Robert K. German

Robert K. German passed away peacefully on March 11, 2018 with his daughter by his side. In his words, the cause was a matter of “too many birthdays”. His wife of 57 years, Jean Wesley German, passed away in 2012. Robert (Bob) was born on August 27, 1927 in Sherman, Texas, and lived on the family farm near Whitewright until moving to Bonham for third grade. He graduated from Bonham High School in 1944, then took the train to Austin and enrolled in the University of Texas where he completed a BA in 1947 an LLB in 1952. Before completing law school, from 1948 – 1950 (Stalinist years), Bob worked at the United States Embassy in Moscow, U.S.S.R.. After finishing law school and passing the Bar exam, Bob began a 35 year career as a Foreign Service Officer with the United States Department of State, interrupted by four years’ service in the USAF from 1952-1956. He served in Moscow twice more, from 1962-64 (during the Cuban Missile Crisis) and from 1978 to 1980 (during the Russian invasion of Afghanistan) when he served as Counselor of Embassy for Political Affairs and periodically as Charge d ’Affaires. Other assignments included tours in Yokohama and Tokyo, Japan; the U.S. Army Russian Language School in Oberammergau, Germany; Oslo, Norway; Berlin & Bonn Germany and Washington, D.C.. In Washington, he served as Director of the Office of Soviet Union Affairs (the "Soviet Desk"), Director of the Office of Analysis for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, and as Dean of the School of Area Studies at the State Department's Foreign Service Institute and graduated from the U.S. Naval War College. Bob also had short assignments with travel throughout Eastern Europe, and to Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. After retiring as a Minister Counselor from the Foreign Service, he worked for a year with the Carnegie Endowment for World Peace and twice held a visiting professorship at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at U.T. (1985-86 and 1989). He and Jean retired in her hometown of Austin. Throughout his life, Bob was active in many community organizations. As a UT student, he was a member of Delta Tau Delta, the Cowboys and the Longhorn Band. After retirement, he remained active with the Delt Foundation, the Austin Rotary Club, and Town and Gown. Despite the serious nature of his career, Bob had a wonderful sense of humor and was a gracious and kind friend and man of faith. He is survived by his daughter Elizabeth (Beth) German of San Pedro and Albuquerque, New Mexico and by many friends all over the world from all walks of life. He and Beth are especially grateful for the help and friendship given to him by Nicholas Daly during the past five years, and for the care provided by those at Brookdale Parmer Lane and Brookdale Hospice.