Cornel Hegedus

1927 - 2012

Cornel Leslie

Hegedus

LAKEWAY, TX - Cornel Leslie Hegedus passed away on Wednesday July 11¸ 2012 after a brief illness.

He was born in Budapest, Hungary on June 20, 1927 as the only child of Laszlo and Elizabeth (Horvath) Hegedus. At the minimum age of 16, he enlisted in the Hungarian Air Force during WWII and was a POW when the war ended. He and his mother then lived in a refugee camp in Passau, Germany before he eventually moved to Munich and worked as a dispatcher for a US Army hospital. A sponsor in Denver, Colorado allowed him the opportunity to immigrate to the US with his mother in 1951, where he learned the trade and soon started his own business as a brick mason. After two years, he was drafted into the US Army and stationed in Kitzingen, Germany as a radio operator. He was granted US citizenship upon completion of his military service and promptly married the love of his life, Edith Dorothea Weber. Together they had four children while he completed his degree in Electrical Engineering at the Technical University of Munich. An attractive job offer from IBM brought the family to Poughkeepsie, NY in 1961, where he designed mainframe computers and later drove the fabrication of proprietary Integrated Circuits. He quickly gained recognition as a brilliant engineer and passionate problem solver, being recognized with achievement awards and patents. Outside of work he loved socializing with friends and colleagues at dinner parties, gatherings at the family pool and recreational boating.

Cornel retired from IBM after a distinguished 31 year career and moved with his wife to Austin, where two of his children were already living. He enjoyed his golden years living in Lakeway, where he and Edith made many friends through social clubs such as the German Conversation group, Austin Newcomers and Ex-Patriot club. He loved to read, travel and study history.

"Papa's" personality reflected his colorful and vibrant life and he always had an interesting story to tell about his family, career or life in the "old country". He always held to his beliefs and principles with passionate conviction and valued nothing more than spending time with his family.

He is survived by his wife and four children including son Homer and wife Barbara of Austin, son Andreas and wife Katherine of Burlingame, CA, daughter Jacqueline Wilson and her husband Jesse Wilson of Austin and daughter Natascha Finnerty and her husband, Mark Finnerty of Lancaster, MA. He is also survived by nine grandchildren with whom he loved to spend time on vacations and at dinners in their home.

Visitation will be held on Friday July 13 from 6 - 8 pm and a celebration of his life will be held at 3 pm on Saturday, July 14. All events will be held at the Lake Travis Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home, 411 RR620 south, near Lakeway, TX 78734.

The family wishes to express their deep gratitude to the exceptional doctors and nurses in the Critical Care Unit of the Lakeway Regional Medical Center for their highly skilled and compassionate care of Cornel and his family.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Central Texas SPCA, 124 West Anderson Lane, Austin, TX 78752 or to Heifer International at www.heifer.org .

Arrangements by Weed-Corley-Fish Lake Travis, 411 Ranch Road 620 South, Lakeway, TX 78734 (512) 263-1511. Obituary and memorial guestbook available online at www.wcfish.com.