The Foreign Service Journal, November 2011

64 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 1 grants from the island of Marmara. Soon after his birth, the family moved to New York City where, from a very early age, he developed a fascination with travel and foreign cultures. He served in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II and then moved to California to work on the Muroc Flight Test Unit with the National Ad- visory Committee for Aeronautics, the National Aeronautical and Space Ad- ministration’s predecessor. Eventually he decided to enroll in journalism school at the University of Southern California. He became edi- tor-in-chief of the Daily Trojan , a mem- ber of Sigma Delta Chi and the national honor fraternities, and was voted USC’s Man of the Year by his peers. His first job on graduation was reporting for the San Diego Union-Tri- bune . In 1957Mr. Synodis joined the For- eign Service and embarked on an ex- citing 29-year career. His overseas postings includedMadrid, Caracas, Lu- luabourg, Mexico City, Casablanca, Ni- amey, Santiago and Athens, with two postings in Washington, D.C. While stationed in Mexico City, he met the love of his life, Trudy, with whom he enjoyed 43 years of marriage. Aside from English and Greek, Mr. Synodis became fluent in Spanish and French. During the course of his career he played key roles in a wide variety of as- signments which included: coordinat- ing President John F. Kennedy’s visit to Venezuela in 1961; establishing an ef- fective U.S. Information Service post in Luluabourg (now Kananga) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and orchestrating U.S. press operations at the Mexico Olympics of 1968. In recognition of his work, he received a Meritorious Honor Award in 1966. Mr. Synodis retired from the For- eign Service in 1986 and moved his family to Solana Beach, Calif., where he enthusiastically took up tennis, the guitar, painting and photography. Fam- ily members and friends recall Mr. Syn- odis as a true gentleman in every sense, a doting husband and father, and a man whose integrity and exemplary charac- ter will never be forgotten. He is survived by his wife, Trudy; two daughters Paulette Bohrer (and her husband, Robert) of Encinitas, Calif., and Marietta Synodis of New York, N.Y.; and two grandsons. Donations in Mr. Synodis’ memory may be sent to the Solana Beach Civic and Historical Society, Fletcher Cove Community Center, P.O. Box 504, Solana Beach CA 92075. I N M E M O R Y Corrections The obituary for Richard E. Johnson (In Memory, September) contains a factual error. Mr. Johnson served with the U.S. Navy as lieu- tenant commander on the USS Bagley during World War II, not as an NCO. The career history for J. Clagett Taylor (In Memory, September) was inaccurate. Following his as- signment to Lusaka (1972-1974), Mr. Taylor was posted to Caracas (1974-1977). He then returned to Washington, D.C., where he worked on the South Africa desk until 1979, when he retired to care for his ailing father and the family citrus business. We regret the errors.