John Varga

JOHN VARGA
1941-2010

One of Lansing's deeply rooted families lost a much-loved member last week. John Nicholas Varga passed away at Solari Hospice Care in Las Vegas, NV on March 13, 2010. He had many admirers in the town of Lansing, many who will no doubt be smiling in the coming days as they reflect back on their moments with him.
John's parents were Steve Varga Sr. and Susie Varga of Davis Road in Lansing, NY. They had five children. John was their third, born in Ithaca, NY on January 31, 1941.
As a child John was always very friendly. He enjoyed sports and playing football. His sense of humor showed through everything he did. John resembled both the Syrian and Hungarian sides of his family with his broad smile and rich brown, mischievous eyes that always seemed to be laughing. He worked on the family farm before graduating from Lansing High School in 1958. He then proudly served four honorable years in the United States Air Force.
John's talents reached far and wide. He worked for his brother Steve's excavating business for four years and as Production Supervisor at Borg Warner for ten years. To many in the area, John is particularly remembered for his time spent as Building and Grounds Keeper at Lansing Central School District. He wore his blue shirt, jeans, and red suspenders almost as often as his bushy moustache. This attire was so familiar that on "John Varga Appreciation Day," his colleagues at Lansing Middle School all dressed in blue shirts, jeans, and red suspenders and donned phony facial hair to honor him.
In 1964 John married Joyce Maine, the mother of his son. They eventually built a house in Dryden where they enjoyed several years raising their only child, John Douglas Varga. John's second marriage was to Gloria Larkin. Like his brothers, John built his own home on Davis Road, which he shared with Johnny, Gloria, and her children, Richie and Lori Jayne.
While John's personal relationships came and went, his real partner in life was always his son Johnny. The closeness shared between them was palpable; "Big John" and "Little John" had always been a consistent duo. They lived together for many years, both in Lansing and later in Las Vegas. All extended members of the Varga clan enjoyed how the two playfully harassed one another, often whimsically threatening each other, and each referring to the other as "boy."
John's role in the family had always been that of comedian. A favorite pastime of his was relentlessly teasing his sisters-in-law, particularly Dixie. John adored his brothers, Steve (whom he called "Junior" the way that his mother did), Jim, and Louie. It was obvious that he enjoyed their company and they enjoyed his, often meeting regularly to have coffee, chat or play cards. Steve, Jim, and Louie have missed his companionship since he relocated to Las Vegas.
The Varga family will always have happy memories of jovial John... Father to Johnny; Brother to Steve (Wendy), Jennie, Jim (Gloria), and Louie (Dixie); Uncle to Stevie, Rob, Terry, Susie, Erica, Scott, Richie, Renee, Jamie, Josh; a close Great Uncle to Cierra Cain, Lindsie, Macie, and Justin Rifley, and several others that were not fortunate enough to know him; and a lovable friend to all. The Vargas invite you to help them celebrate and remember John this summer, details to be announced in the coming months. We are sure that wherever John is now, he has found the nearest casino and is charming many friends there.
Those wishing to remember John in the form of a contribution are asked to consider Solari Hospice Center, 5530 South Jones Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89118 or a charity of one's choice.