Aranka Racz

Our life passes in a moment; but its impact is indelible, eternal. Aranka Racz (née Traher) was born in a small town Hungary on September 3, 1930, on the heels of the Great Depression and barely a step ahead of the Second World War. Hand in hand with her beloved grandmother, she helped raise her young brother Bela through the whirlwind of the war. From there, she made her way to the capital where she met and fell in love with Ferenc Racz, her future husband and cherished life partner. He was still reeling from the loss of his family in the Holocaust. But together, they forged a lifelong and unwavering bond in the heat of the Hungarian Revolution, and together fled the country in a perilous journey as Russian tanks rumbled onto the streets of Budapest. They went to Switzerland as refugees in 1956, where they married, then eventually moved to Montreal to start a new life and family. In Montreal, they had a much beloved son Nicholas and became an integral part of that city's vibrant Hungarian community. Ari, as she was known to everyone, established herself as a respected professional woman in the 1960s, while building a family life replete with love and a nurturing spirit. She showered her husband and son with the warmth and affection often lacking in her own difficult childhood. She lost her cherished husband in 1986 - far too early . It represented her life's greatest sadness. They were inseparable. She would move to Vancouver to be closer to her son and to escape Montreal's harsh winters. There, she experienced a joyous rebirth. She became a passionate volunteer at the Jewish Community Centre; then moved to Cavell Garden, where her warmth and energy made her a central figure in that community. Her warmth, curiosity, compassion and energy were her defining traits - and many were touched by them. She will be missed, but never forgotten. Her affection for people and appetite for life has been reborn in her grand-daughter Raney – likewise her feistiness. So her spirit carries on. Her last few years weren’t the easiest, as age and disease started to catch up with her. But after 88 years fully and fiercely lived, the end came peacefully. She passed away in Vancouver's Cottage Hospice on April 14, 2019. But from those unlikely beginnings in that small Hungarian village a World War and Great Depression away, she helped shape a family and community. She leaves behind a loving family including her son Nicholas, daughter-in-law Rachel Chadderton, grand-daughter Raney Arielle Chadderton-Racz. She also leaves behind her younger brother Bela Traher, sister-in-law Eva, nieces Eva and Peter, as well as great-nieces and great-nephews, and countless friends. Such is her legacy - indelible, eternal, and gratefully received. Her long, rich and remarkable life will be remembered at a Celebration of Life this Sunday April 14 from 2-5PM at Seasons Restaurant in Queen Elizabeth Park.