Happy birthday, dear Arnold
Sep. 26th, 2004 09:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eve_primeToday was Arnold's 86th birthday, and we had his celebration of life: 11 relatives (all he had besides his two granddaughters, off in college) and about 10 friends, mostly from the Italian conversation group but others from the wine tasting group, neighbors, and my mom's friend Don. Mostly it was just eating, small talk, and cheerful chatting, with some toasts to Arnold, and also to my mom.
S. and M. both showed me and R. quite a few of the art and furniture pieces in the livingroom that we'd never known much about. I still have no clue on how to distinguish Indian, Nepali, and Tibetan statues of aspects of Buddha. S. opened a cabinet I'd never noticed, and picked up a small pot/cup from Italy, which he said was from 350 B.C., and a chip of it fell into his wine glass and dissolved! D. played dinosaur and ball games out back with K&S (her S., but also the one I just mentioned a bit as well), and sat on his aunt Holly's lap to eat his piece of cake. I had several long conversations with my mom's friend Claudia, who is a photographer who especially likes taking pictures of clouds as reflected in puddles.
After the guests left and we discussed the estate some, I borrowed a copy of Kim, the Kipling novel, which I've procrastinated doing for years, so I can read it before it gets packed away. The latest Mary Russell novel is closely related to it, so I'm especially interested, having that book (The Game) still in mind.
From today's Register-Guard:
Arnold Childs, 85, Political Scientist, Economist and Italophile
Arnold K. Childs, a political scientist who devoted much of his life to careers in both the U.S. Foreign Service and the United Nations, died on June 29th in Eugene, Oregon. He was 85. His 86th birthday would have been today, September 26.
His death was due to complications of cardiac illness.
Mr. Childs spent 20 years of his career working overseas, stationed in Naples, Genoa, and Rome, Italy; Lahore, Pakistan; New Delhi, India; and Kathmandu, Nepal when he and his family were not in Washington, D.C.
Mr. Childs attended secondary school at Mt. Hermon Academy and college at Dartmouth College, graduating in 1939. He served in the military throughout World War II, achieving the rank of Captain in the US Army. He then returned to graduate education and received Masters degrees in political science and economics from both Ohio State and Harvard Universities. He also taught at Ohio State and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
In 1949 he joined the State Department, working first as a foreign affairs analyst and later in intelligence, international relations, political science, international economics, personnel and employee development.
In 1970 Mr. Childs left the State Department to work for the World Food Program, part of the United Nations Development Program. Following a stay in Rome, Italy, he moved to New Delhi, India before being appointed the Director of the World Food Program for Nepal. His duties were varied, but included the design and implementation of food disbursement and incentive programs throughout Nepal. For example, he was responsible for introducing a free breakfast program throughout the kindergartens of Nepal in order to motivate families to bring their children to school. He stayed in Nepal for seven years.
Following his international travels, he and his first wife, the late Margaret Stuvland, traveled around the United States looking for the ideal retirement community. They settled in Eugene, Oregon, where Mr. Childs spent the last 22 years of his life, in part because the climate and geography reminded them of Kathmandu, Nepal.. Following the death of his first wife, Mr. Childs met and married Rita McKim of Eugene, who shared his passions for Italy, languages, fine dining and Jeopardy. Together they continued to travel abroad until recently.
Mr. Childs is survived by his wife Rita, two sons – Michael Childs of Amherst, MA and Stephen Childs of Greenbrae, CA; two step-daughters – Laura Akers of Eugene and Kristin Geuy-Boggs of Springfield; and four grandchildren.
People who knew Mr. Childs regarded him as an intelligent man with a remarkable memory, an ethical and honest individual with a deep sense of kindness toward others. He was unassuming yet firm in his convictions. A lifelong Democrat, he expressed frequent dismay at the current political climate in the United States.
A private celebration of his life will be held today.
S. and M. both showed me and R. quite a few of the art and furniture pieces in the livingroom that we'd never known much about. I still have no clue on how to distinguish Indian, Nepali, and Tibetan statues of aspects of Buddha. S. opened a cabinet I'd never noticed, and picked up a small pot/cup from Italy, which he said was from 350 B.C., and a chip of it fell into his wine glass and dissolved! D. played dinosaur and ball games out back with K&S (her S., but also the one I just mentioned a bit as well), and sat on his aunt Holly's lap to eat his piece of cake. I had several long conversations with my mom's friend Claudia, who is a photographer who especially likes taking pictures of clouds as reflected in puddles.
After the guests left and we discussed the estate some, I borrowed a copy of Kim, the Kipling novel, which I've procrastinated doing for years, so I can read it before it gets packed away. The latest Mary Russell novel is closely related to it, so I'm especially interested, having that book (The Game) still in mind.
From today's Register-Guard:
Arnold Childs, 85, Political Scientist, Economist and Italophile
Arnold K. Childs, a political scientist who devoted much of his life to careers in both the U.S. Foreign Service and the United Nations, died on June 29th in Eugene, Oregon. He was 85. His 86th birthday would have been today, September 26.
His death was due to complications of cardiac illness.
Mr. Childs spent 20 years of his career working overseas, stationed in Naples, Genoa, and Rome, Italy; Lahore, Pakistan; New Delhi, India; and Kathmandu, Nepal when he and his family were not in Washington, D.C.
Mr. Childs attended secondary school at Mt. Hermon Academy and college at Dartmouth College, graduating in 1939. He served in the military throughout World War II, achieving the rank of Captain in the US Army. He then returned to graduate education and received Masters degrees in political science and economics from both Ohio State and Harvard Universities. He also taught at Ohio State and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
In 1949 he joined the State Department, working first as a foreign affairs analyst and later in intelligence, international relations, political science, international economics, personnel and employee development.
In 1970 Mr. Childs left the State Department to work for the World Food Program, part of the United Nations Development Program. Following a stay in Rome, Italy, he moved to New Delhi, India before being appointed the Director of the World Food Program for Nepal. His duties were varied, but included the design and implementation of food disbursement and incentive programs throughout Nepal. For example, he was responsible for introducing a free breakfast program throughout the kindergartens of Nepal in order to motivate families to bring their children to school. He stayed in Nepal for seven years.
Following his international travels, he and his first wife, the late Margaret Stuvland, traveled around the United States looking for the ideal retirement community. They settled in Eugene, Oregon, where Mr. Childs spent the last 22 years of his life, in part because the climate and geography reminded them of Kathmandu, Nepal.. Following the death of his first wife, Mr. Childs met and married Rita McKim of Eugene, who shared his passions for Italy, languages, fine dining and Jeopardy. Together they continued to travel abroad until recently.
Mr. Childs is survived by his wife Rita, two sons – Michael Childs of Amherst, MA and Stephen Childs of Greenbrae, CA; two step-daughters – Laura Akers of Eugene and Kristin Geuy-Boggs of Springfield; and four grandchildren.
People who knew Mr. Childs regarded him as an intelligent man with a remarkable memory, an ethical and honest individual with a deep sense of kindness toward others. He was unassuming yet firm in his convictions. A lifelong Democrat, he expressed frequent dismay at the current political climate in the United States.
A private celebration of his life will be held today.