Narcissza "Ciszka" Layton

Nárcissza "Ciszka" Vilma Paula Erzsébet Ludányi Layton, (91) of Ridgefield, died peacefully on July 13, 2025.
Nárcissza was born in Budapest, Hungary on September 18, 1933; the daughter of the late Antal and Erzsébet (Prileszky) Ludányi. Despite being the only girl, as the oldest of five, she was the leader of the pack and kept her brothers in line. When the Russians invaded towards the end of WWII, her family fled Hungary and settled in a refugee camp for Displaced Persons in Austria where they would reside for 3 years. While her family awaited an opportunity to emigrate, Nárcissza attended school in Germany, which involved a hike through the mountains each day. The family was issued an invitation to immigrate to the US in 1949, with the Catholic Church as their sponsor. Nárcissza finished her high school education in Virginia where the family had been situated and then moved to New York City when a cousin was kind enough to invite her to stay. After a couple of years working at various jobs, she earned a full scholarship to Elmhurst College and received her Bachelors of Science with a double major in Chemistry and Math.
Following college, Nárcissza got a job as a chemist at Coulter Counter Industries, and it was in this role that she met Howard Layton, one of their sales reps. Nárcissza and Howard married in 1962 in Cartaret, NJ and founded a company together, Interlab, that would define much of the rest of their lives. Through that marriage, Nárcissza become a stepmother to Howard's two daughters (Peta and Leslie), and had three daughters of her own, (Muffin, Panni, and Paulette). When her brother Tony and his wife Madeline passed away in an automobile accident, Nárcissza and Howard adopted their infant son, Antal, and the family grew to six.
Interlab, which had started in a basement apartment, grew to a manufacturing company of 70 people, moving from Pleasantville, NY, to Danbury, CT, with Nárcissza running the firm as President and Chief Financial Officer. The family likewise relocated from NY to CT and eventually made their home in New Fairfield. Nárcissza and Howard separated in 1985 but continued to run the company together until it shuttered its doors in 2014. The following year she moved to Ridgefield to be close to two of her daughters.
Nárcissza was a member and sometimes council member of the Hungarian Communion of Friends and took great pride in the Hungarian culture and her heritage, which she instilled in her children. She was also a proud American, grateful for all the gifts her adopted country had bestowed upon her and her family, and followed politics passionately. She went out of her way to hire immigrants at Interlab and assisted them however she could in obtaining their permanent citizenship. She had a curious mind and enjoyed gardening, swimming, art, and reading.
Nárcissza is survived by her children: Narcissa-Christine: Lyons "Muffin" (Mike), Antal Ludányi (Denise), Alice "Panni" Layton, Paulette Layton; her grandchildren: Raymond Eugeni (Kate), Christopher George (Grace), Cooper Lyons, and Freddy Lyons; her great grandchildren: Max and Jackson Eugeni; her siblings, András Ludányi (Márika), and Paul Ludányi (Theresa), her sisters-in-law Renate Ludányi and Julie "Panni" Ludányi, as well as several nieces, great nephews, great nieces, and extended family in Hungary.
In addition to her parents, Nárcissza was predeceased by her brothers, Tamás and Tony Ludányi, her sister-in-law Madeline Ludányi; her step daughters Peta Layton and Leslie George, and her former husband, Howard Layton.
Family and friends will be received on July 25th from 4 pm to 7 pm at Kane Funeral Home; 25 Catoonah Street, Ridgefield. A celebration of life will take place the following day.
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