In Fond Remembrance: David Hollister Rogers, India Peace Corps Director 1968-1973

The extensive public and legal service career of David Hollister Rogers (1929 - 2017) included five years of service with the Peace Corps as Country Director of India from 1968 to 1973. A graduate of Harvard University and Harvard Law School, David served in the U.S. Army in post-war Japan. He next moved to California, clerked for a judge on the 9th Circuit Court, and then spent ten years practicing law in Oakland. Following his Peace Corps service, David went to the Northern Marianas Islands to chair the Micronesian Claims Commission, established by Congress to validate war claims by Micronesians who lost property or loved ones during World War II. He ended his career in Washington as chief counsel of the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission. Upon his retirement, David returned to the west, where he volunteered with Legal Services of Northern California. In 1994, he was recognized by the State Bar of California as its pro bono attorney of the year.

Obituary link is here.

In Fond Remembrance: Brent Ashabranner, India 16 and Peace Corps India Director

Photo by Paul Conklin

WILLIAMSBURG - Brent Ashabranner of Williamsburg, VA passed away Dec. 1, 2016 at age 95. He was born in Shawnee, OK in 1921. He and his wife, Martha White Ashabranner, who survives him, moved to Williamsburg in 1988. They married at 19 and celebrated their 76th wedding anniversary in August. Besides his wife, he is survived by daughters Melissa Ashabranner (Jean-Keith Fagon) of Washington DC and Jennifer Ashabranner of Alexandria, VA; grandchildren Damian Fagon-Karraker, Giancarlo Fagon, and Olivia-Jene Fagon; and a great-grandson, Neo Lukas Fagon. He served in the US Navy as a Seabee in the Pacific during WWII. After graduating with a Masters in English, he taught at OSU for several years. In 1955 he accepted a position to do curriculum development in Ethiopia, leaving the US with his wife and two young daughters for the next 30 years. He worked in Libya, started the first Peace Corps Program in Nigeria, was the Peace Corps Director in India, and then the Deputy Director of the Peace Corps from 1967-1969. After serving for 10 years in the Philippines and Indonesia with the Ford Foundation, he retired in 1985. In his retirement he wrote over 30 books for junior readers on cross-cultural topics and won over 40 awards for this body of work. He will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery at a future date. He will be remembered by friends and family as a warm man with a great sense of humor, who lived his adventurous life with courage.

Published in Virginia Gazette on Dec. 3, 2016

Video Interview from 2015 India XIV reunion: https://india16santafereunion.wordpress.com/brent-ashabranner/

 

In Fond Remembrance, Guy Clark (India III Trainee)

Guy Clark, a member of the India III Trainee Group, passed away on May 17, 2016.  He remained a good friend to India III. Read more here. Photo by: Beth Gwinn/Redferns, via Getty Image.

In Fond Remembrance: Glen Fishbach (Country Deputy Director 1963-1966)

Glen Fishbach (Country Deputy Director in India 1963-1966) passed away early this past Tuesday morning. He was at home in Laguna Beach overlooking the Pacific Ocean, where he wanted to be. He was still an indomitable spirit but could not recover his failing body. He is survived by his wife Eileen of 62 years and his children, Steve, Andrea (Andi) and Alisa and 5 grandchildren.

The family is planning to have a ‘Celebration of Life’ gathering in Laguna Beach in July on what would have been Glen’s 90th birthday. If you would like details please email his daughters Andi (afishbach@gmail.com) and Alisa (alisa.fishbach@gmail.com).

In Fond Remembrance of William (Hank) Hankins, India III

William Lee Hankins passed away on February 7, 2016 at age 82 in his home in Baltimore, Maryland.Hank was born on May 24, 1933 in Shreveport, LA. He grew up in Houston, TX and considered himself a Texan. He was a proud alumnus of Jack Yates High School. He was drafted into the U.S. Army, trained as a radio operator and stationed in Germany. Hank attended Texas Southern University, a school for which he, as a child, had bought bricks to help build. Hank pledged the Beta Upsilon Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. at Texas Southern, serving as Polemarch in 1959. He later was an active member of the fraternity's Baltimore Alumni Chapter. Hank joined the Peace Corps and served in India from 1963 to 1965. Hank married his fellow volunteer Connie Sherman. After returning to the States, Hank received a one-year fellowship to work for fair housing at Baltimore Neighborhoods Inc. That one-year commitment to Baltimore became a lifetime. Hank became the director of Sinai Hospital's Druid Comprehensive Pediatric Clinic on North Avenue. The clinic later came under the auspices of Provident Hospital. During this time, Hank commuted to get a master's in health care administration from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and became an administrator at Provident. His longest tenure was at Bon Secours Hospital where amongst other duties, he oversaw the building of a kidney dialysis center, the Washington Village Medical Center and facilities for Total Health Care to better serve the health needs of West Baltimore. He retired from Liberty Medical Center (formerly Provident) in 1995. Hank is survived by his wife of 51 years, Connie, of Baltimore, and by his children, Frank and Laura, and his grandchildren, Margaret and Ella, all of Washington, D.C.Hank was actively planning a Juneteenth celebration shortly before he passed. To honor those plans, the family will host a celebration of Hank's life on Saturday, June 18th at the house. 

Published in Baltimore Sun on Feb. 10, 2016