Erika Farkas passed away peacefully at home in her sleep on June 21, 2025 after her most recent battle with Leukemia. We celebrate the wonderful life of Erika, who was known to her family as Anyu, Nagymama and even more recently as Dedimama (that’s Mom, Grandma and Great Granny in Hungarian)! Erika was a very kind, compassionate, vibrant, and faith-filled person, a common sentiment shared by her family and friends that knew and loved her. She was incredibly selfless, always putting the needs of others ahead of her own and she always had a big smile for everyone she met.
Erika was born in Budapest, Hungary on February 1, 1942, during the middle of World War II. She and her parents ended up as refugees in Austria (she was 3 years old at the time). They returned to Hungary after the war and as Erika grew to be a teenager, she developed a strong Hungarian cultural identity honing her incredible cooking and baking skills. When the Hungarian revolution collapsed in October of 1956, her parents decided they could no longer stay in Hungary and fled for a better life in America!
They settled in Cleveland, which at the time had the largest Hungarian community in the world outside of Hungary. She met and married her husband Alex, also a Hungarian immigrant, who fled during the revolution. They bought a house in the suburbs of east Cleveland living the American Dream and had two children, Thomas and Peter.
The next 30 years in northeast Ohio included raising her children in the Hungarian community, with a strong Catholic faith, making lifelong friendships, hosting elegant parties with her delectable Hungarian cooking and baking, enjoying the outdoors, and traveling during the summers.
Erika and Alex retired in 1996 to their favorite spot in the world which was Sarasota, enjoying the white sandy beaches of Siesta Key where they enjoyed another 21 years entertaining with new Hungarian friends while still maintaining connections to their Cleveland friends, and spending lots of time with their three grandchildren teaching them about the arts, theater, Hungarian culture and cuisine. In 2017, due to Alex’s declining health, they moved to the Orlando area to live with their son, Peter. Following the death of Alex, Erika continued to keep her spirits young and vibrant through social events with Peter’s close friends, all while battling two different types of cancer. Ultimately, a third cancer, Leukemia, took her, but she left us for the Lord at her chosen time without any pain.
Erika is survived by her children, Peter and Thomas (spouse Jamie); grandchildren, Meagan, Rachel, and Olivia; step-grandchildren, Chad and Reece; great grandchildren, Rory and Kash; and other beloved relatives in Hungary. A memorial Mass will be held at San Pedro Spiritual Development Center, 95 Bishop Grady Ln, Winter Park, FL 32792 at 2:00 pm on Saturday, July 12, 2025. (In lieu of flowers, the family asks any memorial donations be made to St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Church in Cleveland, Ohio.)
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