Martha Neff Kessler

Martha Kessler of Washington, DC passed away at 78 on December 4th, at home, surrounded by her family. She is survived by her daughters, Justine and Lauren, her grandchildren, Laszlo and Agatha, her son-in-law, Zander Mackie, her sisters, Jane Norton and Rev. Susan Blue, and her brother- and sister-in-law, Howard and Michele Kessler, in addition to many nieces and nephews.

Martha grew up in Granville, OH. After earning a BA from Denison University and an MA from Western Michigan University, she moved to Washington, DC where she began a long and distinguished career at the CIA. She served as an intelligence officer from 1970 to 2010, working on the Middle East, South Asia, and terrorism. For six years, she headed the Arab-Israeli Division and was liaison with US peace negotiators throughout the Madrid peace process. She was a fellow at the National Defense University’s War College, a guest scholar at the Brookings Institution, a frequent contributor to its Middle East Foreign Policy Journal and the author of Syria: Fragile Mosaic of Power.

During her career, she was awarded the CIA’s Medal of Distinguished Service and the National Intelligence Community’s Medal of Achievement. In retirement, she served as Ombudsman at the Department of Homeland Security.

While her accomplishments were legion, Martha was also beloved by a vast network of friends, one of whom recently called her "the most popular woman in Washington, DC." She was a great lover of animals and gave many a shelter pet a loving home. With her great beauty and bright mind, she lit up every room she ever entered. Her light will be sorely missed.

A memorial service and reception will follow at Joseph Gawler's Sons on Sunday, December 17, at 11AM.