Liudas was born in Jurbarkas, Lithuania in January 1944. During the confusion and chaos of World War II, his father, Jonas, and mother, Antanina, decided to leave Lithuania later that same year with him and his older sister, Virginija. Saying goodbye to family, possibly for forever, they fled their homeland and found themselves in DP (displaced persons) camps in Germany. After sheltering in the safety of the camps for a number of years, the entire family made their way across the Atlantic Ocean, landed in Nova Scotia, and eventually settled on Dorval Road the High Park area of Toronto.

Little did he know that his future wife, Jean, was living only a 3 minute walk away from him, around the corner on Wanda Road. Introduced by one of her brothers, Liudas and Jean began dating during high school. He would often wait for her outside once the final school bell had rung and would drive her home in a different car each time he picked her up, as he was a car jockey at a local dealership. When he finally asked his soon-to-be father-in-law for her hand in marriage, he was told he would have to wait one more year. And he did. Ever so patiently. They were married in 1968. Friends and family that shared that special day with them on October 5 were privy to the beginning of a love that would last a lifetime.

Before Jean said, “I do”, she found out that Liudas was eager to start a baseball team-sized family. After he realized how expensive that was going to be, they negotiated and lovingly brought 4 children into the world: Kathleen (Sebastien), Jennifer (Toby), Lisa (Andrius) and Jason, who died suddenly in 1978.

After a stint at Acme Screw and Gear, he followed his father’s footsteps and landed a job in the best industry in the world: BEER. Carling O’Keefe Brewery asked him to sign on the dotted line to join their organization in 1971. BIG LOU (as he was known at work) entered the doors of that brewery punctually for 37 loyal years. During that time, he graciously volunteered his own personal ‘quality and assurance protocols’ on the products that he helped brew and package. His standards demanded an extremely high-end quality product…and his testing was nothing less than rigorous to ensure that. His route to work from Aloma Crescent in Bramalea to the brewery eventually migrated to Blue Spruce Avenue in Burlington to the brewery. The time spent in both neighbourhoods cultivated friendships that have lasted to this very day. When he decided to put in his last shift at the brewery, he retired his original employee ID (Clock #92) in January of 2008. Retirement was a dream for Liudas, as he got to spend well-deserved time with his 4 grandchildren: Andrius, Anastazija, Genevieve and Penelope. And of course more time with Jean, the absolute and only love of his life.

To say BIG LOU was larger than life was an understatement. This proud Lithuanian flag-waving, kugelis-eating, beer-drinking, crime-story reading, joke-telling, sports-watching, cap-collecting, music-loving man was a dear friend to everyone he knew and met. The man who chatted spontaneously with strangers, whether warning them of an untied shoelace or commenting on their sports jersey, was a man who possessed bottomless charm, limitless charisma, a wild sense of humour, the warmest personality, a calming natural ease and untamable love of life. He was as organic as they come. No mold could contain the gifts he was given (especially that perm of his in the 70s and 80s!), so there wasn’t one to be broken after he was cast.
Liudas is predeceased by his parents, Jonas and Antanina, as well as his sister Virginija and her husband Juozas. Liudas was also loved by a large extended family, including Pat and Mary, Anne and John, Belle, Danny and Gertie, Sharon, Johnny and Andi, Bill and Wendy as well as his many nieces and nephews on both sides of the families, both in Canada and Lithuania.

BIG LOU’s farewell will be held at Prisikelimo Parapija – RC Church of the Resurrection (1 Resurrection Road, located near Bloor and Islington). A live stream will be available on YouTube. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m.until time of Funeral Mass at 11 a.m., followed by a luncheon downstairs to celebrate the life of this absolute LEGEND of a man we were proud to call husband, Dad, Papa and friend.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to support the following amazing organizations, St Peter’s Hospital or Bladder Cancer Canada