Jeffrey Paul Bieley

Jeff Bieley, 53, former Head of Office of Political Affairs and Communications at the OSCE mission in Kosovo, died peacefully in Florida on Sunday, July 21, 2024 after a brave battle with cancer. His mother and brother were at his side. Always independent, Jeff chose to remain private about the progression of his illness to protect his friends and family from worry.

Jeff grew up in Larchmont, NY, with his parents, brother and dogs Puppy and Snoopy. A talented student, Jeff excelled in piano and academics. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in economics at the University of Rochester, studied journalism at Northwestern, and earned a Master’s in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard.

Jeff worked as a journalist in the Balkans during the conflicts of the 1990s, then became involved in aid work helping refugees. These experiences inspired his dedicated career in diplomatic relations at both the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and the Office of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in various capacities in Albania, North Macedonia, and Kosovo. Jeff believed wholeheartedly in democracy and human rights and was very proud of his work when Kosovo became a democratic state in 2008.

Personally, Jeff loved to travel (especially to the beach), was a voracious reader, and keenly interested in world politics. He was also a devout Catholic, an amazingly fun uncle who always made time to go to Disney and watch Star Wars, and a wonderful friend to many.

Jeff will be lovingly remembered by his relatives and friends in the USA and abroad. He is survived by mother Patricia Hynes; brother Jonathan Bieley (Kate), nephew Beckett and niece Bronwen; sister Robin Moore and niece Max Moore; sister Sue Chadwick (Wes), nephew Sean Chadwick, niece Sarah Chadwick (Lee) and great-nephew Logan; sister Loren Urtubia, niece Michelle Bowles, and great-niece Lilliana. Predeceased by his father Benson Bieley.

A funeral will be held at the Cathedral of Saint Ignatius Loyola in Palm Beach Gardens, Fl on Saturday, July 27th at 11am eastern. Livestream available at https://www.cathedralpb.com/live-masses/ and on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@cathedralofstignatius-dioc6676/streams

Messages may be emailed to the family at jeff@bieley.com. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the charity of your choice