THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2026 71 In 2017 the Freemans moved to Olympia, Wash., where they enjoyed the nearby hiking and camping opportunities. Mr. Freeman was predeceased by his sister Maureen and brother, Kevin. He is survived by his wife, Anne; children, Tim and Rachel; and sister Cathy (and spouse, Chick) Mabbutt. At Mr. Freeman’s request, no service will be held. n John Houston Hawes, 84, a retired Foreign Service officer, passed away on April 3, 2026, at his home in Virginia of heart failure. Mr. Hawes was born on May 23, 1941, and spent most of his childhood in Glen Rock, N.J. In 1963 he graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University with a degree in public and international affairs. During his time at Princeton, he served as editor of The Princeton Review. Later in life, in 2001, he earned a master’s degree in secondary education from George Mason University. Mr. Hawes dedicated three decades of his career to the United States as a Foreign Service officer with the Department of State, joining in 1963 and retiring in 1993 as a Minister Counselor. His distinguished service took him across the globe, including postings in Naples, Addis Ababa, Kolkata and New Delhi, Brussels (NATO), Vienna, Rabat, and Washington, D.C. Mr. Hawes held a number of senior roles, including deputy assistant secretary of State for political-military affairs, deputy chief of mission in Rabat, and head of the 1992 U.S. Delegation to Open Skies Treaty negotiations with the Soviet Union. He was also lead negotiator for the Azores Base Negotiations in 1996. Following his retirement from the Foreign Service, Mr. Hawes began a second career, in education, teaching International Baccalaureate theory of knowledge and geography at Annandale High School in Fairfax County from 2000 to 2013. A passionate and engaging educator, he was known for challenging students to think critically about the world and their place in it. He was nominated for Teacher of the Year in 2010 and was a dedicated supporter of the school’s drama program. He also taught at the Virginia Governor’s School for the Humanities and Performing Arts, leading courses on topics such as the Crusades and Jihads as well as Diversity and Tolerance. Family and friends remember Mr. Hawes for his deep intellectual curiosity, commitment to arms control, dedication to education and lifelong learning, and love for his family. His life’s work reflected a belief in diplomacy, dialogue, and the power of ideas to shape a more equitable world. Mr. Hawes is survived by his daughters, Fabrizia Hawes, Alessia Hawes Kirkland, and Christiana Hawes (with his first wife, Marisa Lambiase), and Chynna Hawes and Jade Hawes (with his second wife, Wendy Jean Chamberlin, a fellow Foreign Service officer whom he married in 1996); and grandchildren, Justin Kirkland, Lauren Kirkland, Tosca Lanfranconi, Tea Lanfranconi, Caterina Lanfranconi, Jordan Leonard, Jaslyn Leonard, Jack Gooch, and River Gooch. n Ravic R. Huso, 72, a retired Senior Foreign Service officer and former ambassador to Laos, passed away on February 21, 2026, in Kailua Kona, Hawaii, of natural causes. Mr. Huso was born on July 22, 1953, in Milan, Italy, the son of a Navy officer who had joined the Foreign Service after World War II. As a child, he lived in various countries in Africa and Asia, including Thailand and Laos. In 1973 he earned a BA in political science from the College of Idaho and an MA in international relations at the University of Virginia in 1976. Later in life, in 1993, Mr. Huso attended the U.S. Army War College, obtaining a diploma in national security studies. He was also awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the College of Idaho in 2010. Mr. Huso spoke French, Thai, and Lao fluently, as well as Bahasa Malaysia and Italian. In 1980, after serving for two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal, he joined the U.S. Foreign Service. Early postings included Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso), Burundi, and Niger, where he was the deputy chief of mission (DCM). Mr. Huso served on the Philippines desk during the Marcos-Aquino transition period, the Australia–New Zealand desk, and later as deputy director and director of the Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam desk. Southeast Asian postings included Malaysia and Thailand (as DCM). He was named U.S. ambassador to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic in 2007, serving there until 2010. Ambassador Huso also served as foreign policy adviser to the U.S. Pacific Command (2004–2007) and to NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander for Transformation in Norfolk, Va. (2010–2013). Amb. Huso received several honors and awards, including the Department of Defense Distinguished Public Service Award; the Joint Distinguished Civilian Service Award, presented by the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; the Order of the White Elephant, Knight Commander, presented by the King of Thailand; and
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