Robert LaGamma

Robert. R. LaGamma, a seasoned diplomat entered the US Foreign Service in 1963 serving in Italy, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niger, Cote d'Ivoire, Togo, Nigeria, and South Africa. During Nelson Mandela's presidency he was USIA Director for African Affairs. His superior achievement over the course of his 35 years in the Foreign Service culminated at the level of Minister Counselor and was recognized with the Edward R. Murrow Award for Public Diplomacy. Following retirement from the State Department, he led civil society democracy initiatives as Director of the Council for the Community of Democracies and on behalf of the National Democratic Institute and the Carter Center.
In a recent Op Ed he reflected on the idealism from the Kennedy administration on that fueled his role in public diplomacy: "The stories that we told over and over again dealt with American democracy, free press, human rights, rule of law, and free and fair elections. It was our profound belief that the U.S. experience was a beneficial message to much of the world...We worked with opposition groups, civil society organizations, and what we considered to be the most forward-looking visionaries in those societies. I thought it was the best job imaginable: to help the world understand the humanity, justice, and steadfastness of America. And we did this by simply telling the truth."
An alumnus of Stuyvesant High School and Brooklyn College, Robert LaGamma earned his master's degree in international relations from Boston University. Born in the shadow of Yankee Stadium, as an eighteen-year-old, Bob embarked on his first ambitious travel beyond New York City with his lifelong friend Jerry Levkov. On that inaugural journey they hiked Rocky Mountain National Park and the Grand Canyon developing an enduring love for the majesty of our national parks.
Bob explored new worlds with his bride Anita Vitacolonna. They made Reston, Virginia their home base. Their arrival in Africa coincided with the euphoria of the transition to independence and the formation of new nations. For 58 years, their lives were enriched by awe for innumerable wondrous cultural achievements and immersion in places of extraordinary natural beauty from pilgrimages to view Giotto's Assisi frescoes, Donatello's Florentine sculptures, the creations of Akwete female weavers in Nigeria and visits to Sequoia National Park and the Drakensberg Mountains of KwaZulu Natal.
He is survived by his children Alisa, Matthew, Thérese, Adrian, and Florence and six grandchildren. The family has requested that remembrances be made in the form of contributions to the Carter Center's Democracy Programs and National Park Foundation.
Services will be private. Arrangements are being handled by Enders & Shirley Funeral Home, Berryville.
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