Anna Leszkai

On February 26th, 2019, after 97 years of life, the Lord peacefully called our mother, Anna Leszkai, to be welcomed home into the Kingdom of Heaven.

She was born on September 2, 1921 in Budapest, Hungary. Her early life came with many challenges, including the loss of her parents at a young age and despite her Jewish roots, by marriage, luckily surviving the Holocaust and World War II era. As she grew older, she continued to persevere through other challenges brought her way. One of the greatest included seeing after her family during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, a nationwide revolution against the Hungarian People's Republic and its Soviet-imposed policies. It was her brave, nurturing, and protective spirit that led her, along with our father, to leave their Hungarian home behind and flee on foot through frigid temperatures and knee deep snow, all the while with Russian soldiers on their trail, to chase after the hope of a new life in America. Our parents settled in Toledo, Ohio in 1957. We will forever be grateful for their brave and heroic determination to bring our family to a land of freedom.

Anna was a virtuous and humble woman with a servant heart. She was hard working, caring and strong. She worked hard day in and day out to ensure that those she loved never went without. She showed great compassion to those that she faithfully cared for through her years as a nurse’s aide, retiring at the age of 80. Our mom loved the Lord and she often shared her faith in Him with others, touching many peoples’ lives. Her heart was full of love and she offered it graciously to anyone she encountered. Anna loved to stay busy with her many hobbies and talents, including cooking and baking, gardening, painting, keeping an immaculately clean home, volunteering to help those in need, and caring for her animals. She looked forward to times shared with her family, including time spent together in church and at holiday gatherings. Our mother will be sadly missed by all who loved and knew her. There will never be another woman that could fill our hearts with love the way that she did.

Left to cherish her memory is her children, Julie (George) Ferencz, Sue (David) Miller, Thomas (Rita) Leszkai, and daughter – in – law, Wendy Leszkai. Her legacy also includes 19 grandchildren, 29 great – grandchildren, 11 great-great grandchildren, and 2 great-great-great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Stephen, her son, Stephen, as well as her daughter and son in law, Edith and Mike Roka.

The family asks that any donations made in Anna’s memory be contributed to Samaritan’s Purse “In Memory of Anna Leszkai” by phone at 1-800-528-1980 or by mail to Samaritan’s Purse P.O. Box 3000 Boone, NC 28607.

A visitation to celebrate Anna’s beautiful memory with family and friends will be held at Freck Funeral Chapel 1155 S. Wynn Rd. in Oregon on Friday, March 8th from 2-8 p.m. Funeral services will be held Saturday, March 9th at 11 am beginning at Freck Funeral Chapel with burial to follow at St. Ignatius Cemetery 212 N. Stadium Rd. in Oregon.

“Well done, thou good and faithful servant … Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” Matthew 25:21