ZIGMAS (ZIGGY) BRAZAUSKAS

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ZIGMAS (ZIGGY) BRAZAUSKAS On Sunday, June 17, 2001, at the Portage District General Hospital, Zigmas (Ziggy) Brazauskas of Portage la Prairie, beloved friend of Mary Kiniauskas, passed away at the age of 84 years after several battles with cancer. He is survived by two daughters, Ruth (David) and Susanna of Winnipeg; one grandchild Jocelyn (Richard) and three great-grandchildren, Sarah Ashley, Karli Lorraine, and baby John Zigmas of Rennie, MB. Also left to mourn his passing is his longtime companion, Mary Kiniauskas; three sisters, Albina of Winnipeg, Elena and Antose of Lithuania. Zigmas was predeceased by his wife Marta in 1957 and 18 siblings. Zigmas was born on May 9, 1917, in the village of Bartininkai, in Lithuania. The large family farm where he grew up was maintained with the help of many siblings - 12 brothers and nine sisters. By the time the Second World War broke out, Zigmas had already enlisted in the Lithuanian army, to serve his country as a medical sergeant. As a result of the Russian occupation of Lithuania, the Brazauskas family farm was confiscated and nationalized. Several siblings were executed for their resistance to the New Regime or deported to camps in Siberia. Following the harsh years of the war, Zigmas worked as a medical nurse for UNRRA (United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration) in Lubeck, Germany. In 1947 he immigrated to England, where he married his dear wife Marta and completed his psychiatric nursing course work requirements. Shortly after their daughter, Ruth, was born, Zigmas and his family immigrated to Canada, crossing the Atlantic in 1952 to settle in Portage La Prairie where Susanna was born. Zigmas began a career as a psychiatric nurse at the Manitoba Developmental Centre which continued for 30 years. Just four years after they immigrated to Canada, Zigmas life took another harsh turn when his wife died in 1957, leaving him with two young daughters to raise. Zigmas took on part-time work to help pay for housekeepers and began to spend more time developing his interest in both music and gardening. As a gardener, he won local landscaping competitions and as an accomplished musician, he was able to play a number of different instruments, including the accordion, violin, and mandolin. And fate once again took a hand, this time giving his life direction in unexpectedly positive ways. While working at MDC, Zigmas met Clarence "Bingo" Asham, who was admitted as a resident in 1959, and with whom he developed a lifelong musical and personal relationship. When Clarence began showing some evidence of musical ability, Zigmas took him under his wing and began to teach him how to play the piano accordion. He took Clarence home with him to practice for many long hours and Clarence became part of the family, joining them for special events such as Christmas celebrations and birthdays. For the next 23 years Zigmas was to train and accompany Clarence for about 150 public appearances, crisscrossing the province, and including one trip to Toronto. Their performances frequently helped raise money for various charities, attracting a great deal of media attention, and also helped Clarence to discover a whole new world outside institutional life. When Zigmas retired in 1982, his interest in Clarences life continued; he helped in the deinstitutionalization process which resulted in a new home in Winnipeg for Clarence. Another significant highlight of Zigmas life was his deep, close friendship with Mary Kiniauskas, with whom he discovered a renewed interest in life and shared cultural ties. Throughout his life in Canada, Zigmas had continued to take a strong interest in Lithuania. He became a member of St. Casimirs Lithuanian Catholic Church, maintaining ties in this way with other Lithuanian emigres in Winnipeg. Zigmas and Mary also socialized with relatives and with Lithuanian families who had settled in the area around Carberry. Zigmas has been described as a man in whom may be found "the affirmation of the ability to persevere, and the basic courage of the human soul." His caring nature was also evident in the way he was regarded by both staff and residents of the Manitoba Developmental Centre. There, he was described as having shown loyalty, dependability and consideration for his patients, displaying a manner marked by "old-world courtesy underlain by a sense of humour". Zigmas has left many people richer for having known him. Special thanks to Sunset Palliative Care and all the nurses at Portage District General Hospital that cared for Ziggy. Prayers and eulogy will be held in the Chapel of the Omega Funeral Home on Tuesday, June 19 at 7:00 p.m. Funeral mass will be held at the Good Shepherd Parish Church on Wednesday, June 20 at 11:00 a.m. Interment will follow at Hillside Cemetery. Should friends so desire memorial donations may be made to the Sunset Palliative Care Inc., Box 92, Portage la Prairie, MB R1N 3A7. The Omega Funeral Home is in care of the arrangements. Friends may leave a message and sign the register book at our web site www.legacy.com "Where life stories live on".

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jun 19, 2001