SUNDAY, MAY 8 , 2022. THE WASHINGTON POST EZ RE C9
obituariesBY PHIL DAVISONRicardo Alarcón, a former Cu-
ban foreign minister who be-
came the island nation’s most
powerful politician behind ruler
Fidel Castro and his brother and
successor Raúl Castro and who
played a central role in the Elián
González custody saga, died
April 30 in Havana. He was 84.
Cuban authorities announced
the death but did not cite a cause.
Mr. Alarcón had been a major
player in the 1959 Cuban Revolu-
tion as a civilian rather than a
fighter. As a young communist in
Havana during the late 1950s, he
organized students while the
Castro brothers, along with the
Argentine guerrilla Ernesto
“Ché” Guevara, sailed from Mexi-
co and fought their way across
the island to oust U.S.-backed
dictator Fulgencio Batista.
When appointed by Fidel Cas-
tro as ambassador to the United
Nations in 1966, at 29, he was
among the youngest national
representatives on the world
body. Later, as foreign minister,
he was a driving force in the U.N.
General Assembly’s 1992 resolu-
tion condemning the 30-year-old
U.S. economic embargo on Cuba.
But as foreign minister and pres-
ident of the Cuban National
Assembly (parliament) for two
decades, he also played a key role
in thawing relations with the
United States in the last years of
the 20th century.
In 1994, Mr. Alarcón reached
an immigration agreement with
President Bill Clinton that halted
a mass exodus of tens of thou-
sands of Cubans on makeshift
rafts to Florida in 1994, during
which many Cubans, some sail-
ing in truck tire inner-tubes, died
in the Straits of Florida. In
September that year, Clinton
agreed to issue 20,000 immi-
grant visas a year to Cuban
citizens seeking to leave the is-
land.
By the time U.S.-Cuban rela-
tions were significantly thawed
by President Barack Obama and
Cuban’s then-president Raúl Cas-
tro in 2014 — Fidel had handed
over full power to his younger
brother in 2008 — Mr. Alarcón
had been mysteriously sidelined
and disappeared from public
view.
As president of the National
Assembly from 1993 to 2013, Mr.
Alarcón would have been the
most likely to be called on to take
over the presidency of Cuba, at
least on an interim basis, had the
aging Fidel and Raúl died or
become incapacitated. Cuban
state media cited “health rea-
sons” for his sudden retreat from
visibility. But United Press Inter-
national reported at the time
that, although Mr. Alarcón had
been a right-hand man to Fidel,
Raúl had seen him as a potential
threat and had him nudged out
as leader of the National Assem-
bly.
Henceforth, he became one of
Cuba’s most prominent diplo-
mats and politicians, puffing on a
Cohiba cigar while wearing the
island’s traditional white guay-
abera shirt rather than the mili-
tary fatigues worn by Fidel Cas-
tro and Guevara.
Because of his fluent English,
he became the “go to” intervie-
wee for American TV networks
trying to get a handle on Cuban
policies, but his line was no
softer than that of any Cuban
leader. In many of those inter-
views, he described the U.S. eco-
nomic embargo on Cuba as
“genocide,” saying many Cubans
were starving to death.
As president of the National
Assembly, he led Cuba’s efforts to
free five of its intelligence agents
who had been detained in Flori-
da, accused of spying, in 1998
and later convicted. Mr. Alarcón
insisted they had not been spying
on the U.S. government but try-
ing to infiltrate Miami-based Cu-
ban groups they accused of orga-
nizing “terrorist” attacks in Ha-
vana. The five were eventually
released between 2011 and 2014
and returned to Cuba.
Mr. Alarcón was also a pivotal
figure in the much-publicized
2000 legal battle over Elián
González, a 5-year-old Cuban boy
who had been found curled up in
a large truck inner tube off Fort
Lauderdale, Fla., in November- He, his mother and 12
others had left Cuba in a small
boat whose engine failed in the
Florida Straits, forcing them to
float in inflated inner tubes they
had dragged behind the boat in
case of an emergency. His mother
placed her son in an inner tube,
but she and 10 others perished
while the boy and two others
survived.
Through the first half of 2000,
a bitter legal battle ensued over
whether Elián should stay with
relatives in Florida or be re-
turned to his divorced father,
Juan Miguel González, in Cuba
as demanded by Mr. Alarcón —
serving as the father’s personal
adviser — as well as by President
Fidel Castro.
