Evan Raden Berlack

April 1, 1934 – July 10, 2021

Evan R. Berlack, age 87, of Washington, DC, died peacefully in his home on Saturday, July 10, 2021.

Born in New York City, Evan was the son of the late Harris and Edith (Raden) Berlack of Ossining, NY and brother of the late H. Ronald Berlack of Amherst, NH.

Evan was a 1952 graduate of the Phillips Andover Academy and earned his A.B. in Government (Magna Cum Laude) from Harvard College in 1956.

Following ROTC duty at Harvard, Evan entered service in the U.S. Air Force in 1956, attaining the rank of Captain, with Hokkaido, Japan as his primary duty station with the Japanese Air Self Defense Force.

Following Air Force service, Evan entered Harvard Law School, graduating in 1962 with a LL.B., followed by admission to the District of Columbia Bar. While in law school, Evan served as a policy advisor to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy in his first run for the U.S. Senate in 1962.

Upon completion of his law degree, Evan entered the U.S. Foreign Service with the U.S. Department of State in 1963 as a diplomat with a posting to the U.S. Mission to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and European Regional Organizations in Paris, France.

After returning to the U.S. from France in 1965, Evan and his wife, Kay, settled in McLean, VA, after which he began work as a member of the Office of the Legal Adviser with the U.S. State Department in Washington, DC. In this role, Evan worked on NATO and European Politico-Military matters; on legal problems related to the military uses of atomic energy throughout the world; and as the Legal Adviser to the Office of Munitions Control.

In 1968, Evan joined Arent, Fox, Kintner, Plotkin & Kahn, helping to launch its international practice and ultimately becoming a Partner in the firm. His many and varied projects included joint ventures; financing by the U.S. Export-Impact Bank and the U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation; U.S. Export Control laws; U.S. Government procurement regulations; and the administration of international litigation.

In 2004, Evan joined Baker Botts in Washington, DC as Of Counsel, continuing his international law practice until his retirement in 2009. Over the course of Evan’s legal career, he was able, through frequent travel, to become familiar with a diverse array of countries, including Japan, Finland, Thailand, Uruguay, China, Ethiopia, the United Kingdom and many more.

Following retirement, Evan conducted consulting work centered on his legal expertise in international law covering a range of industries, including steel; pulp, paper and forest products; transportation; and software.

In his retirement, Evan also spent fulfilling days with his wife, Phyllis, visiting with their many friends in Washington, DC and around the world, and always enjoying the loving company of his extended family.

Evan is survived by his wife of 32 years, Phyllis O. Bonanno, of Washington, DC. He also is survived by his two children, Andrew E. Berlack of Waterford, VA and Kenneth H. Berlack and his wife, Kathryn, of Ellicott City, MD, and his two grandchildren, Thomas E. Berlack and Charles P. Berlack, and many nieces and nephews. Evan was pre-deceased by his first wife and mother of his children, Kay Baumler Berlack.

A service to honor Evan’s memory and celebrate his life will take place at 11:00am ET, Saturday, September 11, at Joseph Gawler’s Sons (5130 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20016).

In acknowledgement of Evan’s service and dedication to the U.S. Foreign Service, the family has asked that contributions be made in his memory to the American Foreign Service Association Fund for American Diplomacy (https://afsa.org/donate), which helps inform and educate the public about the U.S. Foreign Service and American diplomacy.