Judith E. Kocsis

Judy, a beloved mother, grandmother, and friend, passed into eternal life on Sunday morning, September 14, 2025, at the age of 91 years young.

Born on February 8, 1934, in Budapest, Hungary, Judy's life was one of courage, brilliance, resilience, and love. In 1956, amid the Hungarian Revolution, she and her husband, Miklos, fled their homeland under the cover of night-crawling through fields and under rail cars to escape to Austria. There they married, and together they sought a new beginning in the United States as Hungarian refugees.

Judy was a trailblazer in every sense. She was among the first women in the engineering program at University of North Dakota, so early that there wasn't even a women's restroom in the engineering building-forcing her to trek through snow with her husband to a nearby facility. She often joked that the coldest place she had ever known was North Dakota.

She proudly became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1962, and her and Miklos started their family a few years later. Her family was, without question, her proudest accomplishment and greatest joy. She threw herself wholeheartedly into being a mom and grandma - titles she wore with love, pride, and just the right amount of humor. Her family will long remember her playful insistence that she was always "29 and holding." Whether she was guiding, supporting, or celebrating, she embraced every moment of family life.

Additionally, Judy had a lifelong passion for music. She exposed her family to the symphony, delighted in discovering new artists (most recently The Mavericks on YouTube), and proudly attended every concert her grandchildren performed. She passed along her love of music as a treasured family legacy.

Judy also loved to travel and see the world. Whether it was traveling around the United States or traveling the rest of the world, her sense of adventure and curiosity never waned.

On the professional side, she had a successful, pioneering career as a mechanical design engineer, specializing in the design of transmission components for the automotive industry. She later enjoyed a second career in real estate-always resourceful and never afraid to take on new challenges.

Her life, from surviving the hardships of war as a child, to breaking barriers in engineering, to raising two daughters with love and devotion, is a story of perseverance, triumph, optimism and joy. She was proud, resilient, fiercely intelligent, and full of life. Judy leaves behind a legacy of courage, brilliance, and devotion to family. She will be deeply missed and forever remembered.

Judy was preceded in death by her cherished husband of nearly 50 years, Miklos "Nick", on June 13, 2006.

Surviving are her devoted daughters, Judith (John) Sellars and Christine (Kenneth) Andrysiak; and cherished grandchildren, Megan (Rachel) Sellars, Nick Sellars, Kenneth Andrysiak Jr., and Cameron Andrysiak.

Judy's funeral ceremony is planned for Wednesday evening, September 17, at 7:00 pm, at the Heeney-Sundquist Funeral Home, downtown Farmington. Friends and family may gather for visiting hours from 2 pm until the 7 pm ceremony commences.

Graveside prayers are scheduled for Thursday morning, September 18, at 11:00 am, at North Farmington Cemetery, Farmington Hills.

Memorial tributes are kindly suggested to Angela Hospice, Livonia.