The saga dragged on until
heavily armed U.S. Border Patrol
agents launched a predawn raid
on April 22, 2000, on the Miami
home where the boy was staying
with relatives. The agents took
the boy to Joint Base Andrews in
Maryland, where his father had
been flown in to meet him. After
several more weeks of legal
wrangling, with Mr. Alarcón con-
tinuing to push for Elián’s return,
father and son were flown to
Cuba on June 28, 2000, seven
months and one week after the
boy had sailed from its shores.
Ricardo Alarcón de Quesada
was born in Havana on May 21,
1937, to an upper middle-class
family. In 1954, he entered the
University of Havana, graduating
with a doctorate in philosophy
and humanities before the revo-
lution. While a student, he joined
the clandestine revolutionary
July 26 Movement, named after a
July 26, 1953, attack on a Cuban
army barracks, led by a young
Fidel Castro, in a failed attempt
to overthrow Batista.
At university, Mr. Alarcón
eventually led the University Stu-
dents’ Federation and the Union
of Young Communists, making
him a key figure in recruiting
urban support for Castro, at the
time in exile in Mexico. The July
26 Movement eventually suc-
ceeded when Batista fled the
island and Castro, who had land-
ed on a small motor launch from
Mexico in 1956 with his brother,
Guevara and 79 other men, took
control of the country in January
Mr. Alarcón was only 25 when
Castro appointed him director of
the Americas division at the
foreign affairs ministry in 1962.
From 1966 to 1978 and from 1990
to 1991, he served as Cuba’s
permanent representative to the
United Nations, including a spell
as vice president of the U.N.
General Assembly and two one-
month terms as president of the
U.N. Security Council in Febru-
ary 1990 and July 1991.
Recalled to the island, he was
named foreign minister by Cas-
tro in 1992 but moved on to
become president of the National
Assembly the following year.
Mr. Alarcón’s wife, Margarita
Perea Maza, died in 2008. Details
of other surviving family were
not immediately known.
RICARDO ALARCÓN, 84
Cuban official helped
thaw relations with U.S.
ADALBERTO ROQUE/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGESCuban leader Ricardo Alarcón is seen in Havana in 1995. He played
a central role in the Elián González custody saga in 2000.
ANNOUNCEMENTPAID DEATH
NOTICESMEMORIALDAY
HOLIDAYHOURSMay30, 2022
11 a.m. ~3p.m.PhotoDeadline:
12 noonNOEXCEPTIONSToplaceanotice,
call:
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Ext. 4-4122[email protected]IN MEMORIAMFLOWERS
SUSIEFLOWERS
HAPPYMOTHER’SDAY!
Mother,just asweetremembrance,
Justamemoryfondandtrue;
Just aword of love’sdevotion
That our heartsstill hold of you.
Lovingly,children,grands&great-grandsHAMMOND
PHILLIPJ. HAMMOND
Everymomentyou are in our hearts
and everybreathwe take.
We knowyou are with the angels.
WifeandDaughterHARRIS
CAMILLAWILKERSONHARRIS
RUBYTHOMPKINSELLIS
ROLETTECOLTER
ROBERTAELLIS WILLIAMS
RUTHELLISTHOMPKINS
JEANETTAYLOR
In lovingmemoryon Mother’sDay.
WithLove,BarbieThompkinsand FamilyHIRST
GRACEV. HIRST
12/11/1911-7/3/1981
To the mostbelovedmom
in the wholewideworld.
HappyMother’sDay
Ilove and missyou so much.
YourLovingDaughter,Myra(Sissie)
xoxoxoTILLMAN
VIVIANTHERESATILLMAN
In memoryof aLovingMother.
Your Children.TRIPLETT
MADELINETRIPLETT
HAPPYMOTHER’SDAY,
MOM&GRANDMA!
God has you in his keeping.Wehave you
in our hearts.Welove and missyou.
Diane,PaulJr. ,Ronald,Yvetteand
PaulIIIWhen theneed arises,letfamiliesfind youintheFuneral ServicesDirectory.To be seen in the
Funeral Services
Directory,please call
paid DeathNotices
at 202-334-4122.IN MEMORIAMWEATHERLY
REV.BEVERLYK.WEATHERLY
Inthanksgivingforthelifeof
The Rev.BeverlyK. Weatherly,
Priestin the EpiscopalChurch.
BornIndiana,PA,August29, 1951
Died May 28, 2021,Alexandria,VA.
