The Foreign Service Journal, September 2019

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | SEPTEMBER 2019 77 1960. The couple settled in Fairfax, Va., in 1979. Following retirement in 1988, Mr. DiTanna volunteered at the Salva- tion Army University View Child Care Center, the Ambassadors of Mary and the Rosary Makers of Saint Michaels. He was an active member of the Sons of Italy and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8469 in Fairfax. He was an avid fisherman, hunter and bowler, and he planted flower and vegetable gardens at each post overseas. Mr. DiTanna is survived by his wife of 59 years, Janet; their four children: Tom (and his spouse, Terry), Lucian (and his wife, Janet), Angela (and her husband, Kerry) and Helen; six grandchildren: Michael, Victor, Kyle, Cameron, Jaclyn and Jennifer; and a sister, Martha. Memorial donations may be sent to Capital Caring or VFW Post 8469, Fair- fax Station, Va. Condolence messages may be sent to the family through www . fmfh.com. n Lola Gulomova, 45, a Foreign Commercial Service officer, died in Wash- ington, D.C., on June 7 in what a prelimi- nary investigation called a murder-suicide at the hands of her husband, Jason Rieff, 51, who was also an FSO. Born in Tajikistan, Ms. Gulomova graduated from the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University in Washington in 2001. Shortly after Hurricane Katrina struck the New Orleans area in 2005, Ms. Gulomova worked with the United Meth- odist Committee on Relief on Katrina Aid Today programs and initiatives to ensure long-term recovery for people affected by the hurricane. As a result of her efforts, 70 percent of the initial set-up operations budget was saved to be rerouted to Katrina aid efforts. Prior to joining the Foreign Com- mercial Service in 2008, Ms. Gulomova worked at U.S. Embassy Moscow as the deputy representative for the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, working on bilateral space relations. As part of this work, Ms. Gulomova ensured that American astronauts serving on the International Space Station received support both on the ground and in space. As an FCS officer, she served in Guangzhou, Taipei and New Delhi, cov- ering major sectors such as civil aviation, energy and SelectUSA. During her tenure in India, Ms. Gulomova supported numerous high- level visits, including President Barack Obama’s November 2010 visit and two visits by Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker. She had been scheduled in June to lead the first-ever trade mission to Uzbekistan. Ms. Gulomova is survived by two young daughters. See p. 67 for the AFSA Governing Board’s resolution on Ms. Gulomova’s death. n John Michael Jackson, 45, a Foreign Service specialist, passed away on June 8 in Amman, where he worked at the U.S. embassy. Born on Oct. 5, 1973, in Casper, Wyo., Mr. Jackson was the oldest son of John M. and Marva Ann (Tanner) Jackson. He attended Casper schools, graduat- ing from Natrona County High School in 1992 and went to Casper College and the University of Wyoming in Casper. Mr. Jackson’s passion for computers started at a young age, and after selling computers and peripheral equipment for RadioShack while still a teenager, he launched a long career in computer networking and security. Mr. Jackson’s first overseas journey was a three-week trip to Brazil with his brother, Ryan. There he met his future wife, Karin Cecilia Zech of Rio de Janeiro. The couple married on July 6, 2002, in Idaho Falls, Idaho, and had three sons: Ethan Haden (2006), Benjamin Michael (2010) and Robert Edward (2012). Mr. Jackson worked for the State of Wyoming’s Department of Employment and in the IT department at the Wyo- ming Medical Center before joining the Foreign Service in 2004. He served in Rwanda, Paraguay, South Africa, Sudan and Jordan. Friends recall that spending time with his sons meant more than any- thing to Mr. Jackson, and he treasured the special experiences they shared in the remote parts of the world where he worked. Mr. Jackson is survived by his wife and sons, and by both parents; one grandfather, Loyd Tanner of Casper; two brothers, Brandon Jackson of Casper, and Dr. Ryan Jackson, of Curaçao; and a sister, Sarah Annena Langton (husband Ryan) of Layton, Utah. n Lowell Bruce Laingen, 96, a retired Foreign Service officer and former ambassador, died peacefully on July 15 at a retirement community in Bethesda, Md. Mr. Laingen was born on Aug. 6, 1922, on a farm in Butterfield, Minn., the son of Palmer and Mabel Laingen. He served as a naval officer in World War II in the South Pacific. He graduated from St. Olaf College in Minnesota (cum laude in history and economics), later receiving a master’s degree in international relations from the University of Minnesota and an honor- ary Ph.D. from the Humphrey Institute