78, of Newburg
Andris Bilmanis, born February 16, 1925 in Rigo, Latvia died at his home in Woodland Point, Maryland, September 5, 2003. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Erika, and their five sons, Robert, Juris, Andris Jr., Janis, and Ivars, their families and ten grandchildren. Andris and Erika came to the United States shortly after World War II. They had met in Germany, after being displaced from their native country of Latvia. Andris and Erika embraced their new home in the states and raise their sons. They became U.S. citizens at the earliest opportunity. He believed strongly in the values of American democracy and participated actively. He raised his family to cherish freedom and honor their Latvian heritage. To support his family, Andris worked hard in the constrution business starting at the bottom and working up to establish himself as a successful building contractor with a loyal following in the Washington metropolitan area. He was noted for his design capabilities and meticulous craftsmanship. One of his most satisfying accomplishments was creating a beautiful home for his family in the lower Potomac River in Charles County, Maryland. The beauty of the environment encouraged Andris and Erika to become involved in the region’s environmental and developmental issues. He devoted much of his retirement to environmental issues. Andris took his citizenship seriouly, a value he leard from his own father who had been a statesman in Latvia. When Latvia again became indepented in 1991, he undertook the preservation of the works of his father, Roberts Bilmanis, as well as those of Dr. Alfreds Bilmanis, the former Latvian ambassador to the U.S. In his final years, Andris established The R/A Bilmanis Memorial Funds UAS, which provises scholarships for investigative journalism and for Latvian history. Andris’ idea was that truth and knowledge were to be promoted and preserved. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made to the Robert/Alfred Bilmanis Memorial, Chevy Chase Bank, 6200 Chevy Chase Drive, Laurel, Maryland 20707.