Amotherofcompassion,
wisdomandbeauty.
Her husband,childrenand grandchildren
grieveher absence.WHITE
HELENM.WHITE
HappyMother’sDay and HappyBirthday
We love and miss you very much.
Your LovingFamily,
Eugene,Crystal,Debbie,
Jameka,Tatayannaand LarryDEATHNOTICEBARNES
JEANIRISBARNES
Jean Iris Barnes,91, passedawayon March
13, 2022,in the armsof her husbandat
homein SilverSpring,MD.Born in Lewes,
Sussex,England,to DorisandKenneth
Noel,Jeantrainedas anurseand worked
as amidwifein London,asanursein En-
gland,CanadaandBermuda,andas a
schoolnursein Maryland.Belovedwife of
WilliamBarnesfor 65 years,she was the
lovingmotherof Kevin (Mary),Steven(Jan),
Dianeand Patrick(Karen);agrandmother
of nine,agreat-grandmother,and the be-
lovedsisterof Keith Noelin Canadaand
PeterNoelin England.Amemorialservice
will be heldat 11 a.m.,May21, at Liber-
ty GroveUMC,15225Old ColumbiaPike,
Burtonsville,MD. In lieu of flowers,gifts
may be sent to the churchor to amedical
charity.BATCHELOR
AUDREYLOUISEBATCHELOR
AudreyLouiseBatchelorpassedawayon
April21, 2022,in Annapolis,Marylandat
the age of 85.
Audreywas bornon July 9, 1936,in the Dis-
trict of Columbiato Helenand HughFrain.
Afterattendingthe WashingtonSchoolfor
Secretaries,she startedher first job with
the ArmySecurityAgencyas aGS-05Sec-
retary,kick-startingacareerservingthe
countryshe loved.Audreyretiredfromthe
Departmentof Defensein 1997after 40
yearsof service.She was happilymarried
to her best friend,WilliamBatchelor,for 39
years.
Audreywas abelovedwife,cousin,‘Aunt’
to so many,and friendwholovedto play
bingoat the localMooseLodge,read, play
cards,and spendtimecrafting.Someof
her mostcherishedmemoriesand friends
weremadeboatingalongthe EastCoast
withfriendsand family.Audreylivedin
HeritageHarbourin Annapolisfor 25 years
and treasuredthe friendshipsmadein that
community.
Audreywas precededin deathby her fa-
ther,Hugh,her mother,Helen,andher
husband,William.She is survivedby her
cousin,Carl Kilhoffer,secondcousinsKath-
leen Blizzardand DawsonKilhoffer,and nu-
merousfriendswho she consideredfamily.
Acelebrationof life will be held at afuture
date.Pleasecheckthe funeral homeweb-
site for updatedinformation.
Thosewishingto honorher life are invited
to makeadonationto The ALS Association.
http://www.LastingTributesFuneralCare.comBECK-REX
MARGUERITEANNABECK-REX
(Age90)
Passedawaypeacefullyon
Thursday,April 28, 2022,at
her homein Washington,DC.
Belovedwifeof the late Paul
LeroyRex.Lovingmotherto
Gregory McKinleyRexand
Todd DouglasHermannRex. Grandmother
to Taylor CampbellRex, Zoë McKinleyRex,
ZionAlexandraRex and MaximusXavier
Rex.Great-Grandmotherto AmaraReign
Ahmed.Sisterto AnneLouiseBuehlerand
the late HermannJosephBeck,Jr.
Relativesand friendsmaycall at Collins
Funeral Home,500 UniversityBoulevard
West, SilverSpring,MD,Tuesday,May 10,
2022,from10 to 11 a.m.,whereFuneral
Servicewill be heldat 11 a.m.Interment
Rock CreekCemetery.Inlieu of flowers,
memorialcontributionsmaybe madeto
CapitalCaring,950 NorthGlebeRoad,Suite
500, Arlington,VA 22203.
http://www.COLLINSFUNERALHOME.comDEATH NOTICEBURNETT
ALBERTJUNBURNETT
October27, 1930 -April13, 2022
AlbertJun Burnettwasbornin Wilson
County,NorthCarolinaon October27,
1930.He is precededin deathby his moth-
er,ClaraGriffith;father,AlberteenBurnett;
wife,BettyCrawford;andson,WarrenBur-
nett.Albertis survivedby his son, Maurice
Burnett;daughter,Ann Stewart;brother,
EltonJewell(Barbara); sisters,ClarethaBa-
sil, MarletRikard-Bradshaw(James);anda
hostofotherfamilymembersandfriends.
