The Northwestern Michigan College community and International Affairs Forum members reflect on the death of retired U.S. diplomat Jack Segal, 80, Tuesday after a cancer diagnosis last fall:
Humility, curiosity defined him
Jack was a retired senior U.S. diplomat who served his country at the White House and in challenging overseas posts including Russia, Israel, Palestine, and Afghanistan.
Of his many accomplishments, he took particular pride in being the primary author of the US-USSR Agreement on Nuclear Risk Reduction, and in his work as a negotiator of the START nuclear arms control Treaty. With his wife, Karen, they opened the first western diplomatic mission to the 40 million people of Central Russia following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
For more than 15 years, Jack brought this experience as a senior U.S. diplomat and foreign service officer into our NMC classrooms and community learning spaces, teaching courses and leading conversations on world affairs through Extended Education and Training and the International Affairs Forum.
Through his teaching, Jack helped students and community members alike understand global issues not as abstractions, but as human, complex, and consequential realities.
Jack was awarded the Bronze Star for his service in the Vietnam War. His military experience was life-altering, both in terms of combat experience and in deciding to pursue a career in foreign diplomacy. He was a voice of calm reason through his 35 years as a diplomat, in part because he witnessed the ravages of war.
Jack and Karen co-led the International Affairs Forum through a period of significant growth. Under their leadership, IAF expanded its programming, partnerships and reach, strengthening civic dialogue across the region and elevating NMC’s role as a trusted convener of thoughtful conversation on national and global issues.
What defined Jack was not the prominence of the roles he held, but the humility and curiosity he brought to every interaction. Over a distinguished career, he served at the highest levels of the U.S. Department of State, the National Security Council, and NATO. Yet he was always more interested in listening than in being recognized.
That commitment was evident earlier this month when Jack met with the International Affairs Forum Student Leadership Team. Rather than speaking at the students, he took time to speak with each of them individually, listening carefully and engaging with genuine interest.
It was a simple moment that reflected a belief Jack carried throughout his life: that real understanding comes from listening to those closest to the work.
In 2024, Jack and Karen were named NMC Fellows, the college’s highest honor, in recognition of their extraordinary service, leadership and generosity. They have also been devoted supporters of the NMC Foundation for more than 15 years, investing in programs that strengthen learning, dialogue, and civic engagement.{p dir=”ltr”}Jack Segal believed deeply in education, public service, and the power of informed conversation. Northwestern Michigan College and the broader community it serves are better because of his presence, his leadership and his example.
On behalf of Northwestern Michigan College, I extend my deepest condolences to Karen, their family and all who were fortunate to learn from Jack, work alongside him or know him as a friend.
He was courageous in many ways
I’m going to talk about courage.
There are several kinds of courage: There is physical courage when someone is trying to injure or kill you – or when you are given a diagnosis by the doctor that your lifespan can be measured in days and weeks. There is moral courage when you give voice to the unpopular position in the face of overwhelming opposition. And finally, there is intellectual courage, the ability to let facts take you to places you may not want to go because facts do matter.
By any observable metric, Jack was a courageous man. His service in combat in Vietnam, his ability to convey unwelcome news to our nations’ adversaries, his stoic acceptance of the inevitable as he was given the devastating news of his illness are the rare qualities of a man who had extraordinary physical, moral and intellectual courage.
He was an example to us all and I for one will miss him terribly.
He shared a gift for teaching
Jack had a gift he shared with all. He could take a complex subject and break it down for others so that we could learn and dialogue on the topic. He had opinions, he was solid and one could easily listen and absorb.
This gift came through, whether he was on the IAF stage speaking about a global issue or talking to me individually.
He knew his stuff! It was always fun to watch Jack and Karen in action at an IAF board meeting or delivering a talk together. They complimented each other.
It was lively yet smooth, even when their perspectives were not totally aligned.
His contributions to our community have helped us grow.
He opened a window on the world
Jack was our invaluable portal to the world of foreign affairs. He shared with us his penetrating knowledge of history and diplomacy derived from both his personal experience and his voracious study.
In the process, we became better educated – whether through his leadership of IAF alongside his spouse, Karen Puschel Segal; his frequent participation in IAF’s monthly events as moderator, interviewer, or presenter; or his extremely popular Extended Education classes at NMC.
Collectively, these contributions, and many others, earned him, along with Karen, the college’s highest honor, being named an NMC Fellow.
He was also a personable, kind friend with an ironic sense of humor. Jack Segal was a mensch.
Our world is smaller without him.