Joann Lewinsohn Obituary

Lewinsohn

Joann Lewinsohn

A pioneering woman among Foreign Service Officers and "Asia Hands" in the U.S. Information Agency, Joann "Jodie' Lewinsohn passed away at Johns Hopkins Sibley Memorial Hospital, November 9, 2023, after a brief illness.

Jodie was born in Oklahoma City March 26, 1931, the elder daughter of Milton Lewinsohn and H. Maree Myer Lewinsohn. With other family members her father co-owned a successful menswear store, the Hub, and was active as long-term Treasurer in Temple B'nai Israel. Ms. Lewinsohn was pre-deceased by her younger sister, Nancy Lewinsohn.

After graduation from local schools in Oklahoma City, Jodie attended Stanford University, earning the B.A. degree in 1952. She studied with the noted political scientist and Asia expert, Claude Buss, who became a life-long mentor. Having served in the U.S. Foreign Service in the Philippines and China, Professor Buss encouraged her to consider a career in the Foreign Service and recommended that she apply to USIA.

Professor Buss also recommended that Jodie attend SAIS. Her introduction to Asia continued with her participation in a summer seminar sponsored by SAIS in Rangoon and a year in the Philippines as a Fulbright Fellow.

After graduation from SAIS in 1956 Jodie served as Administrative Assistant in the Embassy of Cambodia in Washington, D.C. When Cambodian Prime Minister Norodom Sihanouk toured the U.S. in the fall of 1958, Jodie accompanied him to translate his speeches from French to English which she recalled years later, "â€¦ I did with difficultyâ€¦"

She joined the United States Information Agency (USIA) in March 1959, as a public affairs trainee.

Her overseas assignments included:

Phnom Penh, Cambodia (6/1959); Jakarta, Indonesia (7/1961); a brief 2nd tour in Phnom Penh truncated by the forced closing of the U.S. Embassy; Manila, Philippines (5/1965); Public Affairs Officer, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (2/1970); Public Affairs Officer, Stockholm, Sweden (1972); Public Affairs Officer Pretoria (1980); Public Affairs Officer Rome, Italy (1988).

Her Washington assignments included Desk officer, Office of East Asian Affairs; Area Director, Office of East Asian Affairs; Area Director, Office of West European Affairs; Deputy Associate Director, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. She achieved the senior-most Foreign Service rank of Career Minister.

Jodie was highly respected by her colleagues in the foreign affairs community as an individual with great integrity who demanded much from herself and from others. She was an astute analyst of politics and public affairs, a realist about contemporary issues and a fair-minded judge of personal character. Her down-to-earth presence was complemented by a hearty sense of humor, a love of performing arts and good food. She was widely admired for her hospitality and generous care for friends.

In retirement, Jodie briefly ran a small catering service with her sister Nancy and read applications from high school students for a summer travel program of the American Councils for International Education.

Jodie had a passionate love for opera and classical music. She was a member of the Washington Performing Arts Society and she and her sister Nancy regularly attended and had subscriptions to the National Symphony Orchestra, Washington National Opera, Washington Concert Opera and the Metropolitan Opera's HD performances. She was listening to an opera just before passing away.

She is survived by her long-time housekeeper, Melanie Barroba, many close friends and devoted aides who surrounded and cared for her, especially during her final illness.

In a 2012 interview for SAIS Jodie summarized the career advice she would give younger people. Typically direct and self-effacing, she said: "â€¦.as long as you are true to yourself ... be honest, believe in what you're doing and keep up."

There is no memorial service. A celebration of Jodie's life will be announced at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Jodie's honor to any of her favorite non-profits, including Doctors Without Borders, Orbis International, the Metropolitan Opera Fund for HD Live in Schools Program, Washington National Opera, National Symphony Orchestra, Food & Friends, Washington, D.C., World Central Kitchen, WTCARES, or an organization of your choice.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by The Washington Post on Nov. 26, 2023.

Memories and Condolences
for Joann Lewinsohn

2 Entries

Patricia McArdle

December 5, 2023

"Without Jody's help, I would never have become a public diplomacy officer.
I owe her big time. Thank you, Jody!!!
Here's our story... Jody and I met when she was the Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa and I was a very junior diplomat working as assistant to the assistant General Services Officer (GSO). It was my first overseas assignment as an untenured junior diplomat with the Department of State.
As a senior Public Affairs Officer at our Embassy in Pretoria, Jody was an influential member of the ambassador's staff, and the host of many official parties. One of my responsibilities as the most junior GSO in the embassy was to help USIA obtain whatever they needed for their frequent and very large gatherings. Jodie and I became good friends just as I was starting to regret having accepted my GSO assignment, which had me overseeing the maintenance of embassy staff housing; supervising our large motor pool; and managing the local crews that kept our embassy building spotless.
During one of our many conversations, I told Jody that prior to joining the Foreign Service, I had served for three years as young U.S. Naval officer at a remote communications base in Morocco. One of my assignments there was as Public Affairs officer.
I also had some writing experience as editor of my grad school newspaper and the author of several magazine articles during my Peace Corps years in Paraguay.
One day Jody asked me if I would be interested in transferring to USIA after I received tenure.
My answer was a resounding 'yes!'
The problem was that for reasons beyond my comprehension, one senior USIA staffer in DC was adamantly opposed to my transfer.
Jody, of course, had a plan.
When it was announced that USIA Director Charles Wick, was coming to Pretoria for an official visit, Jody asked me to rent a piano and have it delivered to her house for the party. She also invited me to attend (quite an honor for such a junior diplomat). She then handed me my marching orders for the evening. When she gave me the signal, I was to approach Mr. Wick, introduce myself and ask him if he would play my favorite song, "As Time Goes By". When I did, Wick smiled, sat down at the piano, and began to play my song... and many more. He played quite well -- all from memory. Jody gave me a wink and a smile as I leaned against the piano and gave Mr. Wick my full attention. A few months later, my transfer to USIS was approved and I was reassigned to the USIS office in Cape Town, where I joined my husband, a fellow State Department diplomat already working at Cape Town´s U.S. consulate. A few months later, when we welcomed the birth of our first daughter, Jody, of course, sent us a gift. She really was one-of-a-kind. I remember occasionally walking into her office in Pretoria for a meeting and finding her editing memos while lying on the floor with her feet up on her desk. "More comfortable", she said with a smile.
Jody was a leader and a powerful model for all of us young female diplomats who were, in the 1980s, still dealing with the accepted chauvinism of our male colleagues. Back then, female diplomats were still a tiny minority subject to levels of harassment that today would be considered completely unacceptable. No man ever harassed Jody and lived to tell the tale. She will be missed by all who knew her, loved her and worked with her.""

Mark Barroba

November 29, 2023

May you rest in then Lord´s presence.

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