George Brent

BRENT--George of Manhattan and Lakeville, CT, died peacefully on Wednesday, January 2, after a long and courageous battle with heart disease, surrounded by loving family and friends under the care of the wonderful team at Mount Sinai Heart. He was born in Budapest, Hungary on January 7, 1937 as George Gottlieb. At the age of six he survived the Holocaust, fleeing Budapest with his mother and living in hiding for two years. He returned to Budapest after the war, but by age 19 he was no longer willing to tolerate living within the oppressive Communist regime. He escaped the city by foot in late November 1956, one day after planned (he overslept). On the way out of Hungary, he evaded gunfire, slept in a barn and waded through a small freezing river. After reaching Austria, he was chosen to serve as the leader and spokesperson for a group of Hungarian students being housed by an Austrian Count. Although he had the opportunity for relatively easy passage to a variety of countries, he was determined to get to the United States and specifically to New York City. He arrived in New York Harbor in February 1957 on a U.S. Navy transport ship with no money and no knowledge of English, but an uncompromising determination to build a home and embrace life in a place that protects and celebrates individual freedom. He went to Columbia on a scholarship, where he studied engineering and economics. He began a career in advertising and media working for ad agencies and then directly for a client. Ultimately he moved into media sales, working at WPIX, Fox 5 and NBC's PAX Television, building a sales career that spanned more then 35 years, thousands of avails and many, many lunches. In 1974, he married Chickie Bucco, whom he adored (a fact that aggravated him to no end). He was the proud father of Andrew and loving father-in-law to Erin. He was a passionate and talented chef and wine connoisseur. He also loved renovating his country house, gardening, Giants, Rangers and Yankees games, bragging about his son, and, maybe most of all, entertaining and celebrating life with family and friends. In addition to Chickie, Andrew and Erin, George is survived by his Aunt Giselle, cousins of Hungary, and the entire Bucco family. Service Monday January 7, 11:30am Campbell Funeral Chapel, 1076 Madison Ave. at 81st St. Memorial Visitation Sunday January 6, 59pm Campbell Funeral Chapel. Family sitting Shiva at his home Monday January 7, 59pm and Tuesday January 8, 12-9pm. The family is asking that any donations be made to Mount Sinai Heart in memory of George Brent with the deepest respect for Dr. Raymond Matta. Donations should be send to Mount Sinai Heart, Box 1049, 1 Gustave Levy Place, NY, NY 10029.