It is with great sadness and sorrow that we announce the sudden passing of our dad.
Dad was born in Budapest, Hungary, to parents Lujza (nee Aranyi) and Laszlo Szekely.
Dad grew up in and around Budapest where he worked on boat motors on the Danube as a teenager as well as learning electrical work with his dad. During the uprising in Hungary in 1955/56 dad left with a few close friends looking for a better way of life. Dad never talked much about what they endured and saw while fleeing the country as it was a traumatic time in his life. After crossing numerous borders and weeks later they arrived in Italy where they boarded a ship destined for Canada. Three grueling weeks later that ship arrived in Halifax. With minimal money in their pockets they headed west and began working on the railway. Lasting only a few weeks there they continued on west, eventually ending up in Victoria. Among farming and other odd jobs, including setting chokers and tree planting, dad ended up working at the Youbou Sawmill where he worked for nearly 40 years.
Dad met mom in Duncan and after marrying they moved to Youbou then Lake Cowichan to raise their family - Louise (Wes), Maria (Arden), Laszlo JR (Lisa) and John (Kelly). Dad and mom eventually would divorce but stayed friends over the years.
When dad retired in 2000 he began travelling a lot more and visited Hungary yearly.
Although dad’s health declined the last few years he still liked to walk to town and always stopped to talk to people on the way. He was a stubborn old boy who was adamant about going back to the old country one last time and this is where he passed away peacefully in his sleep. He will be sorely missed by his family in Canada and Budapest, many old friends, including Wilf, Dennis and Andy, and many others he met along the way.
There will be an informal open house from 1 - 4 p.m. at 5844 Carmel Drive in Duncan on October 15th, 2016 for anyone that would like to stop by and share a story.