Zoltan Papolczy was born on May 17th,1928 in Budapest, Hungary. He was the eldest of four children born to Laszlo and Jolan Papolczy. He passed from here into his new life with Jesus on December 11th. 2020, at the age of 92.
Zoltan was born into a wealthy family in Hungary and enjoyed the privileges of having an estate, vineyard, and a thoughtful and planned upbringing that concentrated on education, religion, and the family business. His fond memories included his mother cooking for the tenant workers’ lunch, playing around the wine vats, and having 2 younger brothers to cause mischief with. He was always happy to share fond memories from this time in his life.
Zoltan’s life changed drastically with the outbreak of WWII. Communist take over resulted in the confiscation of the family assets. He was drafted into the Army as an officer. His father was killed by American pilots in an accidental bombing of a shelter, but American servicemen saved his life on an airstrip where others had been killed. He hated the war and the loss of his homeland to the Germans.
In 1956 Zoltan left his family and homeland forever and walked out of the country. The Red Cross airlifted him to England, and then to Canada in 1957. He worked there as an industrial engineer for 15 years and then transferred to Mann Roland Stanford Division in Salem, Illinois in 1972 until his retirement. Zoltan was well respected in his field and trained many new graduates as they came through the company.
In 1990 he married Teresa Voss and they have 2 children. Emily and David were the joy of his life, as he had been unable to have children earlier in his life. Emily became an amazing and dedicated daughter and David a very loving son and is very much like his father. Zoltan has been doubly blessed in his life with the addition of Brandon Newbury as a son-in-law, who is always there and would fix anything he needed, and Brittany Loranzan, who was always so friendly and took time for kind conversation. In March of this year, his first grandchild, Isaac, was born. Zoltan always loved celebrating his birthday, so this Summer, he turned 92, and the family celebrated at home and he got to meet Isaac. He stated, “He looks just like me,” and since we all agreed, the baby was nicknamed “Little Zoly.”
In addition to being a proud father, he was a good friend and excellent storyteller. He had a boyish grin and laugh throughout his entire life. His passion was betting on horse races. He knew the horses, jockeys, and trainers. If the television was on, it was horse races, and there was always a program nearby to help him calculate a “good bet.
Zoltan is survived by his two brothers and sister in Budapest, his wife Teresa Papolczy, daughter and son-in-law Emily and Brandon Newbury, and son David Papolczy and Brittany Loranzan, parents of Isaac Papolczy and Brialynne Loranzan.
Private Services will be held and interment will take place at Alma City Cemetery in Alma, Illinois. Call Hughey Funeral Home at 618-242-3348 or visit hugheyfh.com for further information.
