Dr. Theodore (“Ted”) John Roumel passed away unexpectedly at his home in McLean, Virginia on Sunday, July 7, 2024, at the age of 79. A native Washingtonian, Ted grew up in Tenleytown and is a proud graduate of Wilson High School. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Temple University, where he played football freshman year, and was a life-long Owls football fan. He earned a Masters in Public Health from Emory University and a Masters in Education from the University of Maryland in counseling psychology. Later, he earned a PhD in Metaphysical Psychology.
Ted dedicated his life to improving public health, technology transfer, and biotechnology world-wide, and he was respected as an expert in his field. He was bright, dedicated, and had an intuitive sense for finding solutions to tough problems and getting things done. Over four decades, he held senior roles at the Department of Health and Human Services, including as Chief of Grants Policy for the Public Health Service (PHS) and as Assistant Director of the Office of Technology Transfer for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Some of his proudest achievements were his development of the PHS’s Historically Black College and University Initiative, which dramatically increased funding of HBCUs, and his PHS service assisting Meharry Medical College in regaining financial stability. During President Regan’s first term, Ted was also assigned to the White House as the PHS spokesperson on the White House Block Grant Taskforce. He was a frequent speaker, and his work took him around the world, including serving on the U.S. Board of Advisors for the Northern Ireland Bureau. After leaving government, he founded his own consultancy group, TRG, worked at PhRMA, and served as Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Commercialization at the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute. He kept up with his former colleagues, especially a cohort of dedicated NIH professionals, with whom he remained close.
During his career he received five NIH Director’s Awards; the NIH Visionary Award; three PHS Superior Service Awards; two PHS Special Recognition awards; and two Office of the Secretary HHS Special Commendations. NIH also recorded an oral history of his public health experience, which is preserved in the NIH library. He was designated by French President Chirac as a Chevalier of the French National Order of Merit, an honor that he treasured.
Despite all of his career accomplishments, Ted considered his greatest achievement to be his wonderful family, whom he loved dearly. He had just spent a fantastic and fun Fourth of July weekend together with all of his children and grandchildren, who love and miss him. He is survived by his beautiful wife of 52 years -- the love of his life whom he had known since childhood -- Maria Harris Roumel; his children, Eleni Roumel Olmem and Jonathan Roumel, whom he loved deeply and were the pride of his life, and their spouses, Andrew Olmem and Lindsay Roumel. The greatest joy in his life was being a Papou to his three grandchildren, Alexis Roumel, Harrison Roumel, and John Olmem, whom he adored and around whom he became a big kid again. He loved spending time with his family and watching all of their successes. He is also survived by his sister, Angelina Roumel, dear life-long friends, colleagues, and neighbors, his godchildren, and many cousins. He is predeceased by his parents, John Theodore Roumel and Helen Stephanos Roumel.
Ted was dedicated to his faith and was a long-time parishioner of St. George Greek Orthodox church, where he served on the Parish Council, and St. Sophia, where he served as an altar boy; he had longstanding friendships from church that began in childhood. At Janney Elementary School, he was selected to present War Bonds at the White House with First Lady Mamie Eisenhower, and his picture with her ran in the movie reels and remained on the wall of Clements Pastry Shop in Washington, D.C. for decades. He was fun, strong, loved to learn, was an excellent dancer, a sharp dresser, a loyal Washington Redskins fan, and would do anything to make his wife happy. With his big smile and capacity for humor, he easily made friends who greatly respected him for his honesty, intellect, work ethic, positivity, and genuine friendship. He and his wife had recently moved from their longtime home in Potomac, Maryland to McLean, Virginia, and he instantly befriended his new community with his warm, outgoing personality. Ted will be deeply missed. May his memory be eternal.
An afternoon visitation will be held on Sunday, July 14, 2024 from 4:00PM until 7:00PM at Joseph Gawler's Sons Funeral Home, 5130 Wisconsin Avenue NW Washington, DC 20016. A funeral Service will be held on Monday, July 15, 2024 at St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 7701 Bradley Boulevard Bethesda, MD at 11:00AM. Interment will follow at Ft. Lincoln Cemetery in Brentwood, MD.
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