Archive | 2019

Dr. Davy McCall, 97, a true Renaissance Man, who made major contributions to historic preservation in Chestertown and Kent County, Maryland, was a distinguished teacher of economics at Washington College, a key figure in international development, and a supporter of low income housing, passed away on Sunday, at Heron Point.

He was born in Shaker Heights, Ohio, and studied at Kenyon College graduating magna cum laude with honors in economics. He joined the US Army during World War II and was assigned to study Chinese Language at the University of Chicago in order to become an interpreter (should there be an allied invasion of Japan and China.) After the war, he entered the Chinese Regional Studies Program at Harvard University and received an M.A. Following Harvard, Davy taught economics for several years at Western Reserve University and served as an economist for the United States Agency for International Development in Washington, DC, and later for a private firm in Saigon, Vietnam and for the U.S. Operations Mission in Cambodia.

After his time in Southeast Asia, Davy returned to Harvard to complete his PhD. He then spent a decade at USAID/W and the Department of State in senior positions, dealing primarily with North Africa. He was then recruited by the World Bank and became the key loan officer for Spain, Morocco, and the Republic of Ireland. His work at the Bank widened, but he returned to USAID to senior positions in DC and in Syria. When Davy retired, he moved to Maryland’s Eastern Shore, where he admired the elegantly built 18th century plantation residences and townhouses of the era, particularly in and around Chestertown and Rock Hall.

Davy became president of the non-profit, Preservation, Inc., engaging in restoration of historic buildings and writing about Chestertown history, including on the African American community, and on John Bolton, a major figure of the Revolution in Kent County. He also taught economics for 14 years at Chestertown’s Washington College and became Chair of the Department of Economics and Curator of the Society of Junior Fellows. He was a member of the Historic District Commission of Chestertown, a board member of Preservation, Maryland, a Vestryman of Emmanuel Episcopal Church, a board member of Heron Point, a member of the Maryland Club in Baltimore, a Chestertown Rotarian and a strong supporter of affordable low-income housing in the Episcopal Diocese of Easton and in Chestertown.

Davy was beloved, admired, and respected, and until just a few days before he died, had a first class mind and extraordinary memory for detail, and a love of intellectual engagement. He was a person with old world courtesy, manners, and kindness to others. He will be much missed.

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Arnie was born in the Bronx, New York in 1946 to Hattie and Philip Haiman. He attended James Monroe High School, where he met the love of his life, Regina Acompore. He died on December 24, 2019, after a year-long battle with ALS. He is survived by his wife of 50 years Regina, their son David (Marta), their daughter Deborah, their three grandchildren, Inti, Judah, and Millie, and his brother Mark (Cheryl).

After graduating from NYU Law School, Arnie joined the Coast Guard. He served six years as a lawyer and a Special Agent in the Coast Guard Investigative Service. He transferred into the Navy JAG Corps where his duties included service as a circuit-riding judge overseas. Awards included Meritorious Service Commendation Medals.

He retired in 1990 and went to work as a Senior Executive at the U.S. Agency for International Development. He regularly visited attorneys he had assigned to trouble spots such as Afghanistan and Iraq and served as an aid worker during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He continued to receive recognition, including a Presidential Rank Award, for the quality of his work and his willingness to take on the most difficult assignments.

During his Navy career, Arnie earned an LL.M in Criminal Law (Highest Academic Honors) and after retiring from USAID, became a Certified Compliance and Ethics Professional. He worked as an Ethics Consultant and an Executive Coach. He was a popular instructor at George Washington University and the Federal Executive Institute — known for his energy, ready wit, and mentorship. He was flattered and always available when former students sought him out for advice. After some success in seeing his op-ed opinions published, he tried his hand at fiction. He wrote several mysteries, a military adventure novel, and a police story.

His volunteer activities included working at Fisher House and tutoring in the Alexandria City and Fairfax County schools. He was a member of Temple B’Nai Shalom.

Notwithstanding busy and challenging career assignments, the central focus of his life was his family. His happiest days were the many family holidays and vacations where he would regale the kids with made-up funny adventure stories. He was an avid pickleball player in later years and enjoyed the competition and the new friends he made on the court.

Donations in his memory may be sent to the ALS Association.

Joseph Haratani found freedom on December 6th, 2019, ninety-six years after his birth in Florin, California on October 27th, 1923. Although uprooted as a teen and forced into Amache internment camp with his parents and siblings, Joe served the public good his entire life. He began by volunteering in the US Army’s 442nd Regimental Combat Team during WWII, surviving combat in Italy and France. Joe earned degrees at both Stanford University and the University of California (Berkeley), probably so he could claim his football team always won the Big Game. Joe joined the USAID as a civil/sanitary engineer working in regions of Latin America, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, improving sanitation infrastructure and access to potable water.

