Erika Thiringer

1935 - 2020

Thiringer, Erika
Mar 31, 1935 - Jul 16, 2020
Erika Thiringer died at her home in Sarasota on July 16, 2020. She is remembered as a person of boundless energy, enthusiasm, and positivity who maintained an upbeat outlook even while fighting an aggressive form of cancer that eventually took her life.
Erika was born in Szeged, Hungary, in 1935 as the eldest of four children. During WWII, her refugee family experienced many hardships before emigrating to India and then to America. They settled in California, where she earned a B.S. at UCSB. There she met her future husband Thomas and lived in the San Francisco bay area. When Thomas took a job in Washington, D.C., Erika moved to Virginia and dedicated herself to raising their three children. Fluent in four languages, she worked as a translator, a substitute French and German teacher, and an interpreter. Erika had a beautiful singing voice and sang frequently in her church choir and as a cantor. However, her greatest passion was volunteering with the Girl Scout program. She moved to Sarasota in 2001 shortly after Thomas' retirement from the civil service.
Erika continued volunteering with the Girl Scouts in Florida, and held many positions well into her 80s. She lovingly worked with children, including tutoring Sarasota youths with reading difficulties. An avid gardener, she volunteered with the Selby Botanical Gardens and also was active in the local Hungarian community. She spent countless hours with her grandchildren playing at Siesta beach, decorating Christmas cookies, and teaching them Hungarian cooking and baking.
Erika is survived by her husband of 59 years, Thomas Thiringer; children Andrea (Michael), Christina (David) and Peter (Kathleen); and six grandchildren, all of whom will miss her dearly. Due to current restrictions, we are unable to gather to celebrate Erika's life. Inurnment at Arlington National Cemetery will occur at a future date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Girl Scouts of America.