VEIDINS, Juris

Juris Veidins, 85, of Chestnut Hill, MA, passed away at his home after a short battle with cancer.

He was born in Alūksne, Latvia, on April 8, 1940, as an only child to Olga and Artūrs Veidins. His family fled Latvia during World War II to a displaced persons camp in Flensburg, Germany. In 1950, they were sponsored through Church World Services by a family in Sparta, Virginia, before making their way to Boston, MA, in 1951. He resided in Boston until 1991, when he moved to Andover, MA.

Juris loved music and the arts. He sang as a tenor for many years in multiple Latvian choirs. From age 18 to 64, he participated in all East Coast Latvian Song Festivals, and it was at one of them that he met his future wife, Austra. He was a lifelong member and served on the board of Daugavas Vanagi (a worldwide Latvian welfare organization), the Latvian Lutheran Church in Brookline, MA, and the Latvian pensioners association. He was also a member of the Latvian academic fraternity, Austrums.

Juris graduated from Northeastern University in 1965 with a degree in electrical engineering. For the majority of his career, he worked at Raytheon until his retirement in the early 2000s. Juris was an avid bowler and gardener.

Although he faced great adversity in his lifetime, he was a social butterfly and continued to actively participate in all facets of life until becoming ill in June 2025. Juris is survived by his wife of 47 years, Austra (Perkons) Veidins; his daughter, Katrina Veidins; and his son-in-law, Nathan MacMillen.

A funeral service for Juris will be held at the Latvian Lutheran Church, located at 58 Irving Street, Brookline, Massachusetts, at 11 a.m on THURSDAY, August 14, 2025. Reception to follow

Interment The Gardens of Gethsemane Cemetery, West Roxbury.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Juris’ memory can be made to the Latvian Lutheran Church of Boston.