Dr. Stasys Gostautas passed away on March 12th, 2021 at his home on Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
He was born in Kaunas, Lithuania on January 3, 1939. He left Lithuania during World War II in 1944 with his parents and lived in Munich, Germany until emigrating to Colombia. From his youth, he worked for the press in Bogota, with special interest in the arts and in spreading Lithuania’s name and history. He published two books, Arte Lituano (1959) and Arte Colombiano (1960). Stasys moved to Chicago in 1961 and later lived in New York earning a bachelor’s degree from Fordham University in 1966 and his PhD from New York University in 1972. In New York, Stasys continued to work as a journalist for the Spanish magazine Vision. From 1968, he taught Spanish literature at Wellesley College, and later taught at Boston University, Lafayette College, and the University of Texas at Dallas, where he was the editor of the Translation Review magazine as well. He owned several businesses and raised his family in the Boston area. He compiled, edited and published the book Ciurlionis: Painter and Composer in 1994. He wrote in the Lithuanian, English, and Spanish languages to various publications including Vision, Draugas, Aidai, Metmenys, Amerikos Lietuvis, Lituanus and Bridges. He edited the last two magazines. As a member of PEN International, along with his literary colleagues, he helped raise awareness of oppression in Soviet occupied Lithuania, providing support to Lithuania’s dissident writers. Throughout his life, Stasys worked for the freedom of Lithuania and was fortunate to return to his homeland often. Once Lithuania regained independence, he was honored to teach at Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas, Lithuania.
Stasys leaves behind his beloved wife Marija, and his children and grandchildren of whom he was especially proud - son Vytas Gostautas and his fiancé Gema; daughter Maya Zaprauskis and her husband Alex, and granddaughters Saule, Veja, and Lina; daughter Daiva Braunfelds and her fiancé Eric and grandchildren Jonas and Aiste; as well as family and friends in Boston, Lithuania and throughout the world.
Services will be held on Saturday, March 20 at St. Peter’s Lithuanian Church in South Boston with a visitation at 10 AM and a Funeral Mass to follow at 11 AM. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to the Lithuanian American Community, Inc., Cultural Chapter or Camp Neringa Inc. c/o Taupa, PO Box 95 South Boston, MA 02127
Stasys, Tete, Bocius you will live in our hearts.