Frank Lee Albert

On Thursday, June 15, 2023, Frank Lee Albert died peacefully in Washington, D.C. with his family by his side. He is survived by his loving wife, Marie-Thérèse (Mathé), daughters Nina and Mary, son-in-law Greg, and grandchildren Mia and Ben.

Born on June 18, 1940 in Medford, Oregon, Frank was the only child of Marvin Albert and Mary Adamson. Growing up, he was very close to his grandparents, was a high school varsity athlete in football, basketball and track and was part of a group of school friends that remained close for 70 years.

Frank graduated from the University of Oregon with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, then served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand before starting a life-long career in international affairs. He later earned a Master of Arts in International Relations from American University and studied for a year at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs.

His work at the U.S. Information Service, U.S. Department of State, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and a consulting firm took him and his family to many places, including Thailand, Laos, Papua New Guinea, Belgium, The Netherlands, Latvia, South Africa, Myanmar, and Indonesia. Frank spoke fluent Thai and Lao and was conversational in French.

He met and married his wife of 52 years, Mathé, in Laos. They shared a passion for discovering new places and continued to travel regularly in retirement. Frank and Mathé had two daughters, Nina and Mary, to whom he generously gave his love, advice, interest, and time. Their favorite retreat was the Albert family cabin at Lake of the Woods in southern Oregon.

Frank worked hard to maintain meaningful relationships with friends, his American and Lao families, colleagues and neighbors. Throughout his life, Frank was a voracious reader and enjoyed talking about topics spanning from policy and politics to sports and culture. He never turned down the opportunity to attend a concert or watch a baseball game with a friend, but above all else, he cherished time with his wife, children, and grandchildren.