bout de papier, Vol. 27, No. 1 (2012) — Winter 2012 // Hiver 2012, p. 30
Editor’s Note: The following is RHOMA colleague Michael Bell’s eulogy of Gary Harman at his memorial service held in Ottawa on July 28, 2012.
I have been asked to say a few words about Gary, the Foreign Service officer, the diplomat.
Gary was one of those men for whom the Foreign Service was a calling. To this calling, he brought the grit and quiet determination that a prairie upbringing engenders. His was a musical youth. He is fondly remembered by a colleague as a fellow student at Gordon Bell High School in Winnipeg, where they both played in the band. To underscore Gary’s choice of the Foreign Service, it is important to know that Gary was described as a “brilliant young pianist.” He could easily have pursued a career as a professional musician.
Love for Canada, and a desire to express it, within the public service, in the diplomatic corps, won out…This was a choice from which many, many Canadians benefited.
Gary went to the United Nations in 1952 under their international internship program. It was here that his life partner, Margaret, joined him.
As a young officer, he cut his negotiating and analytical teeth in Washington, Moscow, Prague and Cairo. The experience gained on each of these postings prepared him to be Head of Mission in Cuba, where he rubbed shoulders with Castro, and explored the Cuba of Hemingway, picking up Spanish, while always promoting Canadian values and interests. He served ably as Head of Mission in Amman and Damascus.
One word which came up again and again, when talking with colleagues about Gary, over the past few days, has been… gentleman. Sadly in this business, as in others, gentlemen, real gentlemen are rare. Gary knew however that this quality was often the most potent weapon in the diplomatic arsenal. He wielded it with skill and grace.
His was a genuine humility, one that accentuated rather than hid a fine intellect and a fine artistic bent, his strength of character, and his depth of feeling. Always of concern was the improvement of the Department he so loved. He knew that the best way to bring it about was through nurturing its “in house talent.” Unlike others, Gary was never intimidated by the bright young officers coming up behind. Instead, he mentored them; encouraged their talents; allowed younger and greener members of the Department to shine. He took the time to teach. Criticism was always well placed but praise was never far behind.
In his drive to improve the Department and its conditions of service, he became the first Ombudsman…someone to whom one could bring concerns in confidence. He knew, like no other before him, that happy Foreign Service families allowed officers to devote themselves to the task at hand…the interests of Canada. With that in mind, he worked tirelessly, along with Margaret, to improve conditions in the Foreign Service
For my generation, there was no better head of Personnel. He saw us all as members of his extended family. ..a family he wanted to be happy and productive. He was often called to visit posts where morale was a problem. After a visit from Gary, things invariably improved, for those in troubled waters, far from home.
My relationship with Gary grew when both our careers centred on the Middle East. I was in the Middle East Relations Division in Ottawa when Gary was Head of Mission in Amman: a relatively new embassy for Canada but one of growing importance. Joe Clark, as Minister of Foreign Affairs, made a swing through the region and the impression Gary made on him was positive and lasting. Some months after that tour, relations between Syria and Canada hit a very rough patch because of a terrorist incident. We withdrew our ambassador from Damascus amid controversy. When we renewed relations with Syria, at the Head of Mission level, Mr. Clark insisted Gary move from Amman to Damascus to re-establish, on different terms, a very sensitive and fragile relationship. Joe Clark knew that this was a delicate situation and that Gary was the man for the job. The Minister’s judgement was amply rewarded.
I was then sent to Amman to replace Gary. He made the handover with his usual good grace, briefed me fully and left me an embassy which was shipshape. With Gary up the road in Damascus, our two missions worked together in rare fashion to the benefit of all, often on a day to day basis. I have always been grateful for his spirit of cooperation.
It is impossible to talk about Gary’s career without mentioning Margaret. Their respective strengths dovetailed beautifully. She worked for charities in the countries within which they served, most often taking a leadership role. And, of course, she ably ran the residences and acted as hostess and tour guide to visiting dignitaries. Her role was one of soft diplomacy and Gary recognized her strengths and took pride in their ability to work effectively together. Canada was the beneficiary of their devotion and talent.
Derek Burney’s message perhaps sums it up best: “Gary Harman was the most decent, fair-minded boss I ever worked for. He had integrity, a real passion for the Foreign Service. He always found a way to accentuate the positive: a wonderful colleague in the trenches, an admirable Canadian public servant.”
Michael Bell is a retired Canadian Foreign Service Officer. He was Canada’s Ambassador to Jordan, Egypt and Israel. He is currently the Paul Martin (Sr.) Senior Scholar on International Diplomacy at the University of Windsor.
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Originally published in bout de papier, Vol. 27, No. 1 (2012) — Winter 2012 // Hiver 2012, p. 30. Read the rest of this issue →
