Edward Allen Mainland

1935 - 2019

Edward Allen Mainland, age 84, a Bel Marin Keys resident and retired United States Foreign Service Officer, died December 31, 2019 at his home in Novato, California. Cause of death was kidney failure. Mr. Mainland was a native of Glendale, California, and a graduate of the University of Southern California (1956). He was married to Jocelyne Mainland, originally from Cannes, France, for 53 years before she passed in 2015. Mr. Mainland served as Chief of the European Division and Romanian Service, Voice of America, following Foreign Service duty in the Department of State, Brussels, Paris, Moscow, Bucharest and Conakry. He received two Department of State meritorious honor awards. In retirement, Mr. Mainland was a part-time consultant to the Department of State. An active environmentalist, Mr. Mainland founded the McLean (Virginia) Trees Committee in 1970, an urban reforestation group. He later was a Board member of the McClean Citizens Association, Vice President of Virginians for Recycling, Inc., President of Fairfax (Virginia) ReLeaf, Inc. and Greenscape Chairman, Fairfax Audubon Society. In 1993, Mr. Mainland received the MasterCard Master Planter Award for Virginia. The award recognizes individuals who have volunteered time and effort to improve the environment by planting trees. Mr. Mainland was also a member of the Fairfax County Citizens Advisory Committee for Solid Waste Disposal Matters. Mr. Mainland served as a volunteer Sierra Club leader as Chair, California state Energy-Climate Committee (Special Club Achievement Award, 2011), and as a national Sierra Club Senior Conservation Fellow. He co-founded Sustainable Novato and was director of Sustainable Marin. A City of Novato proclamation in July, 2018, honored his environmental efforts. Survivors include daughter Nathalie Mainland, son-in-law Glenn Smith, granddaughter Olivia Smith of Greenbrae, and brother Richard R. Mainland and family of Brentwood, California. Donations in Mr. Mainland's honor are welcome to support Planned Parenthood and the Center for Biological Diversity.