Michael Lejeune

Michael Lejeune 96, died peacefully in the company of his three children in Santa Barbara on November 15, 2014. He is deeply mourned by the many people whose lives he touched. Michael was born on March 22, 1918 in Manchester England at the home of his grandparents while his father was fighting in the First World War. He lived in England until his family emigrated to Santa Barbara, California in 1924 to live with his uncle, Frank Moreley Fletcher, who was a local Santa Barbara artist specializing in arts and craft style Japanese wood cuts. Frank Moreley Fletcher's work is in the Santa Barbara Museum permanent collection. Frank taught the serial print techniques that led a number of his students to become cartoonists for Walt Disney in the early days of animation.

Michael is well known to Santa Barbara residents for his appearance on the local Santa Barbara TV network relating his experiences in the 1924 earthquake within the first months of moving here, describing a small boy's excitement of waking up while his bed bounced across the floor of his aunt and uncle's studio in the old Paseo. Family photographs show him proudly displaying his unharmed "Mecano" construction model amidst the rubble. The Lejeune family began their life in California at the Ojai Valley school, where Arnold taught and Gladys was a house-mother. Arnold Lejeune continued his second career in this country by becoming a respected educator, teaching at both the Ojai Valley School and the Cate School and then co-founding the Crane Country Day School. Michael attended the Ojai Valley School, the Crane Country Day School, and the Cate School, (then the Santa Barbara School) graduating in 1936. He considered Santa Barbara the perfect place to grow up, with picnics at Hendry's beach, building a "go-kart" car at the age of twelve with his neighbor and driving it to Los Angeles to motor down Wilshire Boulevard, and horse-packing into the Coast Range with friends when he was a teenager. On a dare, he once walked from downtown Santa Barbara to the top of La Cumbre peak, and back, in one day.

Thinking he would become an engineer, was accepted, to Cal Tech, but his mentors at the Cate School convinced him to also apply to Yale College. He was accepted there and offered a more significant scholarship. He went east to Yale, traveling home to Santa Barbara for the long holidays, sometimes working as a cowhand on the Van Horn ranch in Goleta, sometimes staying on in the east coast as a summer tutor. At Yale he was a member of the Scroll and Key Secret Society. He graduated from Yale in 1940, and began his work on a Master's Degree in Modern European History. He had maintained his British citizenship and was determined to join the British fight against the Nazis prior to the Unites States involvement in World War II. With his homeland at war, he was unable to concentrate on his studies, so while researching how to join the war effort he took a position at St. Paul's School in Concord New Hampshire. As a History Major from California who had never ice-skated he was assigned to teach math and coach ice hockey. He maintained his love of ice-skating all his life. He was able to join a special regiment, the King's Royal Rife Corps of the British Army, Once his papers were signed, he left St. Paul's, and crossed the Atlantic in a supply convoy, dodging German submarines. He served with the rank of Captain in North Africa, Italy, and Greece. Once the war was officially over in Europe, his battalion remained stationed in Greece to try and prevent civil war, and he was not demobilized until 1946. He described with humor the tension of playing cards with the opposing Greek officer while they waited for orders that would determine if they would engage against each other in battle. The orders never came. While in Greece Curtis Cate send him boxes of books to prepare the British soldiers for life after the war. Michael also filed reports of devastation and economic instability to British intelligence during this time. On returning to England, while staying with his King's Royal Rifle Corps. fellow officer, Peter Wilson, he met and fell in love with Margaret Wilson (Peggy), the sister of his long time army friend, He often told the story of being met by her at the country train station, and falling in love with her while she drove speedily through the twisting country lanes. They soon became engaged, each of them knowing they were lucky to find each other in a world in turmoil.

