Casimir (Kazimieras) Norkeliunas 80, of Naples, FL formerly of Hyde Park, NY and Waterbury, CT passed away at his home in Naples on January 31, 2018. Born in Kybartai, Lithuania, he was the son of Kazimieras and Ona Norkeliunas.

Casimir’s early education was in American Red Cross Schools in Germany. He graduated from Crosby High School in Waterbury, CT in 1956, received a B.A. in English, with minors in History and German, in 1960 from the University of Bridgeport in Bridgeport, CT and was awarded a Certificate in Russian Language Fluency in 1962 from Yale University. He received an M.A. degree in Russian Area Studies (with a National Defense Scholarship) in 1962 from Fordham University and received a Ph.D. in Slavic Linguistics and Literature in 1978 from New York University.

Casimir was an Associate Professor of Russian and German at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY. He was a member of St. Joseph Church in Waterbury, CT and a member of Heritage Professors at Marist College. Additionally, he did scholarly research at the University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England and lead the Annual Study Tour with Marist College students to the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation. He enjoyed leading student tours to the former Soviet Union and during the course of the preceding visits made contacts with academics, businessmen and relatives. From 1969-97 he had taken well over a thousand students to the former Soviet Union, namely Russia, Ukraine, Central Asia and the Baltic States. He cherished summers with family in Eastham, Cape Cod, and spending time reading and writing.

Casimir is survived by his loving wife, Sue Ames Norkeliunas; his sons, John A. (Donna) Norkeliunas of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and Naples, FL and Philip A. Norkeliunas of Whitehouse, NJ; daughter, Ellen (Michael) Lanza of Staten Island, NY; grandchildren, Michael (Katrina) Lanza of Brooklyn, NY, Jennifer (William) Henson of Staten Island, NY, Andrew Lanza of Staten Island, NY, and Kristin, Katherine, John and Madeline Norkeliunas of Naples; and his sister, Helen Norkus of Waterbury, CT. He was preceded in death by his three brothers, Alexander Norkeliunas of Waterbury, CT, Adolf Norkeliunas of Kaunas, Lithuania and Edward Norkeliunas of Queensland, Australia.

A memorial celebration of Casimir’s life is being planned at Marist College, Poughkeepsie, NY in the spring. Interment will be private in Evergreen Cemetery in Eastham, Cape Cod, MA.

The Norkeliunas family respectfully requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations be made to The Alzheimer’s Support Network, 660 Tamiami Trail N., Suite 21, Naples, FL 34102.

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