THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY AUGUST 2024 61 Amb. Blackford retired in 2000, settling in New York City and continuing to accept short-term assignments with the State Department for several years. While living in New York, she pursued her passion for the performing arts, continued to travel extensively, and volunteered at an animal shelter. Amb. Blackford is survived by her brother, Barry Lefkowitz of Lumberton, N.J.; two nieces, Tova Lefkowitz and Chava Lind, both of Chesapeake, Va.; and several longtime close friends. Memorial donations may be made to the ASPCA or any animal shelter of your choice. n Kenneth W. Bleakley, 83, a retired Foreign Service officer, died on April 30, 2024, at home in Palmetto Bay, Fla., surrounded by his family. Mr. Bleakley graduated from Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service and held a master’s degree from American University. He joined the Foreign Service in 1963. During his 29-year career, he served in the Dominican Republic, Spain, Panama, Bolivia, and as deputy chief of mission in San Salvador. He was senior deputy U.S. coordinator for international communications and information policy during the first Bush administration and later served as director of U.S. operations in Central America and director of the U.S. International Refugee Program. From 1980 to 1981, he was president of the American Foreign Service Association and part of the core AFSA team negotiating the Foreign Service Act of 1980. He was a member of Delta Phi Epsilon Professional Foreign Service Fraternity. After retiring from the Foreign Service, Mr. Bleakley became a founder and president of Fonemed LLC, which provides nurse advice services throughout North America and the Caribbean. An avid skier, poker player, and boatsman, Mr. Bleakley lived a full life, with gusto and determination. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Jane Gibson Bleakley; daughters Karen (and spouse Kevin) Hatch and Monica (and spouse Steve) Corbett; six grandchildren; brother Fred R. Bleakley; and sister Veronica Steffen. He was buried in the diplomatic section of Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington, D.C. n George Garrett Byers Griffin, 89, a retired Foreign Service officer, passed away on March 31, 2024, of injuries sustained by a fall in Washington, D.C. Mr. Griffin was born in Istanbul, where his father managed American tobacco interests until WWII forced the family to leave Türkiye and return home to the family seat in Gaffney, S.C. In 1957 Mr. Griffin graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in political science. After a two-year stint as a U.S. naval officer, he joined the U.S. Foreign Service in 1959. His initial postings were in Naples and Colombo with his wife, Emmie Young, from whom he was later divorced. In 1969 he married his second wife, Christina O’Dunne, at the ambassador’s residence in Kathmandu. A decorated senior diplomat, Mr. Griffin had a wide-ranging career in the Foreign Service. Over a 40-year period, he served in 15 posts across Africa, Asia, and Europe, interspersed with home assignments, and won several performance awards. His posts included deputy chief of mission in Kabul and Nairobi, acting assistant secretary for South Asia, and consul general in Milan. He helped create the position of coordinator for business affairs and served as vice chair of the Foreign Service Senior Officers Association. Mr. Griffin recalled career memories that included tracking the notorious mobster Lucky Luciano to his grave, being a lifelong anathema to the Soviet Union, and conducting sensitive negotiations with the fledgling government of Bangladesh. He won awards for reporting in Pakistan and Soviet-occupied Afghanistan, and received kudos from American business leaders in India, Nigeria, and Korea. After retirement in 1999, Mr. Griffin and his spouse created a home in a historic library in Blue Ridge Summit, Pa. There, he served on nonprofit boards including the One Mountain Foundation and the PenMar Development Corp. As board chair, he guided PenMar to turn Fort Ritchie, Md., into a mixed-use civilian community. Mr. Griffin was a trustee of Rhino Ark in Kenya, a nonprofit dedicated to mountain rhinoceros and critical forest/water preservation. He was a member of Diplomatic and Consular Officers Retired (DACOR), the Metropolitan Club, the World Affairs Council, Meridian International House, and the Monterey Country Club. Mr. Griffin was predeceased by his parents, Harold and Mary Griffin of Gaffney, S.C., and two siblings, Makie Shell and Hal Griffin Jr., both of South Carolina. He is survived by his wife, Christina Griffin of Washington, D.C., and Blue Ridge Summit, Pa.; his son, Sean (and spouse Cathy), and granddaughter Hartley, all of Isle of Palms, S.C.; and his daughter, Schuyler, of Kauai, Hawaii.
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