Esther Patay

PEKIN - Esther Elizabeth Patay, 92, of 1011 Oxford passed away at 10:40 a.m. Wednesday, July 14, 2010, at Pekin Manor.

She was born on March 7, 1918, in Losonc, Hungary, to Dr. Bela and Elizabeth Szilassy. She graduated summa cum laude from a Protestant girl's school, Barmadas, in Budapest, Hungary, in 1938. She also attended the Pittman Business School in London, England, and studied one semester in Zurich, Switzerland.

In August of 1940, she married Arthur Patay in Budapest. In 1941, she gave birth to her first son, Stephen. The family then moved to her mother-in-law's estate in Berreto, which is currently in Slovakia. While living there, she gave birth to her second son, Gabriel, in Losonc. They fled in two covered wagons in October of 1944, as the Russian armies were approaching. She spent 3 1/2 years in Germany with her children and had a third son, Arthur Joseph. During this time her husband was captured by the Russians and spent three years in a Russian prisoner-of-war camp.

In December of 1949, she and her husband and her three children immigrated to the United States. They moved to Hopedale, Ill., to the Walter Birky farm, where her husband worked for two years. In 1951, the family moved to Pekin, when her husband obtained work at Caterpillar Inc. and she had her fourth son, George.

Esther worked 22 years at Bergner's in Peoria.

She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church since 1951, where she taught Sunday school and belonged to the Ladies Society. She belonged to the American-Hungarian Association of Peoria, Pekin YWCA, Fine Arts Society at Peoria Lakeview, French club "Les Ames de la France," Pekin Women's Civic Federation, Friends of the Pekin Public Library, Tazewell County Genealogical Society, the "Used Treasures" Lutheran Church store, and volunteered over 1,400 hours as a member of the Pekin Hospital Auxiliary.

In 1987, she received the Altrusa Community Service Award.

She enjoyed good music, opera, symphony concerts, book discussions, played tennis and participated in the yearly "Great Decisions" discussions and the Peoria World Affairs Conferences. She treasured her family and friends. She will be greatly missed by all.

Her parents and her one brother, Bela J. Szilassy, preceded her in death.

Surviving are her husband, Arthur, of Pekin; her sister, Eva Todalagi of Paris, France; and her four sons, Stephen of Palos Verdes, Calif., Gabriel (Joyce) of Yardley, Pa., Arthur J. of Peoria and George (Muriel) of Evanston, Ill. She has six grandsons; two granddaughters; 10 great-grandchildren; and a niece, Maria Gurovits of Zurich, Switzerland.

Her funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at Trinity Lutheran Church in Pekin. The Rev. Dr. Rodger P. Abatie will officiate. Visitation will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at Preston-Hanley Funeral Homes & Crematory in Pekin, and also from 10 to 10:30 a.m. Monday at the church. Entombment will be in the Mausoleum at Prairie Rest Cemetery in Delavan.

Memorial contributions may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church in Pekin, Good Shepherd Lutheran School in Pekin, The Lutheran Hour Ministries or the Alzheimer's Association.

To express condolences online, visit www.preston-hanley.com.