Roman Biliunas

BILIUNAS On October 2, 2006, Col. Roman Biliunas, USAF (Ret.), 74, died at home surrounded by his family. He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Nina Zickus Biliunas; three children and their spouses, Ramona Biliunas (Jeff Goad), Chicago, Ill., Julie Biliunas Killian (Bill), Greensboro, N.C. and Michael Biliunas (Lainee), Richmond, Va.; and four grandchildren, Jeffrey, Laura, Mark and Natalie. He is also survived by two sisters, Cecilia Mitkus and Zita Sodeika; many nieces, nephews and friends. Born in Lithuania on February 28, 1932, he came to the U.S. in 1948. In 1950, he entered the Air Force to give back to the country that gave him and his family the freedom and liberties we are still privileged to hold today. While in the military, Roman (also known as "Bill"), attended the University of Illinois, graduating summa cum laude with a B.S. in Industrial Engineering in 1964, and earned an M.S. in Economics from the University of Maryland in 1975. He had a variety of command and operations assignments, including one tour in Vietnam. While at the Pentagon, as Deputy Director of Manpower and Organization, USAF HQ, he was the single most influential person establishing Air Force manpower requirements. His highly respected expertise and innovative thinking resulted in major strengthening of the nation's defense, for which he received the highest military decoration, the Legion of Merit. He also received numerous medals and awards. After 36 years of distinguished service, he retired from the Air Force in 1986 and worked as a consultant for Economic Systems, Inc., in Falls Church, Va. In 1999, he and Nina moved to Richmond, Va. Roman was one of the good guys whose kindness, charm, good nature and truly one-of-a-kind puns will be greatly missed by those who knew and loved him. Visitation from 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday, October 7, 2006, at the West Chapel of Bennett Funeral Home, 11020 W. Broad St., Glen Allen, Va. 23060. Funeral services will be on Friday, November 17, 2006, 8:45 a.m., at the Old Post Chapel, Ft. Myer, Va., to be followed immediately by full military honors and interment at Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Roman's memory be made to Air Force Villages Charitable Foundation (memo: Roman Biliunas/ Widows in Need Endowment), 5100 John D. Ryan Blvd., San Antonio, Texas. 78245; or Parkinson's Disease Foundation, Inc. (memo: Roman Biliunas), 1359 Broadway, Suite 1509, New York, N.Y. 10018, www.pdf.org.