ISTVAN (STEVE) OLAH

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ISTVAN (STEVE) OLAH It is with sadness that we announce the peaceful passing of our dad, grandfather and friend, Istvan (Steve) Olah into the hands of Jesus on March 18, 2004. Dad was born in Budapest, Hungary on December 19, 1922. He was predeceased by his wife Etelka, who he married in Canada and leaves behind to mourn him daughters, Ica (Helen) Igneczi, residing in Ontario, and Anna-Maria (Susan) Wiebe, and Agnes (Agi) Butt (Bryan) and son Gyula (Jules) Selymes (Delcy-Ann), all of Winnipeg; as well as grandchildren, Eva, Andy, Debbie, Leo, Brian, Cassandra, Catharine, Jacqui, Douglas, Trevor and Bryan; and many great-grandchildren. Orphaned early and knowing hunger and poverty, he began working full time at the age of 12 as an apprentice in a weigh scales foundry, progressing to become a qualified scale mechanic. As many of his generation, he was a soldier in the Second World War, with tearful memories of that war. He was proud to be a freedom fighter in the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, against the Soviet occupation of Hungary. As the Soviet army broke the back of the revolution, he was forced to flee to Austria and immigrated to Canada in 1957 with his older daughter Helen, then 12, with only the clothes upon their backs. They left behind a wife and younger daughter, Anna-Maria. He managed to reunite with this daughter after being separated for 10 years. Arriving in Canada with only his skills and ambition, he found work, as a scale mechanic in Winnipeg with Toledo Scale Co. Within approximately three years he established his successful business, Olah Scale Service Ltd., in which he remained active well into his 70s. A hard early life developed in him an incredible passion and capacity for work and a "can-do-must-do" attitude guiding his work, family, friendships and cottage life. He served for many years as president of the Betula Lake Association and curled from 1957 to 1994 in the Commercial Curling League of Winnipeg and the Seniors League out of the Heather Curling Club. A memorial service will be held at the Hungarian United Church, 732 Ellice Ave. at 11:00 a.m., Friday, March 26, nine years to the day that his wife, who he dearly loved, passed away. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Canadian Cancer Society, Manitoba Division, 193 Sherbrook St. Desjardins Funeral Chapel, 233-4949.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Mar 21, 2004