Alexander Sandor Sasvary

1944 - 2021
Alexander Sandor Sasvary died in his sleep on March 24. He was 76 years old and had been suffering from heart problems.
He was born in Király-hágó, Hungary on July 24, 1944. He grew up in the Hungarian countryside and was very athletic, industrious, and ambitious even at a young age. He was a talented athlete and was on the reserve team for the 1964 summer Olympics in track and field as a shot-putter.
1968 was an eventful year for Mr. Sasvary. He graduated with a master's degree in economics, married a smart and beautiful woman named Dawn (Hajnalka in Hungarian), and escaped with her from Hungary to come to the United States for greater opportunities and to raise a family.
In partnership with his wife, Mr. Sasvary worked diligently to be successful in their new country. He was known to have read the entire Oxford dictionary cover to cover to better learn the English language. He had a successful career in finance and operations. He worked in various leadership positions at Stony Brook University Hospital, Bellevue Hospital, at Morningside Nursing and Rehabilitation, and at Independent Group Home Living. He also worked in real estate, owned a small business, was involved in local politics, and worked in commissioner positions in Suffolk County government before retiring in 2008. He moved to Sarasota, Florida a few years later.
Mr. Sasvary was very athletic throughout his life until he began to suffer from heart problems a few years ago. He was an avid tennis player and won several local tournaments. He also coached the Stony Brook University track and field team for several years. He was very good with his hands and was often building or renovating the many properties he bought with his wife. He had a great appreciation of science, poetry, and music. He was deeply involved in Hungarian cultural organizations. He supported the Hungarian Liberty Hall in Ronkonkoma in New York and the Petõfi Klub of Venice Florida. At the countless Hungarian cultural events he attended he was known for his love of good food and drink, big laugh, baritone singing voice, and lively dancing. He would also often recite the poetry of the great Hungarian poet Sándor Petõfi. It was Petõfi who wrote: "Everything can be replaced by love, but love cannot be replaced by anything."
When with his family he was always eager to share his insights and offer advice on the many areas he was interested in including science and climate change, healthcare and economic policy, and the progressive reforms that he was so passionate about. He is survived by his son Mark Sandor Sasvary, his daughter Monika Hajnalka Sasvary, and his wife Dawn Hajnalka Sasvary, as well as his two grandchildren- Laszlo Vitez and Eva Elizabeth Sasvary.