U.S.V.I.-Born Former Ambassador Passes On

The late Ambassador Terence A. Todman.

News Americas, WASHINGTON, DC, Tues. Aug. 19, 2014: St. Thomas-U.S.V.I.-born former ambassador and career diplomat Terence A. Todman is dead. Todman passed away last Wednesday, August 13th at age 88.

Todman served the U.S. across the globe for almost 50 years. He began his distinguished career with service in the U.S. Army from 1945 to 1949, including a tour as a Commissioned Officer in Japan. He went on to diplomatic service as a Desk Officer for India-Ceylon-Nepal Affairs in 1952 and as a U.S. Government Intern on the United Nations Secretariat in 1954.

From 1954 to 1957, he served as an advisor to U.S. Delegations to the United Nations General Assembly and U.S. Representative on various Trusteeship Council committees. He ended the decade of the 1950s as a Political Officer in New Delhi from 1957 to 1959.

He was fluent in many languages and served as the Arabic Language and Area Specialist in Beirut from 1960 to 1961. From 1961 to 1964, he served as the Political Officer in Tunis, from 1965 to 1968 as the Deputy Chief of Mission and Charge d’Affaires in Togo and as the Country Director for East African Affairs from 1961 to 1969.

As United States Ambassador, Todman served in Chad from 1969 to 1972, in Guinea from 1972 to 1975, in Costa Rica from 1957 to 1971, in Spain from 1978 to 1983, in Denmark from 1983 to 1989, and finally in Argentina from 1989 to 1993.

Although he was retired since 1993, Ambassador Todman has remained active serving on corporate and community boards from Argentina to the U.S. Virgin Islands.

His accolades and public service record is extensive, to include receiving the Presidential Distinguished Service Award, the National Public Service Award, the Department of State’s Superior Service Honor Award and the Secretary of State’s Distinguished Service Award. Ambassador Todman has been decorated by the governments of Argentina, Denmark, Spain, Chad and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In 1997, he received the U.S. Department of State’s Director General’s Cup.

U.S.V.I. Congresswoman, Donna M. Christensen, expressed her condolences to the family of Todman while calling him “a trailblazer (who) has opened the doors for young people who aspire to his level of excellence and dedication to our country.”

Amb. Todman’s funeral will take place on Saturday, August 23rd at 10:30 am at All Saints Cathedral in St. Thomas, VI. A Washington DC memorial service will be held on Thursday, August 28th from10 AM to 12 PM in the Marshall Auditorium at the US Department of State.

Messages of condolence may be sent to: Mrs. Doris Todman and Family, P.O. Box 6334, St Thomas, Virgin Islands 00804, USA or AmbTodmanTributes@yahoo.com.

The Todman family requests that in lieu of flowers donations may be made to the following:

1. The University of the Virgin Islands Professorship in International Diplomacy

2. The NAACP Legal Fund

3. The United Negro College Fund

4. The Ambassador Terence A. Todman Foundation, PO Box 1558, St. Thomas, VI   00804.