung Branch Office of the American Institute in Taiwan, where she served until 2008. Ms. Thiele received a Department of State Superior Honor Award and two Meritorious Honor Awards from the U.S. Information Agency. Ms. Thiele made lasting contributions to U.S. national security and earned the respect and friendship of hundreds of USIA and State Department colleagues. n Robert Joseph “Bob” Palmeri, 85, a retired Foreign Service officer, passed away surrounded by his loving family at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston on Nov. 6, 2024, after a brief illness. Mr. Palmeri was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., to John Palmeri and Marjorie (Stamm) Palmeri and grew up the oldest of five children in Baldwin, a Long Island hamlet. Upon graduation from Wesleyan University, Mr. Palmeri traveled to Nigeria and became a chemistry teacher in Ilaro. This experience ignited his passion for international service and fighting inequities through education. Once he returned to the United States, Mr. Palmeri joined the United States Information Agency arm of the U.S. Foreign Service at the State Department, serving in Nigeria, Congo, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Benin, Senegal, France, and Côte D’Ivoire. Mr. Palmeri championed American literature abroad, advanced global literacy initiatives, and organized visits of American artists and musicians to share their talents in Africa. Through his efforts, education became a tool for unity as he opened doors for students—both American and foreign—to pursue knowledge via study exchange programs, striving to lessen inequality and promote cross-cultural exchange. While in Paris, where he became one of the early directors of the African Regional Services, he met his wife, Virginie, at a Thanksgiving celebration. Their growing family eventually moved to Abidjan, where he served as the director of the American Cultural Center. After his retirement, the Palmeris decided to remain in Abidjan, dedicating themselves to raising their four children. While Ms. Palmeri focused her efforts on modernizing Ivorian agriculture through her NGO, Mr. Palmeri began
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