Celia Drillman Strauss

When Germany occupied Poland in 1939 they moved to a Russian occupied area of Poland. After Germany attacked Russia, they were interned in the Snow Ghetto. They narrowly escaped death by hiding in their home and escaping to the forest when the Nazis liquidated the ghetto. Celia's sister, Debora, was left in the care of her father's former colleague and Celia and her parents went to the forest with other Jews. They were in hiding there until they were liberated by Russian Troops in the summer of 1944. After the war, they fled Soviet territory and lived in the Fohrenwald displaced persons camp where they remained until their departure for the United States in 1947.

Once in the U.S., Celia married her first husband Emanuel Drillman in 1950. They lived in Bayside, Queens, ran a successful import-export business and remained together until his death in 1985. She met her second husband, Janos, in New York in 1990. They were married on November 1, 1992 and moved to Las Vegas in 1994 where they lived happily for 27 years. They were inseparable and very devoted to each other during their time together. They were active in a Holocaust survivors group in Las Vegas, and shared many momentous occasions, trips and celebrations including the wedding of their oldest grandson, Adam, to his wife, Stacy, where they walked down the aisle and happily danced together during the celebration. Celia was the stepmom of the late Harold, William, and Elizabeth, grandchildren, Adam (Stacy), Joshua (Jessica), Anna Ashley (Derek) and her two great-grandchildren, Michael and Noa. Celia was tiny in size but had a formidable and strong personality, deep love for her family and a wonderful sense of humor. She was extremely proud of her Jewish heritage, leading a Passover seder while in her early 90's, and she was not shy about expressing her opinions or stubbornly insisting on getting her way when someone disagreed with her. Shortly after losing the love of her life, Janos, Celia suffered a debilitating stroke in November 2021 and defied medical experts by overcoming her numerous challenges to live almost 3 and a half years thereafter. We are grateful for the indelible memories that she has left us with and for the positive impact that she has had on our lives.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Friends of the Israel Defence Forces in memory of Celia. She was a steadfast supporter of Israel and, as such, this would be a meaningful way to honor her memory. Thank you.

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