Michael Allen Halbert

Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, on 12 July 1960 and raised in Arkansas and New Jersey, he attended Georgetown University, where he met his wife Marie-Louise, and graduated from the School of Foreign Service in 1983. He also attended the National Defense Intelligence College and earned a master of science in 2007. Michael’s thirty-seven-year career spanned a variety of foreign engagement postings, including deputy director, U.S. Army Foreign Liaison; deputy chief, Department of Defense Foreign Liaison within the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA); and DIA’s representative to the French Services at the United States Embassy in Paris. Known for his character and integrity, he served with distinction on both sides of the Atlantic. For outstanding service rendered to the Brazilian Air Force, he was awarded the Santos-Dumont Merit Medal (Medalha do Mérito Santos-Dumont) in 2004. He was recognized again in 2006, when the President of the French Republic appointed him to the National Order of Merit (Ordre national du Mérite) for his exceptional efforts in fostering Franco-American relations.

Michael was a devoted son, husband, father, and grandfather who cherished time spent with his family. He loved art and languages, and spoke English and French interchangeably in his home. Driven by a lifelong passion for the past—a passion he passed on to the next generation of Halberts—he turned his attention to local history museums well before retirement, volunteering with his children at the Claude Moore Colonial Farm and the Carlyle House. He continued to share his time and expertise with other historic sites, among them Historic Alexandria, Historic Annapolis, the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, and the Henricus Foundation. Michael played a leading role in the bicentennial of the marquis de Lafayette’s 1824–1825 farewell tour, proudly partnering with the American Friends of Lafayette and traveling from Maine to Missouri as one of a select few official costumed Lafayette interpreters.

An accomplished genealogist and tenacious researcher, Michael possessed a rare talent for bringing history to life. He captivated audiences through nuanced first-person portrayals of colonial and revolutionary-era figures; in addition to the elder Lafayette, Michael embodied the likes of French explorer Samuel de Champlain, the comte de Rochambeau (in an official capacity at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown and Mount Vernon), Baron von Steuben, and even King George III. He quite literally wore (and made) many hats. Whether engaging school groups or crowds at larger reenactments, his multilingual impressions encompassed commemorative civic gatherings, museum programming, and theatrical productions including numerous films, PBS documentaries, and live stage performances. Like his rigorous attention to accuracy, Michael’s compelling storytelling left an indelible mark on his fellow historical interpreters and the public they served.

Michael was preceded in death by his father James Allen Halbert and brother Robert Brent Halbert. He is survived by his loving wife Marie-Louise Halbert; his son Philippe Halbert, of Montreal, Quebec; his daughter Anne-Elisabeth MacKnight and her husband Andrew, of Springfield, Virginia; his daughter Charlotte Goodell, her husband Brian, and their children Arthur and Louise, of Washington, DC; his mother Rosalyn Halbert, of Hot Springs Village, Arkansas; his mother-in-law Christine Jones and her husband Richard, of Alexandria; and his brother-in-law Eric Cheevers and his partner Susan Etheridge, of Los Angeles, California. He is also survived by a host of extended family and friends across the United States and Europe, all of whom held a special place in his heart and whose lives were enriched by his humor, generosity of spirit, and wisdom. He will be remembered for his loyalty, steady presence, and unwavering devotion to those he held dear.