Michael returned to the United States to look for work, securing a position in personnel for the creation of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, (later to be re-named the World Bank). Having seen the devastation of the war, he wanted to participate in the Marshall Plan mission to reconstruct Europe. Peggy waited in England until she could get passage to join him, and shortly after her boat arrived in New York they were married on February 15, 1947 in St. Bartholomew's Cathedral Chapel in New York. The wedding was given by Peggy's cousin, Dr. Lawrence Whittemore, with whom Peggy shared the common American Revolution war hero ancestor Samuel Whittemore. Once married, Mike and Peggy immediately moved to Washington DC where Mike had secured an apartment. Peggy and Mike, enjoyed raising their family in Washington DC, at the heart of the events in the Nation's Capital during the post war years. Peggy often served as Michael's companion and hostess on official World Bank missions abroad, traveling all over Africa with Mike as he served as deputy to the second president of the World Bank, Eugene Black. He had 35 year career in the "Bank" where he served in many capacities under several World Bank presidents. He was the chief of the first Middle East and North Africa Division and then the East Africa Division. He spent much of his career working with Africa, which he considered the most beautiful place on earth. He believed that educating the women of Africa should be a priority, and under Robert McNamara worked on programs to develop education for women and girls.He was also director of administration, during which time he oversaw the construction of a new World Bank building on in Washington DC, and started a young professional's program which profoundly changed the nature of the Bank for the better by attracting and retaining young people from all over the world, many who stayed in touch with him as they moved on to other international careers.

For the last nine years of his career he was the Executive Secretary of the Consultative Group on Agricultural Research (CGAR) begun with a Rockefeller Foundation grant, where he administered thirteen research centers around the world, including, India, Peru, and Africa. The program developed protein rich crops with high yields that would thrive in targeted poor sustenance regions with the goal of reducing hunger throughout the world. In 1981 CGAR was awarded the Baudoin International Development Prize from the King of Belgium for humanitarian efforts to combat hunger. CGAR continues to this day as a significant international effort to improve food resources

Michael and Peggy enjoyed the exciting years in Washington, originally living inside the city boundaries in a rented farmhouse on a private estate, and then buying their own house in McLean Virginia. In these years they participated in revolutionary changes including the fight for civil rights, school integration, and ending the Vietnam War. They held deep liberal values, and counted some of Washington's great thinkers of that era among their close friends and neighbors, including Dean Acheson, Harold Howe III, Senator John Chafee, Eliot Richardson and Supreme Court justices Potter Stuart and Byron White. Michael was a long-standing member of the Metropolitan Club, and continued his interest in independent schools by serving on the boards of The Beauvoir and Potomac Schools.

Michael retired in 1983 from the World Bank, and dedicated several years to co-writing a book, Partners Against Hunger, that describes the innovative of work of the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research. When the book was completed, to the surprise of his family, colleagues and friends, he and Peggy decided to return to Santa Barbara. He and Peggy spent the next 25 years of their lives here, where he continued his dedication to education and philanthropy by coordinating the Yale applicant interview program for the Santa Barbara area, and serving on the board of the Santa Barbara Foundation. He brought his studious approach and love of making the world a better place to the careful funding of projects in Santa Barbara. Considering his own past, he took great pleasure in awarding Santa Barbara Foundation college scholarships to Santa Barbara High School students. He and Peggy continued to love to travel, and made many journeys including, the Grand Canyon by dory, the Arctic Circle, Eastern Europe, and multiple trips to visit friends and family in England, France and Italy. He and Peggy took pride in being involved in their grandchildren's lives. They made frequent trips to the East Cost to celebrate their grandchildren, visit with family and friends, and hosted full family Christmas celebrations in Santa Barbara.

He and Peggy remodeled a 1939 craftsman house in the hills of the Riviera were they lived for twenty years. They moved to Valle Verde in 2006 and lived in an apartment there until Peggy's death in 2010. They were happily married for 63 years, sharing a love of adventure and a commitment to family. Michael continued to live at Valle Verde where he was highly respected by residents and staff, known for his kindness and grace even as his he became less physically able. Michael is remembered for his wry humor and great dignity, his ethics, and his dedication to applying his agile mind to public service.

Michael is survived by his three children, Gordon Peter Lejeune, of Studio City, California, Simon Michael Werden Lejeune of Brookline, Massachusetts, and Sarah Diana Lejeune of Topanga, California, seven grandchildren and two great-grand children. He is also mourned by the children of his predeceased siblings, Diana and Patrick Lejeune, and by Mary Lejeune of South Pasadena, the widow of his brother Patrick and his two daughters-in-law Debra Lejeune and Elissa Kleinman, and his son-in-law, Angelo Camporaso.

An open memorial celebration will be held on February 8, 2015 at 11:30 am at the Cate School Chapel, 1960 Cate Mesa Road, Carpinteria. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Santa Barbara Foundation.