94 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2025 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Mr. Levitsky was born on March 19, 1938, in Sioux City, Iowa, to parents Dave and Molly. In 1960 he earned a BA in political science from the University of Michigan, where he was a member of the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity, a straight-A student, and an avid Wolverines fan. After a brief stint in law school, Mr. Levitsky returned home to Sioux City, where he reconnected with the love of his life, Joan. They were married for more than 55 years before Joan’s passing in 2020. After earning an MA in Russian studies from the University of Iowa, Mr. Levitsky began his 35-year career as a Foreign Service officer at the State Department. During this career and their marriage, Mr. Levitsky and his wife enjoyed countless adventures around the world. Mr. Levitsky served as U.S. ambassador to Bulgaria (1984-1987) and Brazil (1994-1998), and in other senior positions including assistant secretary of State for international narcotics matters, executive secretary of State, deputy director of the Voice of America, and deputy assistant secretary for human rights and humanitarian affairs. He also served in Germany, Brazil, and Russia. In recognition of his service, Ambassador Levitsky received numerous Meritorious and Superior Honor Awards, including the Secretary of State’s Distinguished Service Award. He was a member of the American Academy of Diplomacy and AFSA, and served on the boards of several respected international organizations. After retiring from the Foreign Service in 1998, Amb. Levitsky began a second career in academia. He was a professor of practice in public administration and international relations at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School from 1998 to 2006. He then joined the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, where he taught almost until his death. A scholarship at the Ford School, established by Amb. Levitsky in memory of his wife, Joan, supports students pursuing international experiences. The Levitsky family later renamed the scholarship to honor both Amb. Levitsky and his wife. Amb. Levitsky was an avid reader and lover of the arts, especially film, theater, sports, comedy, and music. He was a lifelong student of world politics and history and an enthusiastic supporter of University of Michigan athletics. He will be remembered as a loving husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and friend. Amb. Levitsky was predeceased by his wife, Joan, younger sister Sharon, and son Josh. He is survived by two sons, Adam and Ross; daughters-in-law, Sara and Rachel; and eight grandchildren, Abby, Michael (and spouse Sherry), Dani, Max, Mason, Mia, Phoebe, and Ben. Donations may be made to the Melvyn and Joan Levitsky Scholarship fund at the Ford School at the University of Michigan. n Nicholas MacNeil, 85, a retired Foreign Service officer, died at home in Staunton, Va., on May 23, 2025, from complications of Parkinson’s disease. Born on Aug. 31, 1939, in New Jersey, Mr. MacNeil and his sister Elizabeth spent their childhood years in Haiti, where their parents lived from 1947 to 1967. He attended Ridley College, a Canadian boarding school, and then Princeton University, followed by four years in the Navy, including two years on a landing ship, tank (LST). In 1966 Mr. MacNeil joined the Foreign Service, first serving in Guatemala. Then, after eight months of Vietnamese language training, he went to Vietnam for 18 months as a district adviser with the U.S. Agency for International Development. Afterward, he earned a master’s degree in public administration at Harvard Kennedy School in Cambridge, Mass., where he met his wife, Linda Blackwelder. In 1974 Mr. MacNeil was assigned to Danang to report on security conditions. His wife and 8-month-old daughter, Marcia, joined him. In March 1975, the South Vietnamese government collapsed in Danang, and they were among the last to leave. Mr. MacNeil received the State Department Award for Valor for his role in assisting American civilians and Vietnamese refugees to escape from the city. Mr. MacNeil’s final post was Bogotá. He left the Foreign Service in 1976 to join the Carter-Mondale campaign and became Richard Holbrooke’s assistant in Atlanta. When the Carter transition team moved to Washington, D.C., Mr. MacNeil was asked to be their liaison with NASA. In 1980 he reapplied to the Foreign Service and was assigned to a Vietnamese refugee program based in Bangkok, where his family joined him. They had three more overseas postings: New Delhi, Montreal, and Fiji. He retired in 1996. In his free time, Mr. MacNeil enjoyed renovating a house in Alexandria, Va. He loved sailing: For two summers, he taught sailing at Fishers Island, and in Fiji, he sailed a Hobie Cat. He went on camping trips with his son, John, to the Canadian Rockies and Pacific Northwest. He loved Haiti and felt that his life had been strongly influenced by the spirit and suffering of that country. In 2001 Mr. MacNeil and his wife moved to Staunton, Va., where he enjoyed the city’s cultural life and served on the boards of the Valley Conservation Council, the Staunton Kiwanis Club, the Staunton Democratic Committee, and Rail Solution, an initiative to reduce truck traffic on Interstate 81. Mr. MacNeil was predeceased by his parents, Charles and Barbara MacNeil,
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