Mary Charlotte Shoemaker
October 6, 1935 ~ November 30, 2013
Mary Charlotte Shoemaker passed away on November 30 at Virginia Hospital Center as a result of complications arising from her heart condition. A Celebration of Life service for her will take place on Thursday, December 12 at 1:00 p.m. at St Columba's Episcopal Church, located at 4201 Albemarle St. NW, Washington, D.C. A short reception will follow. Mary is survived by her husband, Merle Wesley Shoemaker, Professor of History emeritus at Lynchburg College.
Born in Vienna, Austria on October 6, 1935, Mary was the daughter of Georg von Alexich, at that time Austrian Ambassador to the Benelux, stationed at The Hague. With the destruction of Austria as a result of the Anschluss, her parents were forced to flee first to France, then to the United States. Although the family arrived in the United States in 1940 as refugees, Ambassador von Alexich quickly obtained a position teaching at Georgetown University where continued to teach until his death in 1948. Mary grew up on Van Ness Street in the District of Columbia. She entered Radcliffe College in 1952 at the age of 16, graduating with a BA degree in American Literature in 1956. Mary entered the U.S. Foreign Service in 1960 and began a tour of service in the Bureau of Cultural Affairs in the Department of State. On July 2, 1962 she married Merle Wesley Shoemaker, a fellow Foreign Service Officer, only to learn that the Department of State had a policy that married female Foreign Service Officers were ineligible for overseas assignments. Resigning her commission, Mary accompanied her husband to Kingston, Jamaica, where she taught for two years at the St. Andrews School for Girls. In Bonn, Germany, her husband's next assignment, Mary spent a year taking courses at Bonn University then applied to Syracuse University to pursue a MA in English Education. Electing to continue on with her graduate education after obtaining that degree, she was awarded a Ph.D. in English Literature in 1973. One year later, having lost a court case charging sexual discrimination, brought by Allison Palmer, the Department of State offered Mary her job back. Mary's Foreign Service career included postings to the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand (1975-76); a tour of service in the Department which included assignments in the Operations Center and INR (1976-1980); the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh (1980-82); the U. S, Embassy in New Delhi, India (1982-85); the Pakistan Desk then South Asian Analyst (INR) in the Department (1985-90; and the U.S. Embassy in Pohnpei, Micronesia (1990-92). Mary retired from the Foreign Service in 1992. For the next eight years she taught courses at Lynchburg College and served Director of the Senior Symposium Program from 1995 to 2000. She and her husband moved to Arlington, Virginia in 2000.
Funeral Home:
Money & King Funeral Home
171 W. Maple Ave.
Vienna, VA
US 22180
Born in Vienna, Austria on October 6, 1935, Mary was the daughter of Georg von Alexich, at that time Austrian Ambassador to the Benelux, stationed at The Hague. With the destruction of Austria as a result of the Anschluss, her parents were forced to flee first to France, then to the United States. Although the family arrived in the United States in 1940 as refugees, Ambassador von Alexich quickly obtained a position teaching at Georgetown University where continued to teach until his death in 1948. Mary grew up on Van Ness Street in the District of Columbia. She entered Radcliffe College in 1952 at the age of 16, graduating with a BA degree in American Literature in 1956. Mary entered the U.S. Foreign Service in 1960 and began a tour of service in the Bureau of Cultural Affairs in the Department of State. On July 2, 1962 she married Merle Wesley Shoemaker, a fellow Foreign Service Officer, only to learn that the Department of State had a policy that married female Foreign Service Officers were ineligible for overseas assignments. Resigning her commission, Mary accompanied her husband to Kingston, Jamaica, where she taught for two years at the St. Andrews School for Girls. In Bonn, Germany, her husband's next assignment, Mary spent a year taking courses at Bonn University then applied to Syracuse University to pursue a MA in English Education. Electing to continue on with her graduate education after obtaining that degree, she was awarded a Ph.D. in English Literature in 1973. One year later, having lost a court case charging sexual discrimination, brought by Allison Palmer, the Department of State offered Mary her job back. Mary's Foreign Service career included postings to the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand (1975-76); a tour of service in the Department which included assignments in the Operations Center and INR (1976-1980); the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh (1980-82); the U. S, Embassy in New Delhi, India (1982-85); the Pakistan Desk then South Asian Analyst (INR) in the Department (1985-90; and the U.S. Embassy in Pohnpei, Micronesia (1990-92). Mary retired from the Foreign Service in 1992. For the next eight years she taught courses at Lynchburg College and served Director of the Senior Symposium Program from 1995 to 2000. She and her husband moved to Arlington, Virginia in 2000.
Funeral Home:
Money & King Funeral Home
171 W. Maple Ave.
Vienna, VA
US 22180
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Family, please accept my deepest sympathy. The loving memories we have are so very precious and will sustain us. Our loving Father has the power to heal your broken heart he will also give you the courage and strength to endure these very difficult times (Phil 4:6.7). Don’t be afraid, he is with you.
Dear Wes, Am so sorry about Mary, and, on a very personal note, that I hadn’t located her earlier. We had served together, way back in the ’60s in CU. I had tried to locate her some years ago, and was not successful. I’ve written a note about one of Mary’s and my mutual experiences and will give it to you tomorrow–I plan to attend the memorial services at St. Columba’s, and very much look forward to seeing you then. Sincerely, Lee Nelles Leonhardy