Margaret L. Kranz, 94, who retired from her position as a international relations officer with the Agency for International Development in 1979 died on Sunday, January 14, 2018 after a brief illness in Newton, New Jersey. Miss Kranz was born in Freeport, New York. She studied piano at the Eastman School of Music, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Rochester. She earned her master's degree from Florida State University in Spanish and French.

She moved to Washington, DC in 1951 to work for the Institute of International Affairs. She then transferred to the US Agency for International Development when it was created in 1961. She coordinated a major emergency assistance effort in the Dominican Republic following the civil war there in 1965 as well as administrated the economic assistance program in Colombia in the early 70's; one of the largest in the world at that time. Her final assignment there was as Deputy Director for South America. She traveled the world making wonderful friends and treasured memories.

After retiring, Miss Kranz played the piano and organ at several DC area churches and became involved with the cultural activities including being a founding member of the Institute of Learning in Retirement at American University. She served on the ILR Board of Directors for fourteen years.

In 2000 Margo was one of the first residents to move into Ingleside at Rock Creek and was a resident there until March of 2016 when she moved to Bristol Glen in Newton, NJ to be closer to her family.

She is survived by her sister in law, Claire Kranz of Hardyston, NJ niece, Kathy Baumann and her husband Stephen and her niece Margaret C. Kranz all of Vernon, NJ as well as great niece Stepheni Baumann and her husband Josep Maria Fortea Rochera of Valencia, Spain, great nephew, Thomas Baumann and his wife Jordan Gianforte of Rumney, NH and great nephews Steven Rosal and Christopher Rosal of Vernon, NJ. She will be laid to rest at Greenfield Cemetery in Uniondale, NY.

Donations in her memory can be sent to Holy Counselor Lutheran Church, 68 Sand Hill Rd, Sussex, NJ 07461. A memorial service will be held at Holy Counselor Lutheran Church on Wednesday, January 17th with viewing from 5pm-7pm and a service beginning at 7pm.


History of Margaret L. Kranz

Born October 1, 1923 in Freeport, NY

Freeport 1923-12941

Valedictorian - Freeport High School - June 1941

University of Rochester 1941-1945
Major in Spanish, Minor in Piano (Eastman School)
Phi Beta Kappa

December 7, 1945 - Pear Harbor

Summer 1942 - Worked in Library and Grumman

Summer 1943 - secretary to metallurgist at Columbia Bronze Propeller Factory, LI

Summer 1944 - Spanish immersion class - Bread Loaf, Vermont (Middlebury College)

Summer 1945 - Experiment in International Living - Morilia, Mexico

1945- 46 - Latin American Institute, New York City

146 - January - October - National City Bank - Translator

1946-47 - November to June - Secretary to E. Kaufmann, 47 Wall Street, coffee importer from Columbia

1947 - Summer - Experiment in Guatemala (Phyllis Curtin - future opera singer and husband were leaders)

1947 - 1948 - Secretary to Donal Watt, President of the Experiment, Putney, VT

Summer 1948 - Spain - Experiment (loan from Mr. Watt $800) stayed with Montoros in Madrid

1949 -50 - Florida State University - Masters Degree in Spanish, minor in French (Dr.Canfield - Head of Language Dept., former profession at University of Rochester) paid for by scholarship - House Mother in Spanish House

1950 - Leader of Experiment group in Columbia

Summer 1950 - June 1951 - Professor of Spanish and French at Wilson College Chambersburg, PA (job abolished in June)

Summer of 1951 - En route to Chatham Hall School for Girls in North Carolina, visited Isabelle Weber in DC. She was Paraguay Desk Officer at Institute for Inter-American Affairs. I accepted appointment as Bilingual Secretary to Mission Director in Asuncion Albion Patterson. Security clearance took several months.

Fall of 1951 - Attended Foreign Service Institute for "cultural" orientation. Since I spoke Spanish I studied Portuguese.

November 1951 - 1953 -
Assigned to Asuncion, Paraguay. Stopped at Rio en route and visited Montevideo. Bueonos Aires, Santiago, Chile during vacations. On way home went to La Paz, Boliva, took steamboat across Lake Titicaca to Cuzco, Peru, visited Macchu Picchu.

1954 - Lived with friends in Washington, DC and started career in Latin American Division of FOA, ICA and finally AID. Staring as secretary and becoming International Relations Officer for various countries - Chile, Peru, Venezuela, Columbia and finally Dominican Republic plus last jop before retirement in 1979 as Deputy for South America - visited Brazil and Ecuador.