Homer Thrall Jr.

THRALL

HOMER THRALL JR.

Homer Thrall Jr., 94, of Chapel Hill, NC, and Marysville, OH, died on March 10, 2023, in Chapel Hill.

He was born April 6, 1928, in Lima, OH, to Homer and Grace McGuffey Thrall. Before moving to Chapel Hill in 2020, he lived for many years in McLean, VA.

Homer graduated from Hinton High School, Hinton, WV, in 1945. After brief service in the U.S. Navy, he earned a BA in political science at the College of Wooster in June 1949. The next year he studied at the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, DC, where he earned an MA in international relations.

In 1951, he joined the Department of State from which he retired in 1988. He served in embassies in Tokyo, Rangoon, Seoul, Saigon, and Manila. Following his retirement, he worked as a consultant in the field of national security, retiring for a second time in 2016.

His marriage to Sarah Ann Morgan ended in divorce. His partnership with Jill Shellenberger was cut short by her death in 1984. His long-term friend and companion, Beverly Greenlaw, died in 2021.

Homer's sister Lida Diller preceded him in death. He is survived by his sister Mary Tymeson and three children: Nancy, James, and Cameron Thrall. He is also survived by two grandchildren, Johanna Burbridge and Jennifer Clark, six great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Interment will be in Oakdale Cemetery in Marysville in June.

Memorial donations may be made to the First Congregational United Church of Christ, 124 West Sixth Street, Marysville, OH 43040, or to WCPE, The Classical Station, Box 828, Wake Forest, NC 27588 www.theclassicalstation.org.