LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION mourning the death of Matthew E. Guokas, distin-
guished citizen and devoted member of his community

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
citizens of the State of New York whose lifework and civic endeavor
served to enhance the quality of life in their communities and the great
State of New York; and
WHEREAS, Matthew E. Guokas of Nineveh, New York, died on Friday, March
28, 2014, at the age of 71; and
WHEREAS, He honorably served his country as a member of the United
States Army; and
WHEREAS, Matthew E. Guokas distinguished himself in his profession and
by his sincere dedication and substantial contribution to the welfare of
his community; and
WHEREAS, Matthew E. Guokas first came to the Broome-Tioga ARC in 1974
when he accepted the position of Workshop Manager; within a year and a
half, he left the agency to become the Executive Director and the first
employee of the Otsego ARC where he built the association from the
ground up; and
WHEREAS, In 1980, he returned to Binghamton when he was appointed as
the Executive Director of Broome-Tioga ARC, which at that time,
consisted of a workshop program at the Front Street facility, three
community residences and a summer camp for handicapped children; and
WHEREAS, The agency grew exponentially under Matthew E. Goukas' lead-
ership and dedication to the mission and goals of the organization; he
was responsible for the establishment of new day, residential and family
support services; in addition to program expansion, he guided the agency
through building construction, expansion and renovation; and
WHEREAS, Matthew E. Guokas brought the agency into the age of technol-
ogy, including computerization of agency forms, records and documenta-
tion; he continued to advocate for increased technology to include data-
bases, updated systems and customized software; and
WHEREAS, A long-standing member of the New York State Rehabilitation
Association and the NY-SARC Executive Directors Association, he worked
tirelessly with other agency representatives as well as local and state
government leaders to advance the acceptance of individuals with disa-
bilities in the community and to significantly improve the quality of
life for individuals and their families; and
WHEREAS, After 25 years of distinguished service, Matthew E. Guokas
retired as Executive Director of Broome-Tioga ARC, now known as ACHIEVE;
and
WHEREAS, After living in Binghamton, New York, Matthew and his wife,
Trish, moved to Perch Pond Road, Nineveh, where he was surrounded by the
outdoors and loved spending time with family and friends; and
WHEREAS, Matthew E. Guokas enjoyed camping, fishing, hunting, and
entertaining all his guests with kindness, laughter, and unconditional
love; and
WHEREAS, Predeceased by his parents, John and Mary Guokas, and a
brother, David Guokas, Matthew E. Guokas is survived by his wife, Trish;
his children, Michael (Connie) Guokas, Jeff Guokas, Buddy (Jennifer)
Dunaway, Scott (Holly) Dunaway, and Natalie (Scott) (Dunaway) Billo; 11
grandchildren, Derek, Shane, Stacey, McKenzie, Chasity, Aylisia, Cassi-
dy, Scott, Alexander, Nadia and Leah; one brother, John Guokas; three
sisters, Theresa (Bob) Boyce, MaryAnn (Bob) Skiba, Christine Bullock;
and several nieces and nephews, as well as his best friend and "broth-
er," Raymond Lewandowski; and

WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit and imbued with a sense of
compassion, Matthew E. Guokas leaves behind a legacy which will long
endure the passage of time and will remain as a comforting memory to all
he served and befriended; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of Matthew E. Guokas, distinguished citizen and devoted
member of his community; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of Matthew E. Guokas.