96 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2025 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Musicians. HAAM provides access to affordable health care for Austin’s lowincome working musicians, with a focus on prevention and wellness. Donate to HAAM at their website (https://www. myhaam.org/) or by mail to HAAM, 3036 South First Street, Austin TX 78704. n Roman Hugh Wasilewski, 72, a retired State Foreign Service officer, died on Jan. 15, 2025, in Falmouth, Maine, after a prolonged illness. Born in New York City Oct. 28, 1952, Mr. Wasilewski was proud of his Polish and English heritage. His mother, British citizen Erica Croft, had a PhD in physics and mathematics and worked for the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. His father, Roman Jerzy Wasilewski, escaped the Nazi invasion of Poland and fought with Allied forces, earning decorations from Belgium, Britain, and France, including the Croix de Guerre and the Polish Virtuti Militari. Mr. Wasilewski was educated in Pennsylvania and later at Tower Hill School in Wilmington, Del. He graduated from Shrewsbury School in England and studied history at the University of Cambridge for two years. Before joining the Foreign Service, he worked for a decade with the U.S. Postal Service, including as a mail carrier in Arlington, Va. He joined the Foreign Service in June 1984 as part of the 22nd A-100 class. Over the course of his career, he served in Peru, Jordan, Colombia, the Soviet Union, and Brazil. He held senior roles as deputy principal officer in Kosovo, political counselor in Ukraine, economic counselor in Brasília, and senior area adviser at the U.S. mission to the United Nations. Mr. Wasilewski was fluent in Polish, Russian, Spanish, and Portuguese, and conversant in French, Serbian, and Ukrainian. He was deeply curious about people from all walks of life, forging friendships wherever he went. His ability to connect with individuals in remote or difficult environments informed his personal diplomacy and strengthened his reporting. An avid adventurer, Mr. Wasilewski climbed many of the world’s highest mountains in Argentina, Peru, Nepal, and the former Soviet Union. He also enjoyed kayaking, hiking, and exploring the natural world. In retirement, he settled in Arrowsic, Maine, where he was active in preserving the historic Squirrel Point Lighthouse. He donated generously to causes he cared about and bequeathed a significant portion of his estate to charities including Smile Train, which provides cleft palate care to children. Mr. Wasilewski was predeceased by his younger sister. He is survived by another sister, Teresa Wasilewska; two nephews in Dunedin, New Zealand; and dear friends around the world. Donations in his memory may be made to Citizens for Squirrel Point at https:// squirrelpoint.org/support.html. n John Stallard Wood, 88, a retired Foreign Commercial Service officer, passed away on April 14, 2025, in Austin, Texas. Mr. Wood was born on June 6, 1936, in Winnipeg, Canada. He attended high school in Halifax, Nova Scotia. In 1963 he earned a BS and in 1964 an MBA, both from Columbia University in New York City. He cherished his lifelong association with Columbia, serving as president of the Columbia University Alumni Association of Bombay and the Columbia University Club of Chicago. Mr. Wood began his career in the private sector, working in marketing for Colgate-Palmolive, Radiation Technology Industries, Shulton Europe, and Helene Curtis. His work took him to Europe, Asia, and Africa. In 1984 Mr. Wood joined the Foreign Commercial Service, serving for 17 years before retiring in 2001. His postings included Washington, D.C., Calgary, Mexico City, Bombay, Bangkok, and Seoul. Following his retirement, Mr. Wood remained active in public service. In Austin, he served on the board of Global Austin, the founding board of Ten Thousand Villages of Austin, and the advisory panel on international business at the Austin Community College. For more than a decade, he was an enthusiastic president of the Foreign Service Group of Central Texas. Mr. Wood was also a longtime member of DACOR and AFSA, where he received the 2017 AFSA Award for Achievements and Contributions to the Association. Among the many churches Mr. Wood attended, he was particularly connected to St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Halifax, the Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago, and the Central Presbyterian Church in Austin. Mr. Wood is predeceased by his parents, Corinia and Frank Wood. He loved his many relatives back in Canada and his lifelong friends from around the world. In his later years, he became close to Misook Lee, whom he met in South Korea. She cared for him in his final years and loved him as a father. n To submit an obituary for In Memory, please send the complete text (up to 500 words) to InMemory@afsa.org. Be sure to include the date, place, and cause of death, and details of the individual's Foreign Service career. Submissions must come from, or be confirmed by, a next of kin or other family member.
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