Richard Queen, 51; Embassy Officer Among Tehran Hostages in 1979
- Share via
Richard I. Queen, 51, one of 66 people taken hostage by Islamic militants who seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran, in 1979, died Wednesday in Falls Church, Va., of complications of multiple sclerosis.
The suburban Washington man had been a State Department consular officer at the embassy for about four months when he was seized with the others.
He was released in July 1980 after 250 days in captivity when Iranian doctors discovered an undetermined illness that turned out to be multiple sclerosis.
After the remaining hostages were released on Jan. 20, 1981, Queen resumed his diplomatic career. He served as an aide to the U.S. ambassador to Britain and as a consular officer in Toronto.
Queen’s illness forced him to retire in 1995.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
