Alma Adamkienė

{{Short description|Former First Lady of Lithuania}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Alma Adamkienė

| image name = Alma adamkiene in vilnius (cropped).jpg

| alt =

| imagesize =

| office = First Lady of Lithuania

| term_label = In role

| term_start = 26 February 1998

| term_end = 26 February 2003

| president = Valdas Adamkus

| term_label2 = In role

| predecessor = Julija Brazauskienė

| successor = Laima Paksienė

| term_start2 = 12 July 2004

| term_end2 = 12 July 2009

| predecessor2 = Laima Paksienė

| successor2 = Diana Nausėdienė (2019)

| president2 = Valdas Adamkus

| birth_name = Alma Nutautaitė

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1927|02|10}}

| birth_place = Šiauliai, Lithuania

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2023|05|21|1927|02|10}}

| death_place = Vilnius, Lithuania

| nationality = Lithuanian/American

| party =

| spouse = Valdas Adamkus (m. 1951)

| relations =

| residence =

| alma_mater = Friedrich-Alexander-University, Erlangen-Nuremberg

| profession = Philology

| website =

| footnotes =

| signature =

}}

Alma Adamkienė (née Nutautaitė; 10 February 1927 – 21 May 2023) was a Lithuanian philologist and philanthropist. She was the wife of the president of Lithuania, Valdas Adamkus, and was First Lady during his two terms (1998–2003 and 2004–2009). She also held United States citizenship.

Early life

Adamkienė was born in Šiauliai on 10 February 1928.{{cite web|title=Alma Adamkiene, The First Lady |publisher=Office of the President of Lithuania|url=http://www.adamkus.lt/en/family.phtml|accessdate=13 April 2009}} Her father, Stasys Nutautas, was a businessman; her mother, Ona Soblytė-Nutautienė, assisted her husband in various commercial activities. In 1944, when the Soviet Army returned to Lithuania, Alma Nutautaitė fled with her family to the West. She finished high school in Germany, and later studied Philology at Erlangen University in Nuremberg.

Life in the United States

Alma Nutautaitė emigrated to the United States in 1949. She first worked as a laboratory assistant at a steel factory. Later, she took a position with an insurance company. She also organized and participated in Lithuanian émigré activities. Nutautaitė married Valdas Adamkus in 1951, and took her husband's surname (she was known as Alma Adamkus in the United States).{{cite web|title=Behind the scenes. The nation's First Lady plays a vital role in her husband's career|publisher=Office of the President of Lithuania|url=https://www.adamkus.lt/en/alma.phtml|accessdate=13 April 2009}}

First Lady

During the presidential election held in Lithuania in 1997, Valdas Adamkus campaigned for the presidency and won. After Adamkus became president, Adamkienė became involved in various Lithuanian social programs focusing on the welfare of children. She opened a foundation, the Alma Adamkienė Charity and Support Fund, in 1999.

Personal life and death

Adamkienė had no children. She died from a stroke in Vilnius, on 21 May 2023, at the age of 96.{{cite news |title=Lithuania's former first lady Alma Adamkienė passes away aged 96 |url=https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/1792093/lithuania-s-former-first-lady-alma-adamkiene-passes-away-aged-96 |access-date=21 May 2023 |work=Lithuanian National Radio and Television |date=21 May 2023 |language=en}}

Honours

1998 : Member 1st Class of the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise{{Cite web|url=https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/1213/98|title = Про нагородження відзнакою Президента України "Орден князя Ярослава Мудрого"}}

2001 : Grand Cross of the Order of the Three Stars{{Cite web|url=https://www.vestnesis.lv/ta/id/4853|title=Par apbalvošanu ar Triju Zvaigžņu ordeni - Latvijas Vēstnesis|last=vestnesis.lv|date=|website=www.vestnesis.lv|language=lv|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190926121748/https://www.vestnesis.lv/ta/id/4853 |archive-date=26 September 2019 |access-date=22 October 2019}}

2004 : Member 1st Class of the Order of the White Star{{Cite web|url=https://www.president.ee/et/vabariik/teenetemargid/kavaler/4562/*|title=Vabariigi President|website=www.president.ee|access-date=27 August 2019}}

2006 : Grand Cross in the Order of the Crown.{{Cite web|url=http://archyvas.lrp.lt/en/news.full/6486|title=President of the Republic of Lithuania - the Belgian Royal Couple pays the first visit to Lithuania|access-date=22 November 2016|archive-date=25 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425235113/http://archyvas.lrp.lt/en/news.full/6486|url-status=dead}}

2007 : Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Henry{{Cite web|url=http://www.ordens.presidencia.pt/?idc=154&list=1|title=ENTIDADES ESTRANGEIRAS AGRACIADAS COM ORDENS PORTUGUESAS - Página Oficial das Ordens Honoríficas Portuguesas|website=www.ordens.presidencia.pt|access-date=27 August 2019}}

2009 : Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland{{Cite web|url=http://prawo.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/DocDetails.xsp?id=WMP20090360548|title=Postanowienie Prezydenta Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej z dnia 15 kwietnia 2009 r. o nadaniu orderów|website=prawo.sejm.gov.pl|access-date=27 August 2019|archive-date=16 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190716105215/http://prawo.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/DocDetails.xsp?id=WMP20090360548|url-status=dead}}

References

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