Ruth’s Obituary Ruth R. (Milukas) Strazdis, 94 Beloved Mother, Grandmother, Great-Grandmother and Friend Lunenburg, MA. -Ruth R. (Milukas) Strazdis, 94, died peacefully at her son’s home on Friday, May 10, 2019 after a period of declining health. Ruth was born Ruta Roze Brone Milukas in Kaunas, Lithuania on December 28, 1924 – the eighth and youngest child of the late Matas and Emilija (Dauknys) Milukas.
After fleeing her country during World War II as a refugee she experienced numerous trials including life-threatening wartime events that tested her faith and resilience. Ultimately she immigrated to the United States by way of wartime Germany, living for periods in Innsbruck and in a UN Displaced Persons camp in Stuttgart, arriving in New York City in 1946 where she, her parents and siblings began to reconstruct their broken lives. She married Albinas Strazdis (who died in 2016) and dedicated herself to raising their children and supporting her husband while he pursued several engineering degrees.
Her nuclear family all resettled in the NYC area and life was filled with many happy reunions and other family events. She was active in the NYC Lithuanian committee and dedicated herself to patronage of the Lithuanian Scouts Association, Annunciation Parish (Apreiskimo Parapija) and the Franciscan Order in Brooklyn, NY – she helped the Franciscans fundraise for and establish a Lithuanian Cultural Center (known as the Kultūros Žindinys, in Lithuanian). One of Ruth’s first jobs after moving to the United States was as a nanny for a Jewish family in Brooklyn – she also worked in the Nabisco Cookie factory in the assembly line.
After retirement, she and Albinas lived in a beautiful lakefront home in Sunny Hills Florida where they enjoyed entertaining their closest friends and family, paddling across the lake with their paddle boat, swimming at Panama City beach and going for long road trips. This chapter of her life closed when she became gravely ill in 2016 and when her husband suddenly passed away. Since then she was living in the care of her son Lucius in his family home and enjoyed attending the Adult Day program at Manor on the Hill in Leominster weekly.
“Mama Ruta” will be remembered for her refreshing candor and her sharp wit. She will be greatly missed by her two children, Joan (“Syte”) Reitz of Madison, WI and Lucius (“Luke”) Strazdis and his wife Vida of Lunenburg; seven grandchildren; six great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. Ruth was predeceased by her eldest son, Albert Vytas Strazdis and seven siblings: Albinas, Anthony (Alfonsas Antanas) Milukas, Matthew (Matas) Milukas, Joseph (Juozas) Milukas, Amelia Matulaitis, Kazimier (Kazys) Milukas and Vytautas (Vytas) Milukas.
Her funeral will be held on Friday May 17, 2019 from the Lunenburg Chapel of the Sawyer-Miller-Masciarelli Funeral Home, 763 Massachusetts Ave, Lunenburg with a Mass at 11:00 am in Our Lady of the Lake Church, 1400 Main St., Leominster, MA 01453. A visiting hour will be held in the funeral home from 9:30 am to 10:30 am prior to the Mass. Burial will be private.
For further information see www. masciarellifamilyfuneralhomes.net, John F. Masciarelli, Walter C. Taylor and James M. Hebert funeral directors.
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