Tuesday,May 10, 2022,Wake 10 a.m.,
Funeral 11 a.m.at St. Martin’sCatholic
Church, 1908 NorthCapitolStreetNW,
Washington,DC 20002.CONSIDINE
ANDYCONSIDINE
Passedawayat his homein EllicottCity,
Marylandon March25, 2022,withhis lov-
ing wifeof almost53 years,Joan,at his
side.BornonAugust16, 1936 toWilliam
“Bill”and Florence,Andy is survivedby his
wife;threesons,Kirk, Darin,and Justin;
daughter,Ashley Considine-Shanahorn;
sevengrandchildren,andsister,Phyllis.
Andyjoinedthe D.C. MetropolitanPolice
Departmentin 1962thenservedwiththe
MontgomeryCountyPoliceDepartment
from 1963 untilheretiredin1982.Healso
workednumerouspart-timejobswhilea
policeofficer,toincludeschoolbus driver
in MontgomeryCountyPublicSchools,re-
tiringafter15 years,beforeworkingas a
drivinginstructor.
In lieu of afuneral service,the familyis
holdingaCelebrationof Life in AndyCon-
sidine’smemoryon June26, 2022,from 3
to8p.m.,at 7904 ComstockLn.,Severn,
MD.FISHER-HALL
JOHNANTHONYFISHER-HALL
Departedthis life Thursday,April 28, 2022.
Abelovedson, father,and friend.Join his
familyin celebrationandtributeof his
life well livedon Thursday,May 12, 2022
at Fort LincolnFuneral Home,Brentwood,
MD.Visitation:12:30p;Service1:30 p.m.FOWLER
AUBREYWAYNEFOWLER
The Fowlerfamilyannounces
the passingof theirfather,A.
Wayne Fowler who died peace-
fully on January19, 2022.Born
on June2, 1937,he spenthis
youthin Live Oak,Floridaand
his adultlife in the Washington,DC area.
Predeceasedby his daughter,Catherine
Elizabeth“Kitty”,he leavesbehindhis wife
of 60 years,AnonaC.,his sonsand their
wives,WayneC. and DanaFowler,Perry W.
Fowlerand JenniferOrendi,and theirfive
grandchildren.Afuneral celebratinghis life
will be heldon Saturday,May 14, 2022at
11 a.m. at St. Columba’sEpiscopalChurch
in NW Washington,DC.Inlieu of flowers,
the familyrequestsdonationsin his hon-
or to amemorialfundin his nameat St.
Columba’s. Pleasesign the guestbookat:
http://www.DeVolFuneralHome.comGARDNER
LILLIANG. GARDNER(Age101)
On Saturday,April 9, 2022,
of SilverSpring,MD.Beloved
wifeof the lateDonaldM.
Gardner;mother of Ronald
D.,StevenD.,Paul D.,and
the lateRobertW. Gardner.
Also survivedby six grandchildrenand 12
great-grandchildren.AMemorialService
will be heldat WarnerMemorialPresby-
terianChurch, 10123 ConnecticutAvenue,
Kensington,MD 20895on Saturday,May
14, 2022at 11 a.m.Privateinurnmentat
ArlingtonNationalCemeteryColumbarium
at alater date.Memorialcontributionsmay
be madeto Warner MemorialPresbyterian
Church.
http://www.COLLINSFUNERALHOME.comGIBBS
DAVIDRUSSELLGIBBS
Bornin Washington,DC,onJuly 25, 1935
and passedawayon May3, 2022.He at-
tendedAnacostiaHighSchooland grad-
uatedfromEasternHighSchool.In1957,
hewas drafted into the Army.Dave was
an MP priorto attendingOfficerCandidate
Schoolat Fort Sill, Oklahoma.Upongradua-
tion he was commissioned2nd Lieutenant
andmarriedthe loveof his life,Stella
Trembelas,atSts.Constantine&Helen
GreekOrthodoxChurch,Washington,DC,
on May 1, 1960.The newlywedsmovedto
Fort Campbell,Kentucky,for the remainder
of his tour of duty.Upon returninghome,
he joinedthe ArmyReserves,attaining
the rank of Captain.Davegraduatedfrom
AmericanUniversitywith adegreein Busi-
nessAdministration.He ownedand oper-
atedseveral carryoutrestaurants in Wash-
ington,DC.After sellinghis businesses,he
workedat General ServicesAdministration
untilretiring.Davidlovedthe beachand
cherishedhis timeat theircondoin Sea
Colony,BethanyBeach,DE. Davidwas the
lovingfatherof Robert(Amy),Peter,and
Chris(Rebecca),anddevotedPapouof
Nathaniel,Grace,Jesse,and ElishaGibbs.
