Memories poured in for Tyler Chapman Holt, a foreign service officer with the United States Agency for International Development who silently battled glioblastoma for 16 months. Beloved by those who served with him, the tributes recalled his intellect, kindness, humor and insight. Endlessly positive and optimistic, Holt was an economist who, as one colleague wrote, had the “enviable combination of technical expertise and diplomatic aplomb.” A natural leader and mentor, Holt had a mischievous, playful streak that delighted. It also lightened the stress when challenges were tough. In photos, --surrounded by friends, family and co-workers - Tyler’s wit, charm and sense of fun were captured in his dazzling smile. Tyler died September 28, 2021 at his home in Bethesda, Md. His greatest joys in life were his wife, Anne Holt (Martin) and children, Lillian and Daniel. A lover of the classics, he would regale Lilly and Daniel with Greek myths at bedtime, often reading from “The Odyssey” or “Iliad.” Puppet shows, treasure hunts and squirt gun birthday parties featured Tyler front-and-center, enrapturing the kids with his voice and antics. No matter how demanding his job, his family was dearest. In a brief video response to the emails, Tyler’s daughter, Lilly, read his message of thanks: “I have heard that many of you have donated money. We already feel rich with family and friends.” He suggested donations might go instead toward introducing a teenager to another culture. Just such an experience with American Field Service (AFS) was the catalyst for his interest in international development. As a high school exchange student to Kenya, he lived with a Rwandan family and attended the Nairobi School for Boys. The son of a naval officer, Tyler was born in Newport, R.I., in 1966 and spent his childhood in Honolulu and Lafayette, Calif. He graduated from Acalanes High School and received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and economics from Wesleyan University in 1988 and a master’s degree in international development economics from American University in 1997. In 1998, he met his wife on Biltmore Street in Adams Morgan, DC, where she had grown up during interim tours as the daughter of a foreign service officer. Their romance melded multiple groups of friends: runners, public policy and development bank interns, and music club devotees. They married in Shepherdstown, W.Va., in May 2000 and departed days later for Egypt. Subsequent assignments took them to the Philippines, then Egypt for a second time, Washington, DC, Germany (Middle East Regional Program), and Ethiopia, along with an unaccompanied year in Iraq for Tyler. Their community of friends grew with each overseas adventure. It was a romance and love that never faltered. They were partners in most everything, Tyler always game for practicing bargaining skills at local markets and Anne signing the family up for trips and tours. Both shared a penchant for learning languages – between them Spanish, Portuguese, French, Arabic and German. The emails that poured in described warm-hearted potluck gatherings, hikes, costume parties, karaoke singing, philosophical and political discussions. Their home was welcoming to all. Tyler’s passion for running began in high school, continued through his years at Wesleyan and then wove through all chapters of his life. As a newcomer to DC, the Fleet Feet group introduced him to the trails of Rock Creek Park and powered him through the Boston and NYC marathons. Overseas, he found a mixture of peace, exhilaration, and consternation in running through the dry wadis, chaotic streets, and dense woods near their homes in Cairo, Manila, Frankfurt and Addis. And, on home leave in California, he loved returning to the familiar rim trail of the Lafayette reservoir behind his house. Even in his final year, his daughter, Lilly would join him on regular jogs along the C&O Canal towpath. Among the many emails, Patrick and Ha Aronson, recalled a trip up the Mekong, the river sometimes coursing through rapids and rocky terrain. But that same water “often swept us gently along, surrounded by our friends and family,” they wrote. “What’s important is not how many turns the river made before reaching the sea, but how we enjoyed those turns as they happened.” Tyler enjoyed every turn during his too-short life. Holt is survived by his wife, Anne Holt (Martin), of Bethesda, Md.; children, Lillian and Daniel Holt; parents, Robin and Richard Holt of Lafayette, Calif.; his sister, Stannie Holt, of San Mateo, Calif.; and brother, Spencer Holt, of San Diego, Calif. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Tyler’s name to: AFS-USA’s Faces of America Program https://www.afsusa.org/faces-of-america/ or to the JSSA Hospice of Montgomery County https://www.jssa.org/