The Foreign Service Journal, September 2017

92 SEPTEMBER 2017 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL n Selena Nelson-Salcedo , 38, an active-duty FSO serving as U.S. consul in Bratislava, died suddenly there on June 4. A native of Minnesota, Mrs. Nelson- Salcedo earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin and a master’s degree from the Humphrey School of Pub- lic Affairs at the University of Minnesota. She joined the U.S. Foreign Service in 2008 and had served in Santo Domingo and in Kuala Lumpur prior to her assign- ment to Bratislava in 2014. Known for innovation and customer service in consular affairs, she was the recipient of several Superior and Meritorious Honor Awards from the State Department. Mrs. Nelson-Salcedo was an enthu- siastic and skilled student of foreign languages and relished exploring cultures; at her untimely death she spoke five languages fluently. Her passion for civil rights and social justice was reflected in her excellent work as a diplomat around the world. She was also a dedicated wife and mother. Friends and family members recall her as an exceptional human being with a huge heart, unlimited compassion and an irrepressible smile, who lived life to the fullest. Selena Nelson-Salcedo is survived by her husband, Jorge, and their daughters, Antonella, age 4, and Gaia, age 3; her parents, Janice Hobbs and Don Nelson; her stepmother, Mary Kay Perrin; her mother- in-law, Consuelo Barbosa; her siblings: Jenna, Jeremy (and his wife, Clara), Micah (and his wife, Lindsay) and Simone (and her husband, John); and six nieces and nephews: Henry, Diego, Emma, Max, Homer and Nelson. To make a contribution to educa- tion funds for Selena Nelson-Salcedo’s daughters, go to: https://scholarshare. ebilling.com , and enter code CAR6jpB and CAhAU5G (one account for each child). n Sharon Elspeth Oper , 76, a retired Foreign Service office management spe- cialist, died on June 2 in Longboat Key, Fla. A native of New Jersey, Ms. Oper was born on Jan. 16, 1941. Her entry into public service began in the early 1970s when she was hired as an aide to Representative Bella Abzug (D-N.Y.). She established and managed two congressional offices, worked as a field representative and program analyst for the Head Start program, and held professional status in the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Congres- sional Relations before joining the Foreign Service in 1974. Ms. Oper enjoyed overseas postings in Chile, Spain, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), Pakistan, Thailand and Kenya during her 20-year Foreign Service career from 1974 to 1994. During her last assignment, she was selected as a member of the State Depart- ment “advance team” for Secretary of State Warren Christopher and was in and out of the Middle East a dozen times. Four life- long friendships were born of the intensity of those trips, and Sharon took great pride in watching as three of those colleagues rose to the role of ambassador. Ms. Oper retired from the Foreign Ser- vice in 1995 and settled in Florida. Admitting that she was terrified of most down escalators and heights in general, friends recall, Ms. Oper insisted she was never afraid of living in strange places. Her life stories were the delight of her friends and evidence of her strength of charac- ter—whether the time in Chile when she hid three American nuns from the secret police; or the charming anecdotes involv- ing her aging mother, who lived with her during postings inThailand and Kenya. Seven years of living in Africa trans- formed Ms. Oper into an aficionado of African art and African grey parrots, one of whom—“Two-Two”—survives her and has been lovingly adopted by local friends with an African grey of their own. Ms. Oper loved animals, and many friends remember the little dog she had early in her career. She never allowed herself another pup, however, because she knew she would be travel- ing too often to give a dog the affec- tion it deserved. But she couldn’t resist Two-Two, or the hundreds of birds she photographed on the beach just near her home. Known as “Fluffy” to many in the Foreign Service (owing to a coat she once wore), Ms. Oper was a member of Temple Beth Israel, and a member of a syna- gogue in every country in which she lived throughout her career. She had a lifelong passion for international cultures and cuisine and for tennis, and was a stead- fast supporter of the Democratic Party. Ms. Oper was a true champion of diversity and inclusion long before those ideas became buzzwords, friends recall. She excelled as a friend: she listened well, and remembered the details. She took your side and worried alongside you, and enjoyed sharing a discussion of current events or a laugh. Her enthusiasm for life was matched only by her ability to find humor in even the simplest moment. Ms. Oper is survived by her nieces, Zoe Oper and Gail Oper Stumpf; her nephew, Joseph Oper; and by her cousin Beth Vandroff and lifelong friend Sally Arce, both of whom were supportive presences in her last days. n James D. “Jim” Rosenthal, 85, a retired Foreign Service officer and former ambassador, died on June 20 at his home in San Francisco, Calif. A native San Franciscan, Mr. Rosen- thal graduated from Lowell High School in 1950. He was on the swimming and