November 29, 2005
Published in The Washington Post on 11/30/2005:
On Tuesday, November 29, 2005, JEAN FROMBERG of Chevy Chase, MD. Beloved wife of Zachary Fromberg; devoted mother of Nathan (Sewite), Eric (Joy), Craig, Brian (H.K.) and Laura Lavid; beloved sister of John and Roby Lavid; cherished grandmother of Tyson, Benjamin and Samuel Lavid. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, November 30, 2005 at 10:30 a.m. at Ohr Kodesh Congregation, 8300 Meadowbrook Lane, Chevy Chase, MD. Interment to follow at Judean Memorial Gardens in Olney, MD. Family will be observing Shiva at the late residence in Chevy Chase following the services through Tuesday, December 6. In lieu of flowers the family request that contributions be made to the Women’s Bean Project, 3201 Curtis St., Denver, CO 80205, (303) 292-1919 or an organization of your choice.
Dear Friends,
How sad to learn of the passing of our dear colleague. Jeannie was a
wonderful PCV, but, for me at least, her greatest contribution came
after we had all returned. In short order, she initiated a mailing
that she titled simply, “TURKEY 9 NEWSLETTER BY FOR, AND TO RPCVRCDT9ERS.”
Several times a year should compile and retype whatever information
she had received. She would then mimeograph it all and send it along
to each of us. I would pour over those blue pages taking in the
happenings and events in all of our lives. She continued to provide
this great service until well into the 1990s by which time Arkadaslar
was up and running.
I marvel the Jeannie was able to keep the newsletter going at least
annually for all those years while raising five children and pursuing
her distinguished and interesting career. We have all lost a very
good friend.
Kind Regards,
Stu Huntington (T-9)
From Buralarda, No. 24, March 2006:
Jean Fromberg of Chevy Chase, MD, died November 29, 2005 dues to complications of a stroke while at sea with her husband, Zachary. Devoted mother to Nathan (Sewite), Eric (Joy), Craig, Brian (K K) and Laura Lavid; cherished grandmother of Tyson, Benjamin and Samuel Lavid; beloved sister of John and Roby Stern.
Jean was a graduate of Blacksburg High School, Blacksburg, VA, and the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA.
She entered the Peace Corps in June, 1965, training to be an ESL teacher with the Turkey 8 group. Upon arriving in Turkey, she was asked to switch to the Rural Community Development/CARE program with Turkey 9. She was assigned to the village of Girvelli with her site partner, Frank Drumheller, in the province of Kayseri. During her two year assignment, she taught in the village elementary school, worked with the women of the village in improving their station in village life, and assisted the men in building a bridge and bringing a new road to the village. She was known by all of the villagers and throughout the immediate countryside as Zeynep Hamim.
Jean’s assignment with the Peace Corps ended in June, 1967 whereupon she returned to the US and immediately entered the teaching profession. Her profession took her to Tonawanda, NY, where she raised five children with her first husband, George Lavid; to Kansas, where she was a school superintendent; and to Virginia and Maryland where she held several administrative positions in private education. Along the way she acquired a Master’s Degree and was working towards a Doctorate.
Jean was truly an amazing person. She was fluent in German, French, Spanish, Turkish, and had a working knowledge of Russian. She was a self-directed person who strived to make this world a better place for all. She exuded dedication to a task, was a driving force behind an idea and rarely took “No” for an answer. One of Jean’s major accomplishments for us came after she returned home, as noted by T-9er Stu Huntington. In short order, Jean initiated a mailing to all Turkey 9s simply entitled “Turkey 9 Newsletter by, for and to all RPCVCDT9ers.” She regularly sent out these mimeographed newsletters, while raising her family and working a full-time job from 1968 until the 1990s when Arkadaslar was up and running. We all looked forward to receiving these newsletters, for they were our only lifeline to our fellow T-9ers for approximately 25 years. We all owe her much. May she rest in The Eternal Peace Corps.
— Frank Drumheller (T-9)