Internationalism: It’s a Family Thing

By Michal Greenberg, Global Buffs Gazette Editor
Study Abroad, CU-Boulder
 
Don “Stoney” Stonebraker lives in a Boulder home that was designed by his late wife of 72 years, Dorothy Stonebraker. The house is filled with hints of the rich life that Stoney, now 93 years old, has lived. From the Japanese tapestries that hang in his living room to the photos of family in front of London’s Tower Bridge, there’s no denying the impact that Stoney’s international experiences have had, not just on him, but on his entire family. These experiences go beyond memorabilia, however. They reveal themselves when Stoney talks about politics, race issues, climate change, and his overall world view.
 
Stoney himself did not study abroad, but a career in the military serving as a meteorologist for the Army Air Corps provided him with plenty of international opportunities. After a stint in Bermuda, Stoney and his wife found themselves living in Greenland shortly after the end of World War II. While Stoney befriended Danish royalty, Dorothy explored the country by boat. Stoney remembers especially fondly a trip he made to Thule (now known as Pituffik), a settlement in the far northwest of Greenland, well above the Arctic Circle. While there, Stoney spent time getting to know the local Greenlandic Inuits, even being invited as a guest into their igloos.
 
Their next international adventure occurred when the Army sent Stoney, Dorothy, and their two young sons to Japan. Their time spent in Japan had an especially deep impact on Stoney’s youngest son Mel. It was rare at that time for students to study abroad, and yet both of Stoney and Dorothy’s sons did so. Mel went on to major in East Asian studies while a student at CU-Boulder, and studied abroad for a year in Taiwan. After graduating, Mel’s interest and experience in the region proved valuable for his career, when he landed a new job which took him to Singapore. It also happened to have a deep impact on his personal life, as he met his wife while there.
 
Stoney’s older son, Mark, studied abroad for a year in Germany, focusing on his language proficiency. Stoney himself speaks 6 languages, including the Danish he learned while in Greenland. Stoney’s granddaughter’s interests took her to China, where she visited the Great Wall and the Terra Cotta Warriors in Xi’an.
 
The Stonebrakers’ adventures are encapsulated in huge, framed photo collages of their international travels from across the decades. Stoney is proud to call the Stonebraker clan “a family of internationalists” and scoffs at the notion that we live in a time when it’s too dangerous to travel.
 
“Every generation thinks the world is going to hell in a handbasket,” says Stoney. He says that it’s important not to let your fear stop you from doing what you want to do, and going where you want to go.
 
And perhaps it’s during times of conflict that it’s even more important to engage in international experiences. Stoney and Dorothy’s own travels began in war, and the experiences they had abroad affected their lives once they returned to the United States. Dorothy marched in Selma with the Civil Rights movement. She and Stoney both became extremely involved in the local community. And it’s clear that the example they have set and the passion they exude is being passed down from generation to generation.