Virgil lived a challenging life, but one filled with joy and laughter. He loved people from all walks of life and all areas of living. Everywhere he went, he tended to stir up conversation and challenged people to grow. He made a point of knowing something of substance about the people around him, and usually left them with a message of growth in intellect or spirituality. Whether they wanted it or not!
Virgil was born on April 24, 1943 in Kretinga, Lithuania. In 1944, with the invasion of the country by Soviets, he and his parents Zita and Adam along with his elder brother Eugene fled to Germany where they lived in Displaced Person (refugee) camps for six years. There his sister Bangoula (Joanne), brother Kornelius (Kor) were born. In 1950 the family moved to Bisset Manitoba where his dad was employed in mining. In 1954, the family, now larger with the arrival of his younger brother Victor and sister Milda, moved to Vancouver BC, where Virgil attended school, worked in the local saw mill, delivered groceries, and assisted in repairing the familys house. Following high school, he left Vancouver for Chicago IL, where he studied and worked with the Lithuanian Jesuits for 9 years. While with the Jesuits, in addition to theology studies as a Brother, he attended the Ohio Technical Training College and developed his aptitude for mechanical repair. Virgil left the Jesuits with a desire for personal, emotional connection, and met Julia Simonis who he married in 1973. In 1976 Virgil completed his MBA in accounting and management sciences from Loyola University in Chicago IL. In this same year, his first son Simas (Simon) Peter Kaulius was born.
In late 1976, Simas, Julia and Virgil moved to Vancouver, where Virgil would be closer to his family, and he pursued work in accounting and organizational management. In 1979 his second son, Darius John Kaulius was born.
Virgil had a keen interest in the pursuit of truth. He was involved in assisting the Lithuanian Independence cause, and continued on as an active member of the Lithuanian community of British Columbia, including acting as association President for a time. His intellectual interests found him connecting to the Newman association, and Thomas Merton Associations of BC, among others. He was a regular attendee at Theology lectures and conferences through St. Marks College, at UBC. He always made a point to stir up discussion, and challenge the status quo.
Since his early years, he had an interest in firearms, and participated in numerous shooting competitions, earning multiple trophies for his marksmanship at IPSC and local shooting club events. He would often take his sons to go plinking with BB air guns.
Virgil had a deep appreciation for world music, something he shared with his son Simas. They would each be in endless pursuit of the latest great song to share with each other. During a road trip to Chicago IL, where Simon and Darius now live, Virgil would joke about his frustration that Vancouver lacked the diverse music he would hear across the US. Especially the abundance of Mexican music heard, which appealed to him due to its heavy use of the accordion, his favourite instrument that he played as a kid.
In 2000, Virgil and his son Darius learned to ride motorcycles and he would go on to stir up his intellectual discussions on the road, with the variety of people he met through this hobby of low level flying as he said. In his pocket, he always carried a few card-sized copies of the Prayer of Serenity, which he would hand out to those he met, from coffee shop baristas, to close friends.
For those who knew him, even if for a few minutes, they will remember his love of people and love of life through the smile he shared and his interest in their growth. His discussions were often challenging and heated. He loved to get people to think. He saw that people could do better, and be better, and looked to constantly challenge them to improve. Virgil touched the lives of many, and we hope that his influence continues on. As he loved to say, Change is a given, Growth is an option.