Andor teaching a men's class with Da Igramo in Rochester, NY, in about 1975.
Wonderful dancer, kind teacher, and thoughtful, caring person, loved by all his dancers.

I was saddened to hear of Andor's passing but it also brought back great memories of my wedding  April 12, 1980 when Andor led the dances at our reception in Cortland, NY.  After reading all of his accomplishments I am very honored to have had him perform on my very special day.

Kathryn Bundy Locke

We are so very sorry. Andor was a good friend, and we have many memories of our times together. 
 May his memory be eternal. 

Love and condolences to the family. 

John & Paula

Oh what a glorious life well lived.  Thank you for sharing so many photos making  me laugh and cry; especially the wedding and black and whites, and those with eyes looking right into mine.  So many years ago now I was just 17 getting to participate in the folk dance club, being the bride on stage in the wedding suite and like Bob Oates using Lakodalmi tanc in my wedding.  Having the chance to be brought into folk and jazz by the two of you was truly a blessing. Folk dancing and music has brought me thru each of the difficulties in my life and brought so much joy.   I wondered why I was thinking of you both a lot recently;  then I heard the news at our Cornell holiday gathering.  Somogi Karikazo was inevitable of course as a tribute; think how it has endured. It is so wonderful to see how much you all have enjoyed as a family over the years travelling and living.  My very best to you both.

Ann and Steve, 
Where to begin? I was so sorry to hear of Andor’s passing.  He was a gifted, gentle and loving man who touched many lives.... through his teaching, dancing and just living life.  Memories with your family go way back to when my Mom served as your day care provider, Steve, and grew in richness over the years.  We loved Andor, as we do both of you, with all our hearts.  I have this vision of Andor adorned in one of his beautiful costumes, dancing up a storm in heaven!  He truly made a difference on this earth - I can still vividly see his amazing smile.  He will always be fondly remembered from our corner of the world.  Love you both!

I had the privilege of taking a ballroom dance class at SUNY Cortland with Mr. Czompo.   It was 45 years ago, and I remember it like it was yesterday.  I loved to dance.  I looked forward to every class.  He made it all so interesting, he was so alive, animated.   What dance today, would it be the cha-cha, rumba or what?  Daily he choose a girl to be his partner.      It was waltz day, he taught the steps.  It was time to partner up and he choose me.  Me for the waltz.  I had always heard of the man holding the woman as such so she felt lead.  Mr. Czompo held me properly, and led me around the floor.  I now knew how it was to dance with Fred Astaire.......I am smiling thinking of it.  Thank you Mr. Czompo for all the wonderful years at SUNY Cortland and specifically for giving me that dancing lesson.  God Bless You.  Mary Lou Bordwell, Class of 75.  Taught Cortland High School 33 years, Physical Education.

If you had told me in 1968, as a senior in high school, that I would end up spending the next 50 years teaching dance to all ages, I would have said you were crazy!  But Andor Czompo  came into my life as the professor for a required PE course.  In very short order I fell in love with folk dance, took every  dance course  that was offered and joined all the clubs after classes.   But it was the Hungarian dances that were the biggest draws.  My wife Mary and I danced Lakodalmi Tanc at our  wedding and guests were enthralled by the beauty of the music and movements.
   All this happened because of Andor.  He changed my life, my career and in doing so, I have tried to teach "in his manner" these many years.  It is a small tribute among many to a giant in the world of dance.

Thank you Andor.  And thank you Ann and Steve for your enduring love of him!!

