Eva A. Vorosmarty

Dame Éva Vörösmarty (née von Pákh) Age 96. Armonk, New York. Wife of belated Dr. Vitéz Mihály Vörösmarty. She precedes her five daughters: Ava (Hank Rowe), Theresia (Jack Teifer), Marika (Gary Blumerick), Alexandra (Joseph Kochevsar), and Louisa (William Potvin). Grandmother of 12. Great Grandmother of 18. Passed away peacefully on January 8, 2017. Born in Budapest, Hungary, Éva was the only child of a privileged Hungarian aristocratic family. Speaking 7 languages, she was also a classically trained pianist whose first piano teacher was the famous composer Béla Bartók. In 1940, she married Michael Vörösmarty, the Chief Economic Advisor to the Prime Minister of Hungary. Her heroic story lies in her fleeing Hungary as Displaced Person during the Russian invasion as a pregnant woman with 3 young children -- spending time even at the Messerschmitt work camp. It was ultimately her grace, charm, and courage that allowed her family to move safely from town to town, from barge to barge, through swamps and forest across Austria and Germany until 1949, when she and her family finally were accepted for immigration into the United States. After one year working on a Michigan farm, Eva and Mihály eventually settled for over 30 years on Hickory Island in Grosse Ile, Michigan and spent their final years together in Alpine, Texas. In Michigan, while raising 5 daughters, she built a catering business which was a favorite of Gov. George Romney, his wife and young son Mitt. After her husband's passing, in 2004, she moved to Armonk, New York and lived with her daughter Louisa's family. There she became an active member of the community and was elected to the North Caste Town Republican Committee, where she was the oldest elected official in Westchester County. She was a very active in Hungarian cultural organizations, a leading member of the North Castle Seniors' Club and attended many charity and cultural events. Although her life in the U.S. began with little, she made many friendships throughout the years with her work as a chef, her volunteering, and community involvement and most importantly through her kindness and appreciation of others. She never looked back to the years, privileges, titles and status that she had to give up. Her pride, family and "love of life" sustained her; she will be sorely missed.