Donald Bruce Cofman spent a lifetime explaining America to the world. Whether carrying a moon rock through Turkey early in his diplomatic career, briefing reporters in Israel during the Gulf War or helping establish the first U.S. Embassy in newly independent Azerbaijan, he approached the job with curiosity, warmth and a belief in public service.
Cofman, a Foreign Service officer and longtime public diplomacy specialist who represented the United States in six countries over a 30-year career, died on May 6 from complications related to Parkinson’s disease. He was 87.
A proud Jew who grew up in some of the smallest Jewish communities in the American Midwest, Cofman carried that identity with him throughout a diplomatic career that included service in Israel, Saudi Arabia and across the wider Middle East. Family members said he remained deeply connected to his Jewish heritage even though his work often took him far from organized Jewish life.
One of the defining experiences of Cofman’s career came in Israel, where he served as spokesman for the U.S. Embassy from 1987 to 1991. He remained in Tel Aviv during the Gulf War while Iraqi missiles targeted Israel and residents sheltered in sealed rooms with gas masks. Most embassy family members and nonessential personnel were evacuated, but Cofman stayed at his post.
The posting also held personal significance. During those years, his daughter, Tamara Cofman Wittes, was living and studying there, allowing father and daughter to spend more time together than they had since her childhood.
Another significant assignment came in Azerbaijan after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Cofman was among the first American diplomats assigned there and helped establish the U.S. Embassy as the newly independent nation emerged onto the world stage.
Family members said that he entered the Foreign Service at a time when relatively few American Jews worked in Middle East diplomacy, making his long career in the region particularly notable.
Born on Nov. 1, 1938, in Mankato, Minnesota, Cofman came from a family his daughter described as “prairie Jews,” descendants of Eastern European immigrants who settled in the Upper Midwest. He spent much of his youth in Watertown, South Dakota, and later Colorado Springs, Colorado. His mother, Minnie, was active in Hadassah and B’nai B’rith, and his father, Samuel, served as president of the local synagogue. Judaism was a natural part of everyday life in the family.
In Watertown, he often joked that the first three bar mitzvahs in town were all Cofmans — his older brother, his cousin and himself. A rabbi traveled in from another community to prepare the boys.
After graduating from high school, Cofman attended Colorado College on scholarship before leaving to work as a journalist in Washington state. He later returned to school, earning a journalism degree from the University of Colorado. Inspired by the public-service spirit of the Kennedy era, he moved to Washington and joined the U.S. Information Agency.
His journalism background proved valuable throughout a career that took him to Turkey, Bulgaria, India, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Azerbaijan. He developed a reputation as a skilled communicator who understood both government and the press.
Early in his career in Turkey, he was assigned to accompany a visiting lunar sample from the Apollo program, an unusual responsibility that became one of his favorite stories from his years overseas.
“I always felt he must have been born to be a diplomat,” said former colleague Alan Makovsky. “Particularly for his specialty — public diplomacy — he was a natural. He had an engaging, bridge-builder personality.”
Makovsky described Cofman as sincere, persuasive and deeply committed to strengthening relationships between the United States and other countries, particularly Turkey.
Turkey occupied a special place in Cofman’s life. During a posting there, he met Oya, the Turkish woman who would become his second wife of nearly 49 years. Colleagues and family members said the couple formed a remarkable partnership that contributed to his success overseas. Oya became known for her hospitality, her cooking and her ability to make guests feel welcome.
Although Cofman was not especially religious, his Jewish identity remained important to him. That identity occasionally surfaced in unexpected ways. While preparing diplomatic paperwork for a posting to Saudi Arabia, Cofman listed his religion as Jewish and Oya listed hers as Muslim. When their identification documents were returned, Saudi authorities had designated both of them as Christian rather than address the complication of a Jewish man married to a Muslim woman.
Outside of work, he loved photography, newspapers, crossword puzzles, sports and backgammon. Wittes said he approached photography with the mind of a scientist, fascinated by cameras, lenses and the mechanics behind every image. He completed The New York Times crossword puzzle daily and followed current events closely.
In retirement, he divided his time between Turkey and northern Virginia, spending time with family and meeting periodically with members of his Foreign Service class for lunch and discussions of world affairs.
Despite a distinguished diplomatic record, Wittes said what mattered most to her father was his marriage and family.
“I think he was most proud of his marriage and his family,” she said. “What mattered most to him was having his family around him.”
Parkinson’s disease gradually limited his mobility and dexterity over a period of roughly 15 years. Losing the ability to use computers and cameras frustrated him, but his daughters said he adapted with determination and grace.
Margolit Hillsberg remembered a playful father who delighted in making his daughters laugh. When they visited him overseas during summers, he made sure they experienced the countries where he lived through trips, activities and adventures.
Those qualities of curiosity, devotion and quiet encouragement remained central to his relationships throughout his life, she said.
She added, “He cared deeply about his family and was dedicated in his life’s work to his family and to our country.”
Ellen Braunstein is a freelance obituary writer. She welcomes suggestions for individuals who had meaningful ties to the greater Washington Jewish community. Email [email protected].
