[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 21308]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING STANLEY BALZEKAS ON THE OCCASION OF HIS 80TH BIRTHDAY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. WILLIAM O. LIPINSKI

                               of illnois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, October 5, 2004

  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a 
remarkable gentleman, and friend, Mr. Stanley Balzekas in the 
celebration of his 80th birthday on October 8, 1924. It is with great 
honor that I recognize the contributions of a man who continues to 
serve the community of the Third Congressional District of Illinois.
  The Balzekas family's years of service have been an invaluable 
contribution to the City of Chicago and beyond, as the Balzekas family 
members have been prominent leaders in the business and cultural life 
of our community. Stanley Balzekas's personal sacrifices of time and 
energy to family, friends and country stand as a testament of a truly 
fine individual. For his service to our Nation in the United States 
Army during World War II, we owe Mr. Balzekas a debt of gratitude.
  Mr. Balzekas's interest and dedication to Chicago's great Lithuanian 
population has made him one of the foremost leaders amongst Chicago's 
diverse, ethnic communities; his great desire to bring peace to all 
people for the betterment of mankind is just one of his many noble 
qualities. He has worked with leading institutions, such as the Library 
of Congress, the National Endowment of the Arts and Humanities, Baltic 
freedom organizations, and the Chicago Public Library to enhance the 
world's understanding of Lithuania's deep history.
  Mr. Balzekas has enriched the diverse fabric of our entire Chicago 
community by founding the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture, one of 
the largest ethnic museums and libraries in the United States. Through 
such measures, Mr. Balzekas has been a dedicated guardian of the 
heritage, history and culture of this nation's Lithuanian ancestry.
  Currently, Mr. Balzekas proudly serves as the Honorary Consul General 
of the Consulate for the Republic of Lithuania in Palm Beach, Florida. 
He also presides over the Ethnic Cultural Preservation Council, Chicago 
Sister Cities International Committee, the Baltic Foundation, Ukrainian 
Institute of Modern Art and as vice-chairman for the Lithuanian-
American Council.
  Mr. Balzekas has been blessed with a wonderful family of three 
children and four grandchildren, all of which will be celebrating his 
birthday this week.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring Mr. Stanley 
Balzekas on reaching the milestone year of 80, and I wish him many 
future years of happiness and enjoyment in his personal and 
professional endeavors.

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