Obituary - Ilona Szemenyei Bognar

Ilona (Szemenyei) Bognar, age 95, of Henrico, Virginia, passed away at home on Monday, September 30, 2024. She was surrounded by her loving family at the time of passing.

Ilona was born in Nagybánhegyes, Hungary on May 1, 1929 to Sandor Szemenyei and Rosilia Babarczi. She came to the United States in 1959 after fleeing Russian occupied Hungary in 1957 and living in an Austrian refugee camp for two and a half years. Ilona lived in New York City for many decades prior to her relocation to Richmond, Virginia. She loved cooking and baking for her family and worked as a personal chef for many years. Some of her Hungarian special recipes included stuffed peppers, stuffed cabbage, chicken paprika, fasirt, zserbo pastries, and many other delicious cakes, pies, and cookies. She especially enjoyed making potato pancakes and rakott krumpli for her grandchildren.

Ilona loved being around people and looked forward to visits with her family and friends, playing bingo at her residence’s clubhouse. She had a witty sense of humor and enjoyed making people laugh. Besides cooking and baking, some of her favorite hobbies included shopping, scratching lottery tickets, and watching Wheel of Fortune every night. She also loved tending to her houseplants and was especially proud of her Christmas cacti. Ilona loved her children and grandchildren. She had a heart of gold, giving to others whenever she could.

She had amazing energy, even into her later years, and lived her life to the fullest until the very end, when her body no longer could. She is, and always will be greatly missed, but never forgotten, by her family and friends. Her faith in God gave her hope that she would be reunited in heaven with all her loved ones.

Ilona is survived by her daughter, Maggie Falasco (Gil); her son, Andy Kiss (Janet); her grandchildren, Erika Falasco, Sofie Falasco, Niles Kiss, Aleana Kiss, and Andrew Kiss. She is also survived by two loving sisters, Maria Ruck and Lilly Libor.

She is predeceased by her brother, Sandor Szemenyei; her three sisters, Bertuska Szemenyei, Iren Hadju, and Rosalia Lang; father, Sandor Szemenyei; mother, Rosilia Babarczi; brother-in-law Andreas Ruck; and lifelong friend, Annie Kristaly.

The family will receive visitors from 2 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, October 5, at Affinity Funeral Service, 2720 Enterprise Parkway Richmond, VA 23294. A Celebration of Life will follow at 3 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Flowers can be sent to the aforementioned address.