He is precededin deathby Robersonand
Ruth(Snapp)Gibbs.“The Big Potato”was
knownfor his funnystories.Hewas the life
of everypartyand will be deeplymissedby
all who knewhim.
Visitationwill be from5p.m. to 8p.m.
onThursday,May 12, 2022,at Pumphrey
Funeral Home,300 W. MontgomeryAve.,
Rockville,MD. Servicewill be at 12 Noon
on May 13, 2022at Sts.Constantine&Hel-
en GreekOrthodoxChurch,701 Norwood
Rd., SilverSpring,MD 20905.Please sign
the familyonlineguestbookat:
http://www.pumphreyfuneralhome.comDEATH NOTICEGOLDMAN
STUARTIRVINGGOLDMAN
StuartIrvingGoldman,of Co-
lumbia,MD,passedawayon
Tuesday,May 3, 2022at the
age of 77. He is survivedby
hislovingwifeVivianGoldman
(nee Aronstan);by his children
Lisa (Adam)Clearfield,and Scott(Debby)
Goldman; hisgrandchildren Samantha
Clearfield,DanielClearfield,AllyClearfield
andHenryGoldman;andbyhisbrother
HaroldGoldman.He was predeceasedby
his parentsMinnieand BenjaminGoldman.
Servicesat TempleIsaiah, 12200 Scaggs-
ville Road,Fulton,MD 20759,on Monday,
May9, 2022 at 12 p.m.IntermentatCo-
lumbiaMemorialPark, 12005Clarksville
Pike,Clarksville,MD21029.Pleaseomit
flowers.Contributionsin his memorymay
be sentto Bet ChaverimCongregation,
P.O.Box2428,EllicottCity,MD21043.The
familywillbeinmourningatBrightview
Columbia, 6670 MartinRoad,Columbia,
MD 21044.All visitorsmustpresenta
vaccinationcard.The familywill receive
followingintermentonMonday.Therewill
also be an openhouseon Tuesdayfrom 1
p.m. to 4p.m.GREEN
EDDIEL. GREEN(Age64)
OfFairfax,Virginia,passedawayonMay1,
2022.He was bornin Washington,DC.on
October30, 1957.Eddiegraduatedfrom
D.C. PublicSchoolsandenlistedin the
Army.HemarriedDeniseWilliamsLew-
is-Greenon June2, 1995.Eddieworkedas
amechanicfor WMATA.Hewas amember
of MountMoriahBaptistChurch,he had
apassionfor HarleyDavidsonMotorcy-
cles,Americancars and his lovingwife.A
wakewill be heldat 10 a.m.followedby
amemorialserviceat 11 a.m.onMay13,
2022,at MountMariahBaptistChurchin
Washington,DC.Toleavean onlinecondo-
lenceto the family,pleasevisit our website
at http://www.everlycommunity.com/tributes/
Eddie-GreenHARRISON
INEZG. HARRISON
Inez G. FloodHarrisonpassedawaypeace-
fullyonMay1, 2022 atage98.Sheis
survivedby one brother,Allen Flood.The
servicewill be heldat 11 a.m.on Tues-
day,May 10, 2022at St. GabrielCatholic
Church,20 Grant CircleNW,Washington,
DC.Intermentwilltakeplaceimmediately
following,at LincolnMemorialCemetery,
Suitland,MD 20746.HAWKINS
JAMESTURNERHAWKINSJR.
Passedon April22, 2022.He leavesto
cherishhis memory,his faithfulwife,Doris;
his son,Kelvin; threedaughters,Darlene,
LaTanyaand Aretha;eightgrandchildren,
and threegreat-grandchildren.The home-
goingservicewill be held on May 9, at 10
a.m.to 12 p.m. at GreaterMt. NeboAME
Church, 1001 Old MitchellvilleRoad,Bowie,
MD 20716.CEMETERYLOTS
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