Johanna Maria Keresztes, a devoted mother, grandmother, and woman of unwavering faith, passed away peacefully in December 2024 at the age of 96. Born in 1928, in Vác, Hungary, Johanna’s life was a remarkable testament to resilience, courage, and deep religious conviction.
Johanna’s early years were shaped by the beauty of her hometown on the banks of the Danube River and the challenges of World War II. Her journey took her from Hungary to England, where she found refuge and support within the Catholic Church, and later to Ottawa, Canada, where she reunited with her family and began her professional life.
A gifted linguist fluent in Hungarian, German, and English, Johanna worked as a secretary at the Canadian consulate in Salzburg, Austria after WWII. Later, in Montreal, Johanna met her husband, Charles Zoltan Keresztes, with whom she shared a marriage until his passing in 1996. Soon after arriving in Delaware, Johanna was a docent volunteer at the Hagley Museum, and later taught German in the Mount Pleasant School District. Together, they raised their two sons, Thomas and Andrew, in Delaware; Geneva, Switzerland; and São Paulo, Brazil where she balanced raising a family with her academic pursuits, including earning a master’s degree in Religious Studies from Lancaster Theological Seminary.
Johanna is survived by her sister Maria Eva Gordon (nee Horvath), her sons Thomas and Andrew, and her four grandchildren, who were a source of great pride and joy. She loved her extended family in the USA, Canada, and Europe, with who she was an inveterate letter writer. Her legacy of perseverance, faith, and love will continue to inspire all who knew her.
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