Obituary of Katalin Makos

IN MEMORIUM: KATALIN MAKOS November 23, 1935 - November 2, 2015 During the late autumn of November 1935, Katalin Varszegi was born in a small village called Puspokladany ("Bishopsville") in Eastern Hungary near Romania and Russia (now the Ukraine), a few years before World War II would ravage Europe. Puspokladany was centered around the railroad industry, as such her father, Jozsef, worked at the station while her mother, Terez, stayed home and tended to the house, vegetable and fruit gardens, chickens, pigs, as well as their four children. Katalin began her life by defeating all odds and would continue to do so for the rest of her life. A couple weeks after her birth, the family made funeral arrangements for their new baby girl, seeing that she would not start eating and was already born underweight. Per a neighbor's folk remedy suggestion, they tried bottle-feeding sugar water, after which Katalin began to eat and gain weight. The youngest sister to Jozsef, Maria and Piroska, she attended grade school in her hometown and high school in the nearby city of Debrecen where she excelled in gymnastics. During her childhood, her family survived numerous air raids hiding in below ground shelters during the war. After highschool, Katalin continued to live in her hometown surrounded by her large family. She had a love of dancing and music, thus would attend local village dances with her sisters. She worked in an office providing healthcare and social services for local Hungarian folk artists. There was a rumor that she went above and beyond her responsibilities to make sure these artists and their families were taken care of properly, whether the current fascist or communist government approved or not. This office is where she would meet her future husband, Karoly, a courageous freedom-fighter, who was working as a traveling supervisor. This was during the Russian communist regime, and the day they met was a national Hungarian holiday celebrated prior to communism. To demonstrate her family's anti-communist spirit, Katalin wore a traditional Hungarian rosetta pin made of red, green and white ribbon, the colors of the flag. After meeting Katalin and recognizing her bravery, Karoly knew in that moment she would be his wife. After a two short weeks together however, they would not see each other again for seven years until their marriage. At age twenty-eight, Katalin made the difficult decision to leave her family and her country to marry the man she loved and move to the United States. After a wedding and honeymoon in Paris, France, Katalin followed Karoly's footsteps and escaped from communist Hungary and became a citizen of the United States. She resided in Fairfield, Connecticut until the last few years when she lived in Tucson, Arizona to be nearer to her daughter and granddaughter. Katalin took great pride in her home and was a homemaker for the majority of her adult life. She was an excellent chef and her homemade pastries and desserts were the talk of the town. She and her husband and daughter were heavily involved in the Hungarian community of Connecticut. They had numerous friends and acquaintances for whom she was a much loved hostess. Katalin will always be remembered for her generosity towards family and friends and a good heart, her outstanding will in spite of physical challenges and her uncanny sense of humor. She will be missed by her family - husband Charles, daughter Hannah Ildiko and granddaughter Dahlia Grace - as well as many close friends. May she find comfort and peace in this new phase of life she has entered and is blessing with her presence. CONTACTING US AND DONATIONS: For those who have already sent cards and gifts, we sincerely thank you for your generosity and outpouring of support. If you would like to send something to the family please email Hannah at [email protected] for our contact information. If, instead, you would like to make a donation to a charity or research fund important to our family, in Katalin's name, please read the information provided below and then proceed to one or more of the following websites: Autoimmunity Research Foundation Cutting-edge research and treatments for what are, during this era in medicine, believed to be autoimmune disorders in diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, thyroiditis, post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome and more. An organization offering alternative therapies instead of the dangerous and often fatal consequences of immunosuppressive drugs. Based in Thousand Oaks, California. http://autoimmunityresearch.org Familial Cancer Program at the Mayo Clinic Breakthrough research in genetics, focused on inherited cancers. For information: http://www.mayoclinic.org/departments-centers/hematology/hematology-oncology-florida/overview/familial-cancer-program To donate and designate to Familial Cancer Program: https://philanthropy.mayoclinic.org/donateMC?_ga=1.98506139.543027417.1431047574 Emerge! Center against Domestic Abuse OR any shelter/aid of your choice mostly for Women and Children. Help women and children not end up on the street because of abusive, deceitful or mentally unstable spouses or partners. The Emerge website states: "While the majority of the people seeking our services are women and their children, our services are available to anyone regardless of gender." http://www.emergecenter.org/how-to-help/donate/ Catholic Charities USA - helping 45 million in America - homeless, children, abused, refugees, veterans… https://support.catholiccharitiesusa.org/p/salsa/donation/common/public/?donate_page_KEY=8677&_ga=1.33973985.1100043468.1450313627 Thank you and God Bless!