In Memoriam – May 2019
We mourn the loss of Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Chelsea Decaminada, who died from injuries sustained during recent terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka. We also honor community leaders whose service impacted so many lives, both here in the United States and abroad. Chelsea Decaminada, an international program specialist on assignment for the U.S. Department of Commerce, died May 4 due to injuries she sustained during terrorist bombing attacks on Sri Lankan churches and hotels on Easter Sunday. “Chelsea devoted her life to public service, and her dedication and spirit were a model for all of us at Commerce,” said...
In Memoriam – April 2019
We honor Returned Peace Corps Volunteers and former staff we lost in the last several weeks who served our nation so well. Among those we mourn are an administrative law judge from Washington D.C., a community leader from Arizona, and a former congressman from Wisconsin. Jim Moody (1935-2019) worked for the Peace Corps, setting up programs in Pakistan and Bangladesh, before coming back to work at Peace Corps headquarters. Moody worked for Yugoslavia and Iran for CARE, for the U.S. Agency for International Development, and served in the House of Representatives from 1983 through 1992. Congressman Moody entered politics at the...
In Memoriam – March 2019
People who served in the Peace Corps realize their years as a volunteer are just the beginning. Among those members of our community who recently died are many who exemplified that lifetime commitment to serving others, whether with other Peace Corps alumni or through other organizations. David Clark Scheinman (1948-2019) led the NPCA affiliate group the Gulf Coast Council of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, based in Houston, for many years after moving to Texas in 2004. Born in New York City, Dave attended York Suburban High School and Storm King boarding school, before attending American University and earning a graduate degree from Cornell....
In Memoriam – February 2019
For many, Peace Corps service becomes a family affair. That was the case with a number of individuals who recently passed away. Emily Dewhirst (1929-2019) was born in Minneapolis, a descendent of Abraham Clark, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. After graduating with honors from the University of Minnesota at the age of 17, Emily bicycled through Europe on a mission to rebuild youth hostels destroyed during World War II. Emily continued her studies at the University of Paris, the Sorbonne, and went on to become a trilingual interpreter for Fiat in Italy and then a stewardess for Pan American Airlines...
In Memoriam – January 2019
As the Peace Corps community mourns the deaths of Harris Wofford and Jason Spindler, who was killed in the January 15th terrorist attack in Kenya, we also remember the significant contributions of so many others who exemplify the spirit and ideals of Peace Corps service. Jason Spindler (1978 - 2019) began his path to international service after the 9/11 terrorist attack in New York City. After earning a degree in international business and finance at the University of Texas, Jason accepted a position in New York's financial district with Solomon, Smith, Barney. Jason was among the many who responded courageously on 9/11, assisting with rescue efforts....
In Memoriam – February 2018
From long standing public servants, to an icon of the civil rights movement, to an early Silicon Valley entrepreneur, to a late-in-life volunteer who was among the oldest to serve in the Peace Corps. So many impressive members of the Peace Corps community passed away in recent weeks and months. We remember them here. She served as a special assistant to four Peace Corps directors between 1976 and 1982, and is credited with quadrupling the number of women and minorities appointed as country directors and senior staff. But that wasn’t the first Peace Corps encounter for Nancy A. Graham (1926 – 2018). That came...
In Memoriam – January 2018
An iconic country music songwriter. An RPCV whose journey to the Peace Corps began in Nazi Germany. Leaders in the fields of mediation and conflict resolution. There's a long, lifetime of accomplishments among those we honor who recently passed away, and we are especially saddened by the untimely death of a serving volunteer. The Peace Corps community mourns the recent death of Bernice Heiderman (1993 - 2018), who passed away suddenly while serving as a volunteer in Comoros. A graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago, Bernice was an education volunteer, teaching English at a junior high school on the island...