Gatis Plūme

1932-2025

Gatis Plūme, a proud Latvian whose enthusiasm for adventure, mountains and music inspired lifelong celebration, died in his home in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, on May 5 due to complications of a stroke. He was 93.

Born in Latvia in Dikļi parish in the region of Vidzeme, as a child Gatis was one of tens of thousands of Latvians displaced by the Second World War, ultimately resettling in the United States. He served in the U.S. Army and earned his degree in chemistry from the University of Illinois in Champagne-Urbana. After college he moved to Chicago, where he met his wife, Minjona, also a Latvian displaced by the war, with whom he had three children — Andrejs, Pēteris and Vineta.

Gatis enjoyed a decades-long career as a chemist, which enabled him to travel to conferences everywhere from Hawaii to Mexico to Montana. Outside of work, his hobbies included skiing, mountain climbing, sailing, singing, hiking, running, camping, canoeing, reading, working in the garden, maintaining the swimming pool and solving problems using everyday objects.

In retirement, Gatis earned his Level 1 Certified Ski Instructor certificate and spent several years working as a ski instructor at Wilmot Mountain. Despite having skied some of the most breathtaking mountains at top ski resorts throughout the United States and Canada, Gatis could still find awe and joy in the most modest of ski hills. It was not uncommon for him to ski down a seemingly unremarkable run, turn to a fellow skier and ardently exclaim, "Outstanding!"

Amid a life well lived, his greatest joy came from bringing together family and friends to celebrate and observe time-honored traditions, often involving wine and song. This included reconnecting with family and friends in his native Latvia, where he and Minjona built a summer home on a rural lakeside property where Minjona spent her early childhood. In time, Gatis added a simple woodshed, a pier, an A-frame for storage and a modest greenhouse, all of which he built himself with the help of neighbors and family. He and Minjona planted many trees there — evergreens, birch, apple, pear and cherry. They tended to their gardens of flowers, fruit, vegetables and herbs. The property featured prominently in many get-togethers and celebrations, including the wedding of his daughter and son-in-law, Gavin. Gatis and Minjona visited Latvia each year, from May to October, returning to the U.S. just in time for ski season.

Gatis is survived by his wife and three children; brother Jānis and wife Žanete; sister Ruta; and extended family and friends, who in loving memory celebrate his life and next adventure.