George Melchiades Coleman First Brazil Peace Corps Director Passed Away
Hello David, I was doing some research about the Peace Corps in Brazil and came upon my dad's obituary with…
GEORGE MELCHIADES COLEMAN (Age 91)
Passed away peacefully on December 10, 2017. Longtime residents of McLean VA, George and his wife Peggie moved to Good Shepherd Village in Endwell NY in 2016. Born in 1926 in Washington, DC to George and Annie Coleman, he was one of four children (siblings Thomas, Catherine, and Robert). After World War II service in the US Navy, George married Margaret Bakeman (Peggie), graduated from George Washington University and embarked on a career in international development including serving as Peace Corps Director in Brazil, working at the US Agency for International Development, and consulting in public health, family planning, and youth development (including programs for street children). While at USAID, he fit in a Masters in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University and a posting to the OECD in Paris France, Peggie’s birthplace. Not one to “retire”, George later became a certified family therapist, using his linguistic fluency to work with diverse families, and studied sculpture. Over his career, George traveled to 88 countries and became fluent in several languages. He was an unequivocal advocate for civil rights and led by his own example. George loved words, entertaining with puns and delighting in crossword puzzles. Following his mother, a pianist for the silent movies, and his father, a gifted jazz drummer, George was an accomplished pianist who generously shared his music with others. His sculptures fill our homes. George gave far more than he took, and turned strangers into friends wherever he went. He is survived by brother Robert F Coleman of Centreville, VA; wife Peggie of Endwell NY; four children, Heather Struck (Kent) of Vestal NY, Leslie Adkins (Alden) of Santa Rosa CA, Tito (Eric) Coleman (Marie Lichtenberg) of Laurel MD, and Sean Coleman (Caroline MacCormac) of Dublin Ireland; nine grandchildren, Gabriel Struck, Jesse Struck, Miranda Struck Blechman, Erin Adkins, Christopher Jorge Adkins, Zoe Adkins, Sara Coleman Hernandez, Alison Coleman, and Jonah Coleman; and five great grandchildren, Annie and Lucy Struck, Nora Blechman, William Struck, and Adrian Ventimiglia. The family will celebrate his life on May 6, 2018 in Endwell NY and suggests donations to . May we all leave our piece of the world a better place, in his remembrance.
Published in The Washington Post on Feb. 1, 2018
Hello All
I just ran across this obituary of Buddy Coleman as I was thinking about him and his family yesterday.
My mother, Alice Coleman was married to Buddy’s dad George. They lived together in Hyattsville MD while they both worked at the GPO,in DC. After retirement my mom and George moved to PA. Buddies dad passed away
I believe in 1974. That was likely the last time i spoke to Buddy or his family.
My mother Alice passed away in 2001 in FL. Should any of Buddy’s family read this note please send me a note concerning the Coleman Family.
David Moss
Djonmoss@gmail.com
Hello David,
I was doing some research about the Peace Corps in Brazil and came upon my dad’s obituary with your message attached. I do remember that George Coleman Sr and Alice went to live near Alice’s son (you?) in Pennsylvania after they retired.
I have very good memories of your mother, so kind and bright. I’m sorry that I did not get to know her better. She would send nice Christmas cards and homemade crafts for my children over the years. And I remember that her brother Elliot was the head of the Writing Seminars program at Johns Hopkins University, retired just before I attended there for college. And I remember that my father was very happy for the love and companionship that your mother brought to George senior in his later years.
My mother, Peggy will be 94 next week and lives in Maryland close to my brother Tito, who has two children and two grand children. My sister Heather lives in New York with her husband and has 3 children and 7 grandchildren. My youngest brother Sean lives in Dublin Ireland with his wife and son. I recently moved to Illinois with my husband and we live close to my daughter and two grandchildren, while my two other children live in California, where we lived for many years.
My uncle Bobby passed away a couple of years ago (preceded in death by his wife) but his three children and four grandchildren are doing well. My oldest uncle Tom and his wife passed away but his four children and and grandchildren are also scattered around the country.
I will pass this correspondence on to my siblings! And please feel free to share news of your life….
All the Best,
Leslie Coleman Adkins