Benedict Vytenis Maciuika

Benedict Vytenis Maciuika, 90, of Storrs, CT, passed away on Saturday, November 10, 2018. Born in Kaunas, Lithuania, on November 16, 1927, he emigrated to the U.S.A. in 1949. A graduate of the Aušra high school in Kaunas, Benedict also attended Heidelberg University for two years, eventually completing a Ph.D. in political science and international relations at the University of Chicago under Hans Morgenthau. He taught as a professor of European history at the University of Connecticut for 36 years, publishing in the fields of Baltic studies, Lithuanian history, and Soviet studies. Benedict also remained active in such Lithuanian studies professional organizations as the American Association of Baltic Studies and Santara Sviesa, of which he was a founding member. He made numerous trips to Europe and Lithuania, attending conferences and keeping in touch with relatives and colleagues in the field. He was pre-deceased by his son Paul in 1995. In addition to his loving wife Grazina, he is survived by his daughter Laura of San Ramon, California, and son John of New York City. Funeral Services will be at Saint Thomas Aquinas church in Storrs, CT, on Friday, November 16, 2018, at 10:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent in Benedict's memory to a charity that supports orphans in Lithuania: Saulutė, 1133 Amber Drive, Lemont, IL  60439.

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