Eva Julianna Szillery

Eva Julianna Szillery, 66, of Orono, Maine, and Szekszárd, Hungary, died on November 22nd at her home in Orono. Eva was the Founder of the Maine Mathematics, Science and Engineering Talent Search, an educational development program with a focus on problem solving, mathematics and critical thinking. Eva was also the State of Maine coordinator for the Mathematical Association of American Mathematics Competitions, and the founder of the Maine Origami Society.

Eva was born on November 16, 1955 in Szekszárd, Hungary and was the second of three children to Arpard and Erzsebet (Sugar) Lorincz. She was the mother of three children: Johanna, born in 1974; Eva, born in 1976, and Scott Wheaton, born in 1986. Johanna and Eva were born in Hungary, while Scott was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

She earned her doctoral degree in Mathematics from Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary in 1975. In 1981, Eva immigrated to the United States with her oldest daughter, Johanna. The family lived in Urbana-Champaign, Illinois; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Scotch Plains, New Jersey before settling in the Bangor, Maine area in 1998.

Eva will be remembered as a passionate, tenacious, and generous woman. She was a first generation immigrant who sought to give her children the best education and opportunities possible. She shared her passion for problem solving and analytical thinking with students, neighbors, friends, family, and others that showed interest. Although she moved to the United State and lived there for the second half of her life, she never lost her interest in and admiration for Hungarian scholarship and culture.

Eva was creative and bright, and her creativity manifested in developing mathematical problems, crafts and arts, baking and cooking, and origami. She taught mathematics through private tutoring, summer camps, and a correspondence problem solving program modeled after the renowned Hungarian Komal journal. Her passion for helping others led to her earning the University of Maine Educator Recognition Award for Programming Excellence.

Eva was a resilient and hard-working single mother who left an indelible mark on her family and friends. She showed many what it means to care and the lengths we must go to in order to care for others.

Eva is survived by her children Scott Wheaton and his fiancé, Rachael Weis of Atlanta, Georgia; Eva Szillery of Budapest, Hungary; and Johanna Szillery and her husband, Matthew Polstein of Millinocket, Maine; and sisters, Zsuzsa and Gyongyi, and extended family and friends throughout the US and Hungary. Eva is predeceased by her parents.

A celebration of Eva’s life is planned for Spring 2022.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Eva J. Szillery Memorial Scholarship Fund, at: https://gofund.me/8bcf7a01