Vaiva Radasta Gust

1954 - 2008

Vaiva Radasta Vebra Gust, of Durham, Connecticut, was born in New Haven August 24, 1954. Her parents, Juozas Vebra and Genovaite Zidonis Vebra, were political refugees from Lithuania. She died December 13, 2008, from complications related to a recurrence of breast cancer. At the time of her death, Vaiva was Counselor for Education Matters to the President of Lithuania, Valdas Adamkus, and she served as Vice Minister of Education in Lithuania from 1998 to 2001. Vaiva will be interred in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Throughout her life Vaiva provided charismatic leadership to the Lithuanian-Americans living in the U.S., founding and leading a variety of educational and cultural organizations, from Saturday schools to folk dance groups. February 16 is the anniversary of Lithuanian independence, and for many years Vaiva was a much-sought speaker around the country for these commemorative events. From 2003 to 2006 she served as President of Lietuviu Bendruomine (the Lithuanian-American Community), where she focused on drawing a new generation of Lithuanian immigrants into the activist fold. Perhaps Vaiva’s single most notable achievement was the co-founding, with Jurate Krokys of Philadelphia, of a private voluntary organization to promote relationships between education professionals in Lithuania and the United States after Lithuanian independence was restored in 1990. Dubbed the American Professional Partnership for Lithuanian Education (A.P.P.L.E.), the organization sponsored in-service professional development summer seminars in Lithuania, staffed and taught by American teachers donating their time to boost the stature of Lithuanian educators, improve the education of Lithuania’s children, and so facilitate Lithuania’s successful return to the western world. Thousands of Lithuania’s teachers have participated in the A.P.P.L.E. courses over the years.
Vaiva received her B.S. from MIT in 1975 and her M.S. from Yale University in 1980. She was an avid reader, gardener and gourmet cook. A dedicated, creative and loving wife and mother, Vaiva is survived by her husband of 31 years, James Gust; sons Aras Vebra, Lokys Gust and Sirvydas Vebra and daughter Liepa Gust; her daughter-in-law Renata and her granddaughter Adrija; and by her half-siblings Silvija, Evaldas and Aristidas in Lithuania. The funeral will be Saturday, December 20th, 9:15 a.m. from the Dillon-Baxter Funeral Home, 1276 Berlin Tpke. Wethersfield, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial, 10 a.m. in Holy Trinity Church, 53 Capitol Ave. Hartford. Burial will be in Vilnius, Lithuania. Friends may call at Dillon-Baxter Funeral Home, Friday, December 19th, 5-8 p.m.Tributes and condolence messages are being collected at myvaiva.blogspot.com. The family requests that in lieu of flowers donations should be made to Lithuanian American Community, Inc.-Democracy Development Fund, 2715 East Allegheny Avenue, Philadelphia, PA.