John Kandera

With great sadness, we announce the passing of Dr. John Kandera of Blauvelt, NY. John passed away on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, with grace and dignity after a long and courageous battle with cancer. He was 93.
John was a kind and devoted father to Judith Lagomarsino and her husband, David. He was dearly loved by his granddaughter, Maria. John was a beloved brother-in-law of Viola and her husband, Miklos Nemeth. He was also a cherished uncle and granduncle of Thomas and his son, Adam. John will be greatly missed by Jeanine Lagomarsino, Lois Lagomarsino, Lisa and Bill Short. John will also be missed by extended family members Andrea and Miklos David and their sons Andris and Balazs.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Mihaly and Maria Kandera; his brother, Dr. Joseph Kandera; sister, Jolan Kandera; and his beloved wife of 58 years, Veronica Elizabeth.
John graduated from Semmelweis Medical University, Budapest, in 1957 and began working as a neurology and psychiatry staff physician. But because he was not a member of the Communist Party, John was persecuted. In fear for his life, John and Veronica were forced to make the heart-wrenching decision to leave behind their one-year-old child and flee the country in 1963.
As refugees, John and Veronica arrived in New York in 1964. They struggled to rebuild their lives while desperately trying to reunite with their daughter, who was still in the care of maternal grandparents and aunt back home. Due to the cruelty of the Hungarian government at the time, the reunification of the small family would only take place after another five years.
Upon John's arrival in the States, he quickly learned English. He found employment as a research scientist at the New York State Research Institute for Neurochemistry and Drug Addiction on Ward's Island, NY, where he worked from 1964 to 1976. He authored and co-authored numerous scholarly articles published in several medical journals during his tenure there. His works have been cited hundreds of times by other researchers since. Simultaneously, John also worked on attaining his medical license, which he completed at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 1977. He finished his training consortium in Psychiatry at New York Medical College in 1980.
John began his career in Psychiatry at Rockland Psychiatric Center in 1977. He also worked at Bergen Regional Medical Center from 1990 until 2000. In addition to his full-time employment at the hospitals, he also worked in several clinics: Rehabilitation Services of the Mental Health Association of Rockland County, Rockland Psychiatric Center Building 38, Pascack Mental Health Center in Park Ridge, NJ, and not to mention, Otisville Correctional Facility, to name a few. He also joined the Army Reserve as a medic and reached the rank of Major in 1989.
After retiring from Bergen Regional, John wanted to give back to the community. He continued working at clinics, where he could provide mental health help to underinsured and uninsured patients, often refusing a fee. John retired fully in 2020 at the age of 89.
When not working, John could be found reading, gardening, fixing, or repairing anything and everything he could get his hands on. He especially loved working with cement and stone and had a tool for any job. John also loved animals, especially his pet dog, a Hungarian Puli named Batyu. Bird feeders could always be found in his backyard, and while he liked watching the birds, he enjoyed the antics of the squirrels trying to get at the bird feed the most.
When John wasn't at home, he and Veronica could be found in Atlantic City, enjoying the Tropicana, Caesars, or Harrah's buffets. Las Vegas and Reno were also their favorites; they made several trips there together before Veronica's passing.
Relatives and friends are invited to celebrate John's life on Monday, October 21st, from 3 pm to 7 pm at Moritz Funeral Home, 348 Closter Dock Rd, Closter.
Thank you, Dad, for everything. We love you.