86 APRIL-MAY 2025 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL he joined his brother, David Summers, in the Foreign Service in 1986. While studying Portuguese at FSI before heading to his first assignment in the Azores, Mr. Summers reconnected with Colien Hefferan, a fellow PhD student from the University of Illinois. A decade after they had parted ways in Champaign–Urbana, Colien spotted Mr. Summers crossing Constitution Avenue one stormy night. In 1988 they married and moved to Canberra, where Colien worked at the Australian National University and their daughter, Margaret, was born. Overseas, Mr. Summers served primarily in unaccompanied hardship posts, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cabo Verde, Eritrea, and Pakistan. Among his Washington assignments, he relished a tour in the Bureau of Oceans, Environment, and Science that involved a project in Costa Rica saving turtles from fishing nets. He also worked in the State Department’s personnel office and in refugee affairs and volunteered on the editorial board of The Foreign Service Journal. In retirement, Mr. Summers resumed teaching, now at Northern Virginia Community College. He was an avid swimmer and biker, equipping his garage to hold seven bikes and assorted gear. He nurtured a large crop of mint that was much appreciated by his family, who enjoyed annual gifts of dried mint leaves for tea. Mr. Summers was also known for meticulous recordkeeping, both of rainfall totals and of his efforts to control the ever-growing bamboo sprouts in his backyard. His front yard sported tomato plants and a gingko grove that provided saplings for friends and family. As part of a group mostly made up of retired Foreign Service friends, he and his wife followed the Washington Nationals closely and regularly attended games. humility, hard work, strong ethical principles, and subtle sense of humor. Mr. Becker was active throughout his life, starting as an Eagle Scout in his youth. He was an enthusiastic crosscountry runner in high school and college and finished the 1968 Boston Marathon in 3 hours and 37 minutes. He was also an avid gardener, belonged to the Arlington Rotary Club, and nourished a lifelong passion for music. He was the drum major in his high school band and later sang with the Augustinerkirche Choir in Vienna, the Metropolitan Chorus, the Arlington Chorale, and the Arlingtones Barbershop Chorus in Arlington, Va. He and his wife also attended countless musical performances around the world and particularly enjoyed events at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Mr. Becker is survived by his loving wife of 63 years, Priscilla Clark Becker; daughters Joan Becker Kelsch (and spouse Thomas) and Alison Becker Weems (and spouse Weyman); sister Eleanor Becker (and spouse Robert Huseby); brother Robert Becker (and spouse Nanette); and his cherished grandchildren, William, Tucker, Adeline, and Mason. Contributions in Mr. Becker’s memory may be sent to the Arlington Community Foundation at https://bit.ly/johnbecker. n Warren Bruce Kinsey, 84, a former Foreign Service officer who spent two years in Vietnam as part of the Civil Operations and Rural Development Support (CORDS) pacification program, died on Feb. 14, 2025, in Winchester, Va., as the result of a fall. Born in 1940 in Peoria, Ill., to Warren and Elizabeth (née Trost) Kinsey, he grew up in Decatur. There, his family hosted an AFS student from Spain, intensifying Mr. Kinsey’s interest in foreign affairs. Mr. Summers is survived by his spouse, Colien Hefferan; daughter Margaret Vimont Summers; brother David Summers; sisters-in-law Beatrice Camp (also a Foreign Service officer), Anne Shotton, and Stephanie Nelson; and two nephews and their children. n John P. Becker, 88, a retired Foreign Service officer, passed away on Feb. 11, 2025, in Arlington, Va. Mr. Becker was born on March 28, 1936, to Addison and Beulah Becker. He graduated from Winchester High School in Massachusetts in 1954, earned his undergraduate degree from Brown University in 1958, and later received a master’s degree from Boston University in international relations. From 1958 to 1961, Mr. Becker served in the U.S. Army and attended the Monterey Language School in Monterey, Calif., where he met his future wife, Priscilla Clark. In 1961 he joined the Foreign Service, specializing in political and labor issues. Mr. Becker’s diplomatic career took him and his family to postings around the world including Germany, Canada, India, Austria, Israel, and Washington, D.C., where he contributed to the 1977 Panama Canal Treaty and issues related to Micronesia. Mr. Becker and his spouse traveled widely and enjoyed the many cultural and artistic opportunities at their various posts. He concluded his career with the State Department’s Office of World War II Reparations, working on art restitution issues. In 2001 he and his wife established the AFSA John and Priscilla Becker Family Academic Merit Award Scholarship. Retiring in 2005, Mr. Becker was a true public servant known for his dedication to family, career, and community. Those who knew him appreciated his loyalty,
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