80 JULY-AUGUST 2025 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL United Nations, executive director of the Bureau of Intelligence and Research, and counselor for administration and security in both Manila and Tokyo. His final posting was Hong Kong, where he led operations at the consulate general in the face of massive staff turnover with the reversion of Hong Kong to China. Mr. MacCallum also contributed to the opening of U.S. embassies in Port Moresby, Bandar Seri Begawan, Dili, and the Amman support center for Mission Iraq. After retiring to Charlottesville, Va., in 1998, he continued to support the State Department, most notably managing support services for U.S. delegations at five APEC conferences across the Pacific Rim from 1999 to 2006. He and his wife of 54 years, Alice, were avid travelers, including bucket list trips to Kenya, Machu Picchu, Norwegian fjords, and the Panama Canal. They also enjoyed countless theater, music, and live sporting events together, especially Pittsburgh sports, as Mr. MacCallum was a lifelong fan. His daughters remember how, even while living far from extended family, he instilled in them a strong connection to family and a deep appreciation for America’s national parks. They recall his example of listening without judgment, solving problems creatively, and leading a life dedicated to public service. Mr. MacCallum is survived by his wife, Alice MacCallum; daughters Margaret and Elizabeth; granddaughter Adelina; and sisters Heather, Laurie, and Tracy. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to DACOR, AFSA, or the American Cancer Society. n Mary Pellegrini, 61, a former Foreign Service officer, passed away peacefully on Jan. 19, 2025, in Kensington, Md., from cancer. Ms. Pellegrini was born on Oct. 20, 1963, to Charles and Elaine (Dargie) Pellegrini in Franklin, N.H. She was among the first students to attend Paul Smith Elementary School in Franklin. In 1981 she graduated from Bishop Brady High School in Concord, N.H., before attending LIU Post, formally the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University, a private university in Brookville, N.Y. In 1982 she joined the U.S. Air Force as a Russian cryptologic linguist. She served in the military for 21 years at Iraklion Air Station, Greece; Fort Meade in Laurel, Md.; and Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu, Hawaii; and two tours of duty at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. During her initial training at Lackland Air Force Base, Ms. Pellegrini met her husband, Daniel Wilkinson Jr. They welcomed a son, Daniel Michael Wilkinson III, in 1985. They stayed together as a family for 17 years, living in Crete, Hawaii, and San Antonio, Texas. Following a distinguished military career, Ms. Pellegrini continued her service to her country as a private contractor specializing in communications, spending three years in Baghdad during Operation Desert Storm. In 2013 Ms. Pellegrini was admitted to the U.S. Foreign Service. Her postings included Bogotá, Lahore, Sydney, Karachi, and Vladivostok. Her treasured Siberian cat, Vlad, is named after her last post. She paused her career to be a caregiver for her brother, Matthew, before his premature death from ALS at age 39. In 2020 Ms. Pellegrini retired from the Foreign Service and moved to Maryland to help care for her mother, Elaine, in her later years. Wherever life took her, Ms. Pellegrini always returned home to Webster Lake, Mass., where she enjoyed happy times with family and friends. She was a highly accomplished quilter and writer. She also enjoyed running, rug shopping, skiing, kayaking, and hiking. Ms. Pellegrini shared many adventures with her son, Danny, and her daughterin-law, Danielle (Dani). Together, they traveled the Trans-Siberian Railway. Other adventures included being stranded on a remote island during a tsunami, getting left at sea during a dive trip in Indonesia, and traveling New Zealand in an RV. Her travels ended in late 2024, when her treatments no longer slowed the growth of her cancer. Ms. Pellegrini’s personal essays on striving to balance gratitude for her life with her battle against cancer honor the bravery and strength of women with this illness. Ms. Pellegrini was predeceased by her brother, Matthew Pellegrini, and her mother, Elaine Pellegrini. She is survived by her son, Daniel Wilkinson III, and daughter-in-law, Danielle Hollander; her father, Charles Pellegrini; her sister and brother-in-law, Martha and John Marrapese, and their two children; her brother and sister-in-law, Mark Pellegrini and Ellen O’Donnell, and their four children; her brother and sisterin-law, Miles and Shelley Pellegrini, and their two children; godchildren Jackson, Isabel, Myles, and Chloe; and her sister- in-law, Judy Albanese. Donations in her memory can be made to the Walter Reed Society, which assists service members being treated at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where Ms. Pellegrini volunteered. n If you would like us to include an obituary in In Memory, please send text to journal@afsa.org. Be sure to include the date, place, and cause of death, as well as details of the individual’s Foreign Service career.
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