Obituary: William B. Edmondson

William B. Edmondson, 86, a retired Foreign Service Officer and former U.S. Ambassador to South Africa, died on Dec. 5, 2013 in Prescott, Ariz.

Mr. Edmondson was born in St. Joseph, Mo. in 1927, but spent his formative years in Nebraska. He joined the army upon graduation from high school in 1944, and served for three years, reaching the rank of First Lieutenant. After leaving the army, he attended the University of Nebraska where he graduated with high distinction and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. In 1951, he earned a master's degree in international affairs at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Boston, and later that same year was married to the former Donna Kiechel, whom he had met at the University of Nebraska.

Mr. Edmondson joined the Foreign Service in 1952, and in 1953 left for his first overseas assignment as Vice Consul in Dar es Salaam, Tanganyika (now Tanzania). In 1955 he was assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Bern, Switzerland, for two years. He then returned to the States where he took African area studies at Northwestern University. Afterward he served in Embassies in Ghana, Zambia, and South Africa as well as various offices within the Department of State in Washington.

In 1978, President Carter appointed Mr. Edmondson as Ambassador to the Republic of South Africa. His South African assignment came at a time of major political and social upheaval in that country, and tensions between the South African government and the Carter Administration were high, given the U.S. government's condemnation of South Africa's apartheid laws and its support for civil rights and democratic reform. Despite these challenging circumstances, Mr. Edmondson actively and effectively represented American interests and established strong relationships with many South Africans, of all races and political per-suasions.

After returning from South Africa in 1981, Mr. Edmondson was assigned to the Inspector General's office in the State Department, eventually serving as Deputy Inspector General. Upon retirement in 1986, he received

the Wilbur J. Carr award (the Secretary of State's career service award), part of whose inscription reads as follows:

"... you have provided a model of dedication to duty, of careful, sure judgment, of ready acceptance of responsibility, and of personal and ethical involvement in public decisions. You have influenced American policy toward southern Africa and you have earned the respect and admiration of your colleagues in

the Foreign Service of the United States."

After retirement, Mr. Edmondson was president of Diplomatic & Consular Officers, Re-tired (DACOR), an association of foreign affairs professionals. He later served as a volunteer for 10 years at the Library of Congress in Washington. In 2008, he and his wife moved from their home in Arlington, Va., to Prescott, Ariz.

Mr. Edmondson is survived by his wife of 62 years, Donna Edmondson of Prescott; his daughter, Barbara Schneider and her husband, Richard of Prescott; his son Paul Edmondson and his wife, Susan of Washington, D.C.; and four grandchildren, Aaron Schneider (Vanessa), Katie Schneider, and Michael and Masha Edmondson.

Information provided by survivors.