Erzsebet Lukacs

Erzsebet (Elizabeth) Lukacs, 90, of Greenbrier, Tennessee, and formerly of North Utica, New York, was called home by the Heavenly Father on November 1, 2025, 16 days short of her 91st birthday, in NHC Place Sumner, Gallatin, Tennessee, surrounded by her family.
Erzsebet (Elizabeth) was born in Tiszakeszi, Hungary to Jozsef (Joseph) and Erzsebet (Elizabeth) Sipos on November 17, 1934. She was the oldest of three children andmoved with her family to Budapest, Hungary at a young age where she lived until shewas 22 years old. She escaped Hungary in the Fall of 1956 during the Hungarian Revolution sparked by the Soviet Union Invasion with her future husband Mihaly (Michael) and her brother Jozsef (Joseph) to Vienna, Austria. This trio of young, brave refugees left their families and fled their country under gun-fire, eventually making their way to the United States via the American Red Cross and the U.S. government's "Operation Safe Haven". Erzsebet, Michael and Joseph were sponsored by the Arthur and Mary Nichols family in Waltham, Massachusetts after refugee processing in the U.S., where they learned the English language, began the process to obtain U.S. citizenship, and found their first jobs in their newly adopted country. After some time living in the Waltham and the Boston area, Erzsebet and Michael moved to Auburn, Alabama for Michael to attend Auburn University, at which time brother Joseph joined the U.S. Army. After Michael graduated from Auburn University they moved to the Atlanta, GA area for work opportunities where she worked as a Draftsperson for the engineering firm that designed and built the first Atlanta Braves baseball stadium in Atlanta called, Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. She and Michael next moved to Metuchen, NJ, and after a brief stay, they moved to North Utica, NY in early 1969 with two children in tow. Erzsebet would live in North Utica for almost 50 years until she moved in the Fall of2018 to be near her daughter Bernadette and her family in Lawrenceville, NJ. In theFall of 2021 Erzsebet moved with Bernadette's family to Greenbrier, TN, near Nashville. While raising a family in North Utica, Erzsebet built upon her drafting experience at Mohawk Valley Community College where she earned a Mechanical Engineering Technology degree by taking night-classes while working full-time for Kelsey-Hayes and then Utica Corporation where she was an Engineer and Tool Designer until she retired in 1993 to take care of her husband Michael.
Erzsebet was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister, sister-in-law, aunt and friend. She always put her family first and her friends before herself. Her warm, kind, gracious,l oving nature, combined with a welcoming smile and positive outlook drew people close to her. Her grandchildren referred to her as Nana, a name she loved. The name Nana was not reserved for them only, as she was often referred to as Nana by adult family and friends, their children, and her grandchildren's friends. She loved to plan, host and attend family celebrations, school events, concerts, dances or skating recitals and travel to new places. Time, money nor distance could not keep her way from her family,especially if her grandchildren were involved. As an example, she never missed a grandchild's birthday party while they were growing up, no matter where they happened to be or she where lived. She was a road warrior through and through when it came to supporting her family! She was always eager to help those in need and loved to make people feel safe, important and loved. Erzsebet was also a wonderful baker. She loved making traditional Hungarian pastries for family and friends during the holidays and for other special occasions.
Erzsebet is survived by her daughter Bernadette (Kevin) Kienzle and her son Laszlo Mark (Patricia), her 5 grandchildren Alexandra, Julia, and Lauren Lukacs, Andrew Kienzle and Elizabeth (Jake) Spindler, several nephews, their spouses and children, and many deeply loved friends. She is preceded in death by her beloved husband Michael, her parents Jozsef (Joseph) and Erzsebet (Elizabeth) Sipos, her brother Joseph Sipos, and sister Margit (Margarite) Kovacs.
Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to Erzsebet's funeral Mass of Christian burial on Saturday, November 8, 2025, at 9:30 am at St. Mark's Church, 440 Keyes Rd., N. Utica. She will be laid to rest in Forest Hill Cemetery in Utica. Visitation for family and friends is Friday, November 7th from 4:00-7:00 pm at the Heintz Funeral Home, 1517 Whitesboro St., Utica.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Hospice & Palliative Care, Inc. 4277 Middle Settlement Road, New Hartford, NY 13413, (www.hospicecareinc.org) or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude’s Place, Memphis, TN 38105. (www.stjude.org). Envelopes will be available at the funeral home.
The family wishes to extend their gratitude to NHC Place Sumner and all the kind people that provided her with exceptional care, love, friendship and support over the past 12 months.
Erzsebet is loved by many and she will be greatly missed.