Dear Ann and Steve, we share your sorrow at this time of loss of your beloved husband and Father.  My husband Mel and I first met Andor when he first first started teaching Hungarian Dance after he came to the U.S.  Mary Ann Herman suggested he contact our teacher Dave Rosenberg.  I think that workshop was about 1960.  Andor could not speak English well, but we understood what he was teaching through the language of dance.  It is not enough to call Andor a Dance Master. For many years, Mel and I sponsored Andor through workshops and camps and danced with him at Maine Camp and other camps. We cast his footprints at Buffalo Gap Camp. Although no one can fill Andor's boots,  his footprints have encouraged many dance teachers and dancers who fell in love with Hungary, Hungarian Dance, Music, Folklore, and cuisine. We had such wonderful conversations about  his love of his native country, the dances which we fell in love with, it's costumes and so many things. I purchased many of his costumes which I treasure.  Andor taught classes, workshops, and mentored dancers all over the world. When Andor taught a dance, one did not feel his attitude was about wanting everyone to admire what a great and skilled dancer he was. It was not about how high he could kick his leg, how fast he could spin his partner, or how he could do a fancy boot slap. It was about communicating and sharing his great love for his native country through skilled dance teaching, respect for your dance partner, and culture corners  so that others could carry on his legacy .  He was a man of great pride, character and dignity and was always a gentleman. It is an honor to call him our friend. We wish  you strength and peace as we share your tears but will always honor the legacy of the unforgettable amazing  Andor Czompo.  His memory and dances will live on through his many friends who share your loss.

What good fortune for us at the College of William and Mary, that Anne and Andor  decided to “retire” in Williamsburg.  I jumped at the chance to invite Andor to teach for us in the Kinesiology Department, which he did for a good number of years. Myself and the students were privileged to experience his passion for Hungarian and folk cultures, the music, rhythms and dance. Andor, I am so grateful you came into my life, and  for all the knowledge you so graciously shared.  You will be missed, especially by me! 

Dear Ann and Family,
Please accept our condolences on Andor's passing. 
We remember him from your years at SUNY Cortland and your typesetting services for QualiGraphics.
Sincerely,
Delia and Don Ferris

Dear Ann Czompo,
I am sorry to learn that Andor Czompo has passed on. 
As a student at SUNY Cortland from 1968 to 1972 I enjoyed the dance instruction of both of you and Bess Koval. Inspired by the excellent instruction of Professor Andor Czompo I participated in the folk dance club. I came to appreciate that we students were receiving instruction from an international master of folk dance. 
Later when I joined the Physical Education Department faculty in 1985 I appreciated the chance to work with you both.
It is with gratitude that I remember the contribution of Andor Czompo to my and thousands of SUNY Cortland students' education in folk dance.

Andor was one of the first teachers whose classes I attended  at Maine Folk Dance Camp, starting in 1982. For many years I planned to attend camp for the session he was teaching. He enriched the dances with the stories about how dance was an integral part of Hungarian culture, always reminding us that dance was not about conquering just the steps and patterns, but about relating to our partners. I was lucky to dance with him again in Virginia after I moved to Charlottesville and he came to Williamsburg. He did a workshop for us in Charlottesville and sometimes came to the Makemie Woods weekends organized by the Virginia Beach group. The memories of dancing and talking with him are a treasured part of my life.  

Mr. C was my first folk dance teacher when I was a freshman at SUNY Cortland in 1967.  I always enjoyed learning from and dancing with him - he was such a wonderful teacher. I’m so glad I have stayed close to him and Ann over these past 52 years.  We will all miss him so much. 

I always loved Mr. C, as we called him in Cortland, back in the 1970’s. He was a good, kind and sweet man and boy could he dance!  The man just floated above the dance floor.  And he was a wonderful teacher.  He taught me that folk dance wasn’t just dancing but a window into the many and varied cultures of people around the world.  He was also a great storyteller and learning about his journey to America was fascinating to me.  

Well, Mr. C, I hope you knew how many people’s lives you touched.  And by the way, I still have my folk dance shoes from back in those days!

 Dear Ann, Andor and Family.

My name is Paul Kutscera; I am a Hungarian American and I live in NY.  I heard about your husband/Fathers passing and of his incredible legacy of accomplishment  in furtherance of Hungarian culture, identity and pride from a message from Kalman Magyar.

