It is with great sadness that Imre's family announces his passing at Valleyview Residence in Toronto, Ontario on March 22nd, at the age of 94. His passing was peaceful and he was surrounded by loved ones.
He was born on August 23, 1929 to Istvan and Sarolta Pozsgay in Egyed, Hungary. He remained in Hungary until 1956, when at age 27 he escaped during the Hungarian Revolution and immigrated to Canada as a refugee. He settled in Toronto, Ontario where he lived out the rest of his life. He always remained a proud Hungarian and was devoted to his family and friends that he left behind in Hungary.
He returned to Hungary in 1966 where he met Etelka (“Eta”) and they wed on August 31 in Gyor, Hungary. They had been married for 58 years at the time of his passing and had one child, Judith. Jim was a devoted father to his one and only daughter.
He worked at Rothmans, Benson & Hedges for 24 years and then Dunhill for 2 years until his eventual retirement. He was an active person who enjoyed going to the gym, being outdoors, playing golf, traveling, music, attending church and socializing. He had a great sense of humour and was a wonderful playmate to his daughter as she was growing up, remaining silly and playful to the very end.
Imre lived a long and active life with various illnesses that befell him as he aged, finally succumbing to dementia. He was cared for by his loving wife for over 15 years and spent the last year of his life in assisted living where Eta visited him every day.
Imre is survived by his wife, Etelka, his daughter, Judith (Chris), sister Katalin and nieces, nephews and cousins in Hungary. He was preceded in death by his parents, and siblings Istvan and Maria.
A memorial mass and service will be held at 11:00 am on Thursday, May 9th, 2024 at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church at 432 Sheppard Ave E., North York, ON M2N 3B7, with light refreshments to follow.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Valleyview Residence or St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church.