Anthony Cecil Eden Quainton

As a prelude to a life in international service, Tony Quainton was educated in Canada (St. Michael’s), the United States (Seattle public schools, Andover ’51, Princeton ’55), and the United Kingdom (Sherborne and Oxford). As a Marshall Scholar he explored Franco-Soviet relations and met and married the love of his life fellow Marshall Scholar, Susan, in 1958.

Ambassador Quainton entered the U.S. Foreign Service in 1959. During his thirty-eight-year career he served on every inhabited continent. He had seven presidential appointments (1976-1997) under four presidents both Republican and Democrat: U.S. Ambassador to the Central African Republic, Nicaragua, Kuwait, and Peru; Director of the Office for Combatting Terrorism, Assistant Secretary for Diplomatic Security; and finally, Director General of the Foreign Service. He represented the United States with tact and integrity, while supporting all Americans abroad from missionaries in the Central African bush to DEA agents in the jungles of Peru.

The breadth of his experience came with some fairly dramatic diplomatic moments: attending the coronation of self-proclaimed Emperor Bokassa I of the Central African “Empire” in 1977; arriving in Nicaragua in 1982 on the day the CIA destroyed the bridges between Nicaragua and Honduras; taking up his post in Kuwait (1982) with great courage shortly after the embassy had been bombed; serving in Peru under constant threat from the Shining Path (including the bombing of the ambassador’s residence in 1992) but ending his tenure in Peru able to announce the capture of Abimael Guzmán in real time to assembled guests at an embassy dinner.

He enlivened expatriate life with memorable events, including directing and performing in amateur theatrical productions ranging from The Crucible to The Odd Couple. With his natural bent for languages, his exuberance, and zest for life he was the perfect diplomat.

Following his Foreign Service career, he began teaching at the School of International Service at American University from 2003-2019. He was named the Distinguished Diplomat in Residence. After retiring from this second career, he was Emeritus and taught his signature courses on diplomatic practice and Peru as recently the Fall of 2022.

He served on many non-profit boards, most recently on those of the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training, Princeton Alumni Corps, St. Michael’s University School (Canada), the Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington, the Washington Theological Consortium, and LaRoche University. He became a member of the Rawalpindi (Pakistan) Lions Club in 1964 and remained an active Lion in many countries throughout his life.

His two books, Eye on the World: A Life in International Service and Reflections of Roaming Catholic, narrate his life and reveal the breadth of his passions and interests. He described himself as a “roaming” Catholic whose familial and spiritual journey has passed through the

Roman and Anglican traditions. He was deeply committed to Christian unity and interfaith cooperation.

Tony is survived by his wife of 65 years, Susan Long Quainton; three children, Katherine Britton (Ed), Eden Quainton (Nina McPherson), and Elizabeth Anderman (Evan); seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

A funeral mass with reception following will be held on August 16 at 11:00 am at Annunciation Catholic Church, 3810 Massachusetts Ave, Washington D.C.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a contribution to the Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington, ifcmw.org, or the Washington Theological Consortium, washtheocon.org.