Obituary for Joseph Szaniszlo
Joseph Szaniszlo died at his Fishkill home on March 10, surrounded by his wife, Brigid; his daughter, Marie, and his son-in-law, Glyn Holton. He was 88.
He was born on Sept. 30, 1930, in Szendro, Hungary, to Joseph Szaniszlo and Maria Paulovics. Although he excelled in school, the Communist regime prevented him from going to college because his father had spent 20 years in the United States and was blacklisted as a capitalist. He was drafted into the Hungarian Army and was working in a steel factory afterward when the revolution broke out on Oct. 23, 1956. It was initiated mainly by college students and professors who had no experience using weapons, so he helped train many of them. But Soviet troops suppressed the uprising on Nov. 10. He escaped to Yugoslavia and later was granted asylum in the U.S. He found work in a steel factory in the Bronx and within a year managed to save enough money to buy his first car. He met his future wife, Brigid Lee, at dances at St. Stephen of Hungary Church in Manhattan, where they were married on Aug. 25, 1962.
In addition to his wife, his daughter and his son-in-law, he is survived by a son, Joseph Szaniszlo; a daughter-in-law, Mary Szaniszlo; and a grandson, Ryan Szaniszlo.
Calling hours will be held on Friday from 6-9 pm at the McHoul Funeral Home of Fishkill, Inc., 1089 Main Street, Fishkill. A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered on Saturday at 10 am at St. Mary, Mother of the Church, 106 Jackson Street, Fishkill. Entombment will follow at Fishkill Rural Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hudson Valley Hospice Foundation at 374 Violet Ave., Poughkeepsie, N.Y. 12601, or at www.hvhospicefoundation.org.
He was born on Sept. 30, 1930, in Szendro, Hungary, to Joseph Szaniszlo and Maria Paulovics. Although he excelled in school, the Communist regime prevented him from going to college because his father had spent 20 years in the United States and was blacklisted as a capitalist. He was drafted into the Hungarian Army and was working in a steel factory afterward when the revolution broke out on Oct. 23, 1956. It was initiated mainly by college students and professors who had no experience using weapons, so he helped train many of them. But Soviet troops suppressed the uprising on Nov. 10. He escaped to Yugoslavia and later was granted asylum in the U.S. He found work in a steel factory in the Bronx and within a year managed to save enough money to buy his first car. He met his future wife, Brigid Lee, at dances at St. Stephen of Hungary Church in Manhattan, where they were married on Aug. 25, 1962.
In addition to his wife, his daughter and his son-in-law, he is survived by a son, Joseph Szaniszlo; a daughter-in-law, Mary Szaniszlo; and a grandson, Ryan Szaniszlo.
Calling hours will be held on Friday from 6-9 pm at the McHoul Funeral Home of Fishkill, Inc., 1089 Main Street, Fishkill. A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered on Saturday at 10 am at St. Mary, Mother of the Church, 106 Jackson Street, Fishkill. Entombment will follow at Fishkill Rural Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hudson Valley Hospice Foundation at 374 Violet Ave., Poughkeepsie, N.Y. 12601, or at www.hvhospicefoundation.org.