Vilius Židonis

Vilius Židonis (26 April 1933 – 25 February 2018) was a Lithuanian mechanical engineer, inventor, founder of the Lithuanian Academy of Applied Sciences, and the minister of national resources of the Ministry of Economy and Innovation from 1991 to 1992. He is best known for furthering the development of automated production in the Soviet Union, for which he was awarded multiple prizes. He is the father of author and painter Violeta Židonytė.

Biography Early life Vilius Židonis was born on 26 April 1933 in the village of of the Pasvalys district in Lithuania to well-off farmer Juozapas Židonis and teacher Apolonija Gumbelevičiūtė. Židonis's mother was the youngest daughter of Simonas Gumbelevičius, the last Lithuanian book smuggler. Hailing from an educated family, Židonis's interest in engineering began at a young age – Židonis would often help fix his father's tractor, and would trade shepherd's work for toy construction. In 1938 Židonis began attending primary school in Gustoniai. After graduating, Židonis attended gymnasiums in Biržai, Pasvalys, and Joniškėlis. Židonis's father only came to visit their family four years later in 1952. In 1956, Židonis returned home to Kaunas after eight years of exile, where he studied at the Kaunas University of Technology. Knowing that obtaining the academic aspirant degree would be hard due to his background of deportation, Židonis began participating in activities of a students' scientific society. and became a lecturer as well as docent at the Kaunas Polytechnic Institute, where he created a laboratory for his automated machines

Later years and work in newly independent Lithuania Right after the January Events, Židonis was called by the third cabinet of the government led by Gediminas Vagnorius to work as the minister of natural resources from 1991 to 1992. He was also briefly part of the deputy council of Klaipėda. After his tenure in the government, Židonis retired from work and never returned to Klaipėda. Instead, he took up solving problems of alternative energy. In 1993 he founded the scientific production company "Slengiai", becoming its scientific manager and owner. In 2009 Židonis also invented new combustion technology for the heating boiler, which made it possible to reduce the slagging of the burning straw pellets, making it more environmentally friendly. In 2001, under his initiative, the Lithuanian Academy of Applied Sciences was established. In 2008 he was awarded the title of associate professor at Klaipėda University.

Vilius Židonis died on 7 July 2018 in Klaipėda. He was buried in the cemetery.