Your Dad was a GIANT who lived his passions to the fullest and helped generations of Hungarians and Hungarian Americans to revive their interest in their mother country, Hungary.  My hat is off to him as are those of so many others.  His life inspired and instructed so many others to enjoy , engage in  and be proud of Hungarian culture.  His legacy and Enormous contributions will live on in those whom he taught,  not just be instruction but BY EXAMPLE.
God Bless you and Keep you strong in the courage, love  and perseverance of his life.

Paul J. Kutscera, Esq. and Family

Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget.  Andor was so often in my thoughts, constant in my prayers, and forever in my heart.  
Ann and Steve, my heart cries for you in your loss.  So many hearts are crying,   Andor was the greatest friend and the best mentor one could ever have! 

Vonnie Brown

My wife Vaune and I extend our condolences to Steve and family.  While I did not know Andor, I am aware of the struggle of the Hungarian people that brought him and others to America.  Steve is Andor’s legacy, and after reading the lovely tribute Steve posted, I know Andor is proud of his son.  

Aunt Sippi and uncle Steve,

     Uncle Bondi was always a positive, fun, loving influence in my life. Although known for being a great teacher and dancer, he was lesser known for being a fantastic cook of Hungarian fare as well. I never left hungry or dissatisfied with a meal when visiting. His stories entertained and inspired, his hospitality was unmatched. I will miss him. I love him, and I love you both. My condolences.

-Art Friscoe

     Ann and Steve, I am so sorry that you have had to part from your beloved Andor.  I know that his memory will be a comfort and a blessing forever.

      I first met Andor when I was a freshman 
at the University of Rochester.  Over the years, he was my teacher, my mentor, and I am honored to say my friend.  It is not too much to say that knowing Andor changed the trajectory of and immeasurably enriched my life.    I loved and respected him for 47 years, and always will.  I am so very grateful to have had him in my life.  I will miss him more than I can say.

Andor was my first dance teacher and I cherish memories of him as a teacher, dancer and above all a person and friend.    Warm, enthusiastic, and delightfully opinionated sometimes, he was always interesting and interested, whether it was dancing, costumes, cooking or Hungarian poetry.   I suppose a favorite memory will be the laugh shared at the idea of translating Shakespeare into Hungarian.

I met Andor at Buffalo Gap Dance Camp in Copon Valley, West Virginia in early 1990. He was a great teacher. Told us of many traditions and reasons for certain movements in folk dances. He attended  some of the bi-yearly dance retreats held by Virginia Beach Folk Dancers in Williamsburg, Virginia. He will be missed a great deal. 
Sam Storeman
Richmond, virginia 

Our Bondi was kind, generous, warm, compassionate, and intelligent...a loving and devoted husband to my sister, Ann, and father to his son and my nephew Steve. He was commendable in every way, enriching our family, and finding a place in all our hearts. He was upright and honorable in all things.

Bondi was fine dancer and great performer who projected a commanding stage presence. As a teacher he touched on and favorable influenced innumerable lives and truly provided a commendable role model. He was possessed of an inquisitive and searching mind...thought provoking and ever interesting.  Bondi was always a pleasure to be with...a wonderful companion, patient, warm, friendly and engaging.  It was always just a joy to be with him. 

God Bless Bondi for the goodness he brought to all of us. He was the best of the best.

I first met Andor when I was a teenager. He was an engaging, and fun teacher.. so many dances I learned from him, and some nice historic touches about why the movements were the way they were. Later, when I was in my 30’s, again I had the privilege of dancing under his tutelage, and learned even more history and culture. 
Thank you for so many wonderful memories, Andor!

Andor  was very professional and very kind to me, my late husband, and daughter.  It is indeed a coincidence that he passed away on the third anniversary of my daughter  Anna's death.  May they enjoy the folk music and dance of Hungary and the Balkans in Heaven!

AVIS DE DÉCÈS

Andor Czompo

30 novembre 1929 – 3 décembre 2019

Nelsen Williamsburg

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