Taking leave of plum ambassadorial assignments can be a sad affair for popular envoys and their spouses, especially those who have succeeded in keeping bilateral relations on an even keel. When tenures exceed the average four years, it’s even harder to say goodbye to the power and perquisites, to say nothing of the many pals made along the way.
How fortunate and suitable then, that former French Ambassador Francois Bujon de l’Etang and his ever-chic wife Anne not only have the perfect reason to return after their seven and a half years en poste — but can, by so doing, benefit a worthy cause as well.
Credit Mrs. Bujon for agreeing to serve as guest of honor for the Alliance Francaise’s annual fundraiser supporting the Anne Bujon Educational Initiative for French language instruction, music, theater and art activities in D.C.’s public schools.
“We asked her what she would like as a farewell gift and she said she wanted to give back something to the children of Washington,” dinner chairwoman Dianne Alfandre Bruce explained Friday night as guests mingled in the French Embassy residence’s elegant red drawing room.
French Ambassador Jean-David Levitte and his wife, Marie-Cecile, who succeeded the Bujons in 2002, couldn’t have been more perfect hosts as they welcomed 80-plus black-tie guests who raised $68,000 for the cause.
Nor could the guests (including Alliance trustees Philip Pillsbury, Willee Lewis and Gertrude d’Amecourt) have been disappointed with a fete that included vintage champagne, sumptuous French fare, and an after-dinner program of Poulenc and Bizet sung by soprano Courtenay Schowalter.
The Bujons, of course, were touched by the turnout and fuss, made even easier because, as Mrs. Bujon put it, she and her husband are “very good friends” of the Levittes.
“I’m coming back forever,” she promised friends at evening’s end, much to everyone’s delight.
— Kevin Chaffee
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