Ligija B. Simanavicius

Ligija Simanavicius, 85, of Poughkeepsie, NY, died on October 1, 2025, following a courageous battle with cancer.

Born in Kaunas, Lithuania in 1940, Ligija and her family fled Soviet Occupation in 1944. After spending five years in a Displaced Persons Camp in Augsburg, Germany, her family was sponsored to emigrate to the United States. Ligija lived in New York City until 1972.

Ligija received a BS in Psychology from CCNY, an MSSW from Fordham School of Social Service, and a Post Graduate Certificate in Family Therapy from The Center for Family Learning. Ligija was a Supervisor at Astor Child Guidance Clinic in Poughkeepsie, NY in the 1970s. She then served as Director of Social Services at Craig House in Beacon, NY, before returning to Astor Clinic and finally to Astor's Family Court Service from which she retired in 2013. Ligija was an active volunteer with the Poughkeepsie Library System.

Social Work was Ligija's vocation and true calling. She felt grateful to have built a career that allowed her to form relationships, gain trust and reach people in very rare, vulnerable and tender ways. She engaged with others through the lens of empathy. While Ligija was strong-willed and stubborn, she had an enormous heart and a wonderful sense of humor.

Ligija had many passions. She adored pickleball, line dancing, and considered Bridge to be one of life's greatest pleasures. Ligija always loved Manhattan and often jumped on the train to see plays, museum exhibits, The Met Opera, and to simply take in the food, life and culture of it all. She made frequent pilgrimages to the beach and had a flare for international travel, most recently visiting Antarctica at age 83!

In addition to her parents, Ligija was preceded in death by her husband, Kestutis Simanavicius, who died of colon cancer in 1974.

Ligija is survived by her daughter Sanda and her husband Rick, her sister, Renata Alinskas of Ridgewood, Queens, brother-in-law Rev. Augustinas Simanavicius, sister-in-law Ruta Simanavicius, nephews Rimas and Linas Alinskas, Algis Rajeckas, Anthony and Johnny Simanavicius, Antanas Ragazinskas, nieces Audrey Trachtenberg, Zita Melvin, Rasa Chomyc, Dale, Laima, Lina, Daiva, Irmina and Jolanta Simanavicius, Aldona Jaksevicius, Violeta Laurin, Margarita Kybartas, Nijole Clarke, Algie Powers, and their families. Ligija is also survived by many wonderful friends. Throughout her life, family and friends were most dear to her.

As Ligija prioritized finding joy in life and sharing it with others, the family asks that you do the same - go out and do something that brings you real joy and share it with those around you.

A Funeral Mass will be held at St. Martin de Porres in Poughkeepsie on October 13th at 10:30 am. Directly after, we invite all to celebrate Ligija and to join us for lunch at Locust Grove (Samuel Morse Estate). Ligija will be buried with her husband in St. John's Cemetery in Queens, NY the following day at 11:30.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Neringa.org, a Lithuanian summer camp in Vermont that Ligija strongly supported and helped shape Sanda to be the person she is today.