January 8, 2020
Joe was born in 1937 in Hungary. At the age of 19 he fought in the Hungarian Uprising of 1956 which led to his emigrating to Canada in 1957 - a time when the Canadian and BC governments sponsored students from the Forestry Engineering Faculty of the University of Sopron to continue studies at UBC.
Joe left his Forestry studies, eventually becoming a Chartered Accountant. In early years after graduating he taught at NAIT. He later became Director of Financial Planning and Control at Alberta Hospitals and Medical Care, followed by the position of Director of Finance at the Alberta Cancer Board.
Joe was very civic minded, he served as President of the Alberta Chapter of Epsilan Pi Tau, President of the Provincial Employees Credit Union, Treasurer of the West Edmonton Rotary Club, and he was very honoured to be President of the Hungarian Club of Nanaimo, where he not only met his wife Iren, but enjoyed many valued friendships. In his retirement, Joe could be found most mornings on the golf course, and often on the dance floor in the evening.
Family and friendships were very important to Joe, and though he led a full and busy life, he would always make time for his friends, children and grandchildren, and would make a point of showing how much he cared (often with a camera in hand).
Joe was pre-deceased by his daughter Melinda and is survived by his wife Iren, children Edward (Heather), Valerie (Barry), Steve (Chris), and Judy (Chris). Grand-children David, Kyra, Anika, Jacquie (Mark), Max, Austin, and Taylor, great grand-daughter Olivia, as well as his former wife Jill.
A Celebration of Life will be held in the spring.
The family gratefully requests that should you choose to honour his memory with a donation, you consider the Kidney Foundation, or charity of your choice.