William J. Gehron, retired Foreign Service Officer

William (Bill) Jules Gehron, 95, a retired Foreign Service Officer who worked at the White House, the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency and the U.S. Department of State, died Sunday, May 24, 2020, in Lewes.

Bill was born in New York City Aug. 5, 1924, and resided in Pelham, N.Y. He was the son of William Gehron, a prominent New York architect, and Grace McDermott Gehron. He graduated from Williams College in 1950. Before attending college, Bill served in the Army during World War II, eventually joining General George Patton’s 4th Armored Division as a commissioned officer and platoon leader in the European Theater. His decorations included the Presidential Unit Citation and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge. 

Bill married Patricia (Pat) Coleman Dec. 20, 1950, and they would have celebrated 70 years of marriage together this December. Shortly following his marriage, Bill was recalled in the Korean War and served with armored forces at posts in this country.

After his duty during the Korean War, Bill returned to New York, and in 1953 joined the staff of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in NYC as director of public affairs. Bill came to Washington, D.C., in 1957 residing in Alexandria, Va., where he remained with his wife until their move to Lewes in 2007. Bill first served as a member of the White House Disarmament Staff under Harold Stassen. When responsibilities for disarmament negotiations were absorbed by the State Department, Bill became an officer in the Office of the Special Assistant to the Secretary for Disarmament and Atomic Energy Affairs, and subsequently its Disarmament Administration group. At the time, presidential candidate John F. Kennedy observed that fewer than 100 people were working on disarmament matters.

Following his election, Kennedy established the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency and Bill became one of the first officers to serve in that organization. In that role, he was on delegations to the United Nations and the Ten Nation Disarmament Talks in Geneva, Switzerland. On his return from overseas he joined the Department of State once again as a Foreign Service Officer in the Bureau of European Affairs. In that capacity Bill was a member of delegations to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the International Conference on Energy and the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. Following his retirement from the State Department in 1985 Bill remained as a foreign affairs analysis and senior advisor working on Freedom of Information projects until 2007.

Bill was an avid tennis player - playing well into his 80s. He also loved biking - which he did into his 90s, and downhill skiing into his late 70s. Bill read and traveled widely and he enjoyed writing - including his memoir entitled “Ramble: A Memoir.” 

Survivors include his wife, Patricia Coleman Gehron of Lewes; two sons, William Coleman Gehron of Lewes and Michael (Nancy) McDermott Gehron of Falls Church, Va.; and a daughter, Anne (Rex) Pyne Holloway of Alexandria; and four grandchildren: Katherine and Luke Gehron and Rebecca and Sarah Holloway.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, a Memorial Celebration will be held at St. Peter's Church in Lewes at a later date. Arrangements are being handled by Parsell Funeral Homes and Crematorium, Atkins-Lodge Chapel, Lewes.

Please visit Bill's Life Memorial Webpage and sign his online guestbook at www.parsellfuneralhomes.com.