Joe and his wife Amy – Ada (she prefers “Amy” from a typo in her FBI wartime file), successfully raised three sons, and he became a devoted grandfather in his seventies.  When his grandchildren had a six-month relocation to Brussels, Joe (then 81) suffered such severe grand-withdrawal that he flew to Brussels to see them.

In 1988, the US government made monetary reparations to surviving WWII internees. Joe donated his to a trust for Sonora Elementary School with the stipulation that the interest be used for education about civil rights.

Joe had a keen sense of humor while exuding dignity, generosity and kindness. He will be greatly missed by his wife Amy-Ada, Guy and Joyce, Richard and Kathleen, Saji and Nicole, grandchildren Jazmine and Jean-Patrik, sisters Grace Aikawa, Irene Yamamoto, brother David and sister-in-law Dale, as well as his extended family and legions of friends.  A celebration of Joe’s extraordinary life will be held in Spring of 2020.

William Claiborne Darkins –known to colleagues as ‘Bill’ and to close relatives and close friends as ‘Claiborne’– was born in Petersburg, VA on March 20, 1947, the youngest child of the late William Henry Darkins and Anna Lee Watkins Darkins. On Friday, February 23, 2018, he transitioned to another life after a short illness.  He was the product of a strong willed and hardworking family and he made it his life’s work to give more than 100% in all of his endeavors. Faith was always the foundation of his existence.

Bill grew up in Petersburg as a young enthusiastic participant in the Boy Scouts of America achieving the rank of Life Scout and numerous Boy Scout achievement badges. His early education through high school was in Petersburg Public Schools where he was very active in Peabody High School choir and other activities, including leadership roles and membership in the National Honor Society. He graduated from Peabody High School in 1965.

Bill entered Howard University in Washington, DC and graduated in 1969 with a B.A. degree in Economics. After college, he worked in several programs at the University of District of Columbia before joining the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) while also earning another degree from George Washington University. He was a world traveler dedicated to helping people in developing countries.

USAID sent him to various places throughout Africa, the Middle East and Washington, DC.  At headquarters, he directed and supervised challenging programs in a portfolio focused on West Africa, the Sahel and Egypt. In May 1990, Bill earned a Master of International Public Policy from The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD. Serving for 27 years as a skilled and versatile foreign service officer, Bill was an energetic and effective team leader with proven ability to successfully manage complex programs in diverse cultural environments.

While Bill grew up in the Baptist church, he was confirmed at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC. Later, he joined the Trinity Episcopal Church in Washington, DC where he actively served in various ministries including the male chorus, welcoming new members to the parish and assisting with revival preparations.

He loved to read the Washington Post Newspaper, as well as professional and educational magazines.  He was kind, caring, cooperative and loved spending time with family and close friends.  He is survived by his two sisters, Geraldine Darkins Simmons (Grover) of Decatur, GA and Joan Darkins Smith of Laurel, MD; a nephew, Joseph Smith of Laurel, MD; a niece, Sylvia Smith Evans (Mark) of Lanham, MD; numerous cousins in Richmond, VA.

Alfred David White was born on April 25, 1925, in Boston, Massachusetts.  After graduating from Boston Latin High School, he joined the U.S. Navy, where he served on the shores of Japan until August 6, 1945.  After his military service, he received a bachelor’s degree from Colgate University and a Master’s Degree from the University of Chicago.

He joined the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and quickly worked his way up to become the youngest Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Near East Bureau.  Under the leadership of the AA, Al was responsible for the policy direction and day-to-day management of more than 14 country programs, 10 overseas missions, a staff in Washington, DC, and in the field of over 600, as well as a larger staff of foreign national employees, an annual budget of $2.5 billion with an active program portfolio of over $5 billion.  In addition, he managed more than $300 million in the Food for Peace Program.

Al enjoyed traveling around the world with his wife, Zafra, and going to the opera, symphony, ballet, theater and art museums with her.  He loved to celebrate holidays and go on vacations with Yoav, Caron, Ben and Daniel.  Al has been described by those who knew him as an extraordinary colleague and leader, but, more importantly, a dear and very special friend.  He will be deeply missed.

He passed away on December 25, 2019, at the age of 94.  May his memory be a blessing to us all!