Ilona was born in Czechoslovakia. As a young woman, she eventfully and miraculously left because of the Nazis and joined family living in New York. The burden of losing much of her immediate family in the Holocaust remained with her always, but she was a strong and determined person and became a role model for the family. She was loving, kind, strong, spirited, with genuine honesty and integrity and a great sense of humor. She is survived by her two daughters, two sons-in-law, three grandchildren and seven great grandchildren who are grateful for the gift of her long life and many shared happy memories.