The Foreign Service Journal, May 2023

76 MAY 2023 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Amb. Kirk was an avid squash player into his eighties. He and his wife, Betty, continued their love of international travel in the past two decades, adding time to guest lecture on Russian studies and international relations at cruise ship stops around the world. He delighted in spending summer vacations at Rehoboth Beach, Del., with his family. Until the very end, he enjoyed good company, food, and wine, and was quick to share his wit with a familiar twinkle in his eye. Amb. Kirk is survived by his spouse of 68 years, Madeleine “Betty” Yaw Kirk; chil- dren Marian, Sarah, Juli, and Alan; sister Deborah Solbert (age 100), of Cold Spring Harbor, on Long Island, N.Y.; 13 grandchil- dren; and 16 great-grandchildren. n Eric Robert Loken, 71, a retired Foreign Service officer with USAID, died on Jan. 11, 2023, in New Bern, N.C. Mr. Loken was born on May 28, 1951, in Urbana, Ill., to Robert Loken and Glo- ria Berg. He found his passion for travel, learning, and international development as a child visiting Ghana and Egypt, where his father worked for the Ford Foundation and World Bank. In 1969 Mr. Loken graduated from Hollywood Hills High School in Fort Lau- derdale, Fla., as class president. He went on to study at Johns Hopkins University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in natural sciences and a master’s degree in environmental engineering. His gradu- ate coursework included constructing a structure from which he studied the schooling patterns of fish. Following graduate school, Mr. Loken worked for the Department of Environ- mental Regulation in Marathon, Fla., conducting environmental assessments for various infrastructure permits. It was during this time he met and mar- ried Kathy Loken after being introduced through his stepfather. In 1982 he was sworn in as a member of the U.S. Foreign Service. He and Kathy traveled to Colombo for his first post, followed by Rabat, where the couple welcomed their daughter, Casey. In 1992 Mr. Loken was assigned to the regional mission in Nairobi and spent the next four years traveling extensively throughout east Africa. Mr. Loken’s final post was Harare. He and his family fell in love with Zimbabwe, spending seven years there (1996-2003) through the country’s first presidential elections and subsequent economic collapse. Mr. Loken was passionate about wildlife and habitat conservation, which showed in his dedication to his work in Africa and Asia through flagship pro- grams like CAMPFIRE. While overseas, Mr. Loken enjoyed golfing with friends on the weekend, going on safari with his family, and dis- covering new scuba diving spots. In 2003 Mr. Loken returned to Wash- ington, D.C., where he worked in the Bureau for Southern Africa, ending his USAID career as the director for natural resources in the Africa bureau. After retiring from the Foreign Service in 2012, Mr. Loken invested his time in hobbies including restoring his 1952 Willys Jeep, birdwatching on the Neuse River, and spending time with his beloved dogs, Thor and Sadie. Family members and friends remem- ber Mr. Loken as intelligent, determined, witty, and passionate. Mr. Loken was preceded in death by his parents, Robert Loken and Gloria Berg. He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Kathy Loken, and his daughter, Casey Loken, who followed in his footsteps working in international development; sisters Dia and Kristin Loken; niece Rayne Loken (and her spouse, Basel Hafez); and grandnephew Liam Hafez. n Bernardo “Benny” Segura-Girón, 79, a retired Foreign Service officer, died on June 13, 2022, of acute myeloid leukemia. Mr. Segura-Girón was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, on July 8, 1942, to Onofre Segura-Limardo and Socorro Girón- Torres. He received a law degree from the Catholic University of Puerto Rico in 1967 and a master’s degree in criminal law from New York University in 1974. Prior to joining the Foreign Service, he worked as an instructor of legal matters at the Police Academy in the Common- wealth of Puerto Rico. He then joined C.O. Masson, Inc., in San Juan, Puerto Rico, as a management trainee. Later, Mr. Segura-Girón became a community relations officer for the Department of Justice in the Common- wealth of Puerto Rico. In 1971 he joined the Law Enforce- ment Assistance Administration (LEAA) under the U.S. Department of Justice in New York City as a program analyst, becoming a management analyst in Washington, D.C., in 1975. Mr. Segura-Girón joined the State Department in 1982 and served until 2004. His first posting, at the U.S. embassy in Brasilia, marked the start of 14 straight years abroad. He subsequently served in Cara- cas (1985-1987); Riyadh (1987-1988); Manama (1988-1990); Buenos Aires (1990- 1994); and Panama City (1994-1997). He returned stateside in 1997, finishing his career with postings in Washington. He received the Superior Honor Award three times during his career at State (1989, 1993, and 1996). He also received a Special Achievement Award