Carl Leo Gebuhr

GEBUHR, Carl LeoAge 91, died Wednesday, July 30, 2008 from cancer at his home in Murfreesboro, TN, surrounded by his family. Carl was born January 7, 1917 in Council Bluffs, Iowa to Martina and John Gebuhr; he was one of four siblings in a close family of Danish immigrants. Carl graduated from the University of Iowa, and began a lifetime of government service. He served as a U.S. Navy recruiter and U.S. Naval gunnery officer in World War II, was a press agent for the Columbia Broadcasting System for three years after the war, then completed 35 years of U.S. Government services in 1976. The bulk of his career was as a Foreign Service Officer in the overseas information and cultural program of the State Department and the U.S. Information Agency (USIA). His assignments abroad included Sweden, Germany, Pakistan and Vietnam. Domestically in the USIA he was a management analyst, desk officer for Scandinavia, defense affairs advisor in the office of policy, and USIA advisor for the Commanding Officer of the John F. Kennedy Center for Military Assistance at Fort Bragg, NC. He was the USIA advisor for, and traveled with the world goodwill trip of the Apollo XII astronaut crew in 1970. In addition, he participated in the development of the Amerika Haus in Germany after WWII, helped develop and direct the Psychological Operations Campaign in Vietnam in the late 1960's; negotiated and directed the emergency evacuation of all western dependents from Lahore, Pakistan during the Indo-Pak war of 1965; developed programs for RIAS, the only free radio station broadcasting from West Berlin across the communist block countries in the late 1960's. Carl thoroughly enjoyed meeting many celebrities and dignitaries he personally admired. He especially treasured hosting a visit by Duke Ellington to Lahore, Pakistan for concerts of American jazz as part of the USIA cultural program. He was active for a number of years in Unitarian-Universalist church affairs, including as president of several societies: the Fellowship in Lahore, Pakistan, Eno River Unitarian Fellowship of Chapel Hill/Durham, and First Unitarian Church of Nashville. In retirement, Carl was president of the Chapel Hill (NC) Interfaith Council for Social Service and of Friends of University of North Carolina Television, and was a board member of the Chapel Hill Public Housing Authority. He had served as President of the Rutherford County (TN) Literacy Council, was a literacy tutor, and a long time volunteer with Hospice of Murfreesboro (TN). He also served on the board of the Nashville U.S. Association for the United Nations for several years. Carl was predeceased by his parents, his first wife, his 3 siblings and his son, Richard Gregory Gebuhr. He is survived by his wife, Fran (Brandon) Gebuhr, his daughters, Karla (Steven) Robeson, Rebecca (Thomas) McCloskey; his stepdaughter, Kelly (Howard) Forrest; his stepson, Kinsey Brewer; his grandchildren, Kristina and Timothy Robeson, Matthew and Alex McCloskey, and great-grandson, Ethan Robeson. Carl deeply believed in public service, and his body was donated to Vanderbilt Medical School for research. A memorial service will be held October 25, 2008 (2 p.m.) at the Greater Nashville Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Bellevue. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society, Alzheimer's Association, Alive Hospice of Murfreesboro (1639 Medical Center Pkwy., Suite 202, Murfreesboro, TN 37129; 615-896-4663), or Greater Nashville Unitarian Universalist Congregation (374 Hicks Rd., Nashville, TN 37221; 615-673-7699).