July 26, 1923 - January 14, 2024
In loving memory ~
Paul passed away after a long and interesting life, having had come close to death a few times. He was a very intelligent, pragmatic, adventurous and humorous man. His father was a surgeon and wanted Paul to follow him in the profession, but Paul followed his own path and became a civil engineer. His last year of university was near the end of the second World War. As the USSR was advancing from the east towards his native Budapest, the authorities decided to save the engineering students and faculty from the invasion by sending them on a train northwest from Hungary. Unfortunately near the Czech / German border the UNARMED train was attacked by allied planes and half the faculty and students were killed or maimed. Paul escaped without injuries. Over 8 months he slowly made his way back to Budapest, but not much later his father died after having been tortured by communists who were in power by this time. Paul lived with his mother until he married his loving wife Magda. There were very limited opportunities under communist rule in Hungary, so when he had a chance to accept a work contract overseas in Ghana, he took it. He became the assistant engineer in chief of the northern half of Ghana in 1968/1969.
In1968, while in Ghana, a revolution broke out in Prague and at the same time there were border squirmishes between the USSR and China. He was concerned that these conflicts may escalate later and that the USSR may send young men, including his sons to the front. This is when he decided to bring Magda and sons Peter and Tibor to Canada. In Canada he continued his profession by designing numerous roads including the Coquihalla highway section by the great bear tunnel. He also managed road and bridge design projects in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea (PNG). In PNG in 1973 one of his household helpers was a 50 year old man who told of his childhood when the tribes in the mountains attacked and cannibalized one another. (...luckily Paul finished the 2 year road design project without losing an arm or a leg...!).
He escaped death another time when he flew to Nanaimo for an assignment and the engine of the floatplane suddenly stopped over land. The pilot managed to land the floatplane in a farmer's field with all the passengers unharmed. ( Unfortunately a few days later when they tried to remove the plane with a helicopter, the cable broke and the plane was a write-off.)
In his retirement Paul enjoyed playing his harmonica and his flute. He also enjoyed tennis, listening to the opera, hiking and skiing. Even at age 80 he went skiing in the local mountains.
It was in his home at age 93 when he fell hitting his head. He developed a subdural hematoma which had to be operated on. Thanks to the wonderful surgeons and nursing staff, he slowly recovered. He enjoyed walking again every day around his neighborhood in White Rock for another three years. He was always very grateful to all the nurses, aides and doctors who treated him when he needed treatment in his last years.
He is missed very much by family, friends and all who knew him.
(Pictures: Paul at age 3, 53 and 94)
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