Date of Birth:
Friday, September 6, 1935
Date of Death:
Sunday, December 24, 2023
Age:
88 years old

Dr. Laszlo J. Szarka

Dr. László József Szarka, 88, of Rochester, Minnesota, died peacefully on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2023 at Benedictine Living Madonna Towers.

László was born into a literary family on September 6, 1935 in Székesfehérvár, Hungary to Dr. Géza Szarka (author and educator) and Ilona Szarka née Woditsch. He attended the acclaimed Pannonhalma Benedictine Abbey Boarding School in Hungary. Dr. László Szarka studied at Semmelweis University of Budapest and University of Jena, East Germany, and graduated in 1967 with a Doctorate of Pharmacy, and a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry. After graduation, he worked at the Chinoin Pharmaceutical Company in Budapest, The Research Institute for Pharmaceutical Chemistry in Budapest, and was appointed Chief Pharmacist of Somogy County, Hungary.

László met the love of his life, Violet Várkonyi, at the Pharmacist Ball in Budapest, and married her on April 15, 1963. They were blessed with a daughter and a son, 3 granddaughters and 3 grandsons, and 55 years of marriage.

In 1973, he defected from Communist Hungary to seek a life without limits for his family in the United States of America. He was welcomed and kindly assisted by his older brother, Géza and his family in New Jersey. László always regretted that it was impossible for him to say a proper goodbye to his parents and remaining family in Hungary, especially to his sisters Piroska and Mária, and his youngest brother and best friend, István. He could not return to Hungary for many years.

Dr. Szarka was the Director of Biotechnology at Bristol Meyers Squibb, where he worked for 23 years. He traveled the world to expand pharmaceutical production in Europe, South America, Africa, and India. His extensive scientific accomplishments include over 80 international patents in microbiological process technology.

László was a patron of the fine arts. During his life in Budapest, he attended every opera performed in the modern repertoire at least three times. He and Violet were season ticket holders at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. As a youth, he was selected for the Schola Boys Choir Hungary, and was a talented pianist and organist. László won a competition at his university to identify classical music in the fewest notes. He also had a great appreciation and a vast memory for poetry, which he was able to recite even in his final days. László and Violet loved to dance, and enjoyed attending New York Society Balls, particularly the Piarist and Quadrille Balls.

László was widowed in 2018. He is survived by his daughter, Monika Elling (Arthur L. Regan) of New York City and Stamford, Connecticut, and his son, Dr. Lawrence Szarka (Monica Marrocco-Szarka) of Rochester, Minnesota; six grandchildren, Bettina Elling, Nicholas Elling, Stefanie Elling, Veronica Szarka, Alexander Szarka, and Anthony Szarka. He is also survived by siblings István Szarka (Eszter Szarka née Torday) of Budapest, Hungary, and Ildikó Orbán-Szarka (Dr. Árpád Orbán) of De Bilt, The Netherlands, ten nieces and nephews, and their children, and many cousins. He is preceded in death by siblings Piroska Szarka, Géza Szarka (Ágnes Szarka née Sárvári), and Mária Zimmermann (Dr. István Zimmermann); and sister-in-law Éva Szabó née Várkonyi (Dr. Péter Szabó), and brother-in-law István Várkonyi (Csilla Várkonyi née Sasváry).

László and Violet are now waltzing together again at the grandest of all balls.

There will be a private funeral mass at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Rochester, Minnesota with the Reverend Jim Berning officiating. Burial will be in Holy Cross Cemetery Mausoleum in Bernardsville, New Jersey.

We thank the Benedictine Living Community, Macken Funeral Home, and the Marrocco Memorial Chapel for their longstanding kindness, expertise, and care.