Daniel Joseph Kij was a valued member of the Buffalo community. He was a husband, father, lawyer, and a tireless champion of Polish-American culture. He was a past president of the Polish Singers Alliance of America, Polish Union of America, Lackawanna Historical Assn., and a guest at the White House to participate in discussions pertaining to the Polish-American community.Daniel Kij met every U.S. President from John F. Kennedy through George H.W. Bush. He also traveled to Poland seventeen times and met with Lech Walesa. He served as a guide and translator for visitors to the U.S. and was noted for his adept translation skills, a sense of humor, and a love for our bookstores.A keen student of both Polish and American history and genealogy, he visited Ellis Island multiple times, most significantly with his grandchildren. He was very active with the Polish Genealogical Society of NY State.He attended St. Barbara's, where he won the spelling bee in 8th grade, winning a dictionary from the Buffalo Evening News. Daniel Kij went on to attend St. John Kanty Prep in Erie, PA. He made lifelong friends there and was active in the alumni association, attending reunions and organizing spontaneous get togethers.Daniel Kij graduated UB Law school in 1960 and was in private practice with Alois C. Mazur, who went on to become a Buffalo City Court judge and lifelong friend. He ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 1962 (against Thaddeus Dulski) and was second assistant county attorney before returning to private practice.Kij served as president of the Polish Union of America, a national fraternal benefit society, for more than twenty years before retiring. He would often joke to his grandchildren that he only wanted to join organizations he could become president of. He never lost his sense of humor, his love of friends, family, and all things Polish.Daniel Kij is now forever In Heaven with the Stars.