THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2026 89 Shortly after his return to the U.S., he met and married his wife, Jera Dean Gamble. Discharged in 1954, he went on to Bemidji State College for a BA degree in social science followed by a job as a tactical officer and later an instructor with the New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell. He also earned an MA from Eastern New Mexico University in government and history. Mr. Gamble joined the U.S. Foreign Service in 1963, and following training in Washington, D.C., he was posted to Costa Rica. This was followed by assignments in the Philippines (vice consul), Mexico (assistant to the labor attaché), Bolivia (labor attaché), and Argentina (labor attaché). Returning to Washington, D.C., in 1976, he worked for two years as deputy director and then director of the State Department Operations Center and attended the National War College. In 1979 Mr. Gamble was posted overseas again, to Ecuador as political counselor, Nicaragua as deputy chief of mission (DCM) and then chargé, to Guatemala as chargé, and then to Mexico as DCM. In 1989 he returned to the U.S. where he spent a few short months as a member of the U.S. Delegation to the United Nations General Assembly in New York and six months as chargé in Antigua. He received a Presidential Meritorious Service Award from President George H.W. Bush for outstanding service in the conduct of U.S. diplomacy in 1990 and was appointed director of management operations at the State Department until 1993, when he moved to acting chief financial officer for a short assignment. In August 1993, President Bill Clinton commissioned Mr. Gamble as U.S. ambassador to Suriname, where he served until his retirement in 1996. The Gambles retired to Mathews County, Va., where they became active in numerous civic and volunteer activities through the years, enjoying crabbing, fishing, and family gatherings at their “retreat” at the mouth of the East River and the Chesapeake. By his side for 70 years of adventure, Jera Gamble predeceased him in January 2025 (see her entry below). Ambassador Gamble is survived by their four children, Kelly (spouse Peter) Hartshorn, Scott Gamble, Marc Gamble, and Steven (spouse Rosa Maria) Gamble; seven grandchildren, Matthew (spouse Jeanne), Fletcher (spouse Danica), Allison (spouse Sam), Olivia, Christina, Michael, and Catelyn; and six great-grandchildren, Kane, Braxton, Theo, Frances, Parker, and Quincy. n Jera Dean Gamble, 91, spouse of the late retired Foreign Service Officer and U.S. Ambassador Roger Gamble (see his entry above), passed away peacefully in her sleep at their home in Port Haywood, Va., on January 25, 2025. A registered nurse, Jera Gamble was born in 1933 in Roswell, N.M. Graduating from high school there in 1951, she moved to Amarillo, Texas, where she attended St. Anthony School of Nursing concurrently with Amarillo Junior College, receiving her RN and AA degrees from them, respectively. In 1954, while in training in San Antonio, she met and married Roger Gamble. During the early years of their marriage, and to help put Mr. Gamble through college for his BA and MA degrees, Ms. Gamble worked long and hard hours at the Bemidji Lutheran Hospital, the Eastern New Mexico Medical Center, and the University of Iowa Medical Center— all while he was working and they were building a family. This led to Mr. Gamble’s career in the U.S. Foreign Service, one that Ms. Gamble embraced and thrived in. Between 1963 and 1976, the couple was posted to Costa Rica, the Philippines, Mexico, Bolivia, and Argentina. In addition to all the normal activities and duties of a Foreign Service spouse, Ms. Gamble had the opportunity to work as director of the Buenos Aires embassy health unit from 1974 to 1976. Then, during their time in Washington, D.C. (1976–1979), she also worked as a substitute nurse at the State Department Medical Unit. When Ms. Gamble returned overseas in 1979, her responsibilities as the spouse of a Foreign Service officer increased as Mr. Gamble was assigned to a series of postings as either deputy chief of mission or chargé d’affaires. Ms. Gamble accompanied him to every location, including Suriname, where he served as U.S. ambassador from 1993 until his retirement in 1996. The couple then settled in Mathews County, Va., where Ms. Gamble was very active in the local community, putting her creative and organizational talents to work in the Mathews Women’s club and various local organizations and charities. Friends and family members recall that in all her many roles, Ms. Gamble was ever beautiful and kind, inside and out. She was survived by her husband until July 10, 2026, and is survived by their four children, Kelly (spouse Peter) Hartshorn, Scott Gamble, Marc Gamble, and Steven (spouse Rosa Maria) Gamble; seven grandchildren, Matthew (spouse Jeanne), Fletcher (spouse Danica), Allison (spouse Sam), Olivia, Christina, Michael, and Catelyn; and six great-grandchildren, Kane, Braxton, Theo, Frances, Parker, and Quincy.
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