KESTUTIS G. CHESONIS

Our loving husband, father and brother, Kestutis died following a hard-fought battle with prostate cancer on December 23, 2010 at his home in Baltimore, Md., surrounded by his loving family.He was 69 years old.  Born in Marijampolis, Lithuania, he came to the United States with his parents and brother in 1949 during Lithuania's occupation by the Soviet Union.  He was faithful to his Lithuanian heritage, serving his community: as president of the Baltimore Lithuanian Community; board of directors for the Lithuanian Hall Association; and from 1973-1997, as the chair of the Baltimore Lithuanian Festival Committee.  He had a deep and abiding commitment to provide for the less fortunate, supporting orphans in Lithuania through various charities.  He was committed to supporting excellence in education and character development through the Jesuit schools in Lithuania.

Kestutis received his bachelor of science in chemistry from Johns Hopkins University in 1973. He had a successful career as a research and coatings chemist with Lenmar, a Baltimore-based company, and for the past 25 years with the U.S. Department of the Army's Research Laboratory in Aberdeen, Md.  He received  awards in 1999, 2000 and 2010 for technical excellence and for the development of environmentally compliant chemical agent coatings.

He is survived by his wife of 22 years, Lucy Garliauskas; his three children (Daiva Chesonis and granddaughter, Olivija, of Telluride, Colo.; Nida Chesonis Lee and her husband, Vincent, of Brooklyn, N.Y.; and Darius Chesonis and granddaughter, Felicija, of Baltimore, Md.); his brother Rimas Chesonis, his wife, Roma, and their children and grandchildren of Rochester, N.Y.; his cousin, Mrs. Albina Faidley, of Baltimore, Md.; his brother-in-law Stan Garas and his wife, Nadia, and family, and sister-in-law Regina Goebel and her husband, Richard, of Michigan; and sister-in-law, Sister Michele Garas, O.S.F. in Utena, Lithuania.

A Memorial Mass and service will be held on Saturday, January 22nd, 2011 at 10:00 AM at  St. Alphonsus Church  114 West Saratoga Street , Baltimore, MD., 21201. Donations in his memory may be sent to support Jesuit Schools in Lithuania, Jesuit Fathers – Baltic Project , 1380 Castlewood Drive, Lemont, Il 60439 (Tax Exempt # 36-2257-083).