Gabriella Szoke, 86, proud wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, friend and matriarch of the Szoke family passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family on October 16, 2018, in Lauderdale by the Sea, Florida.
Gabriella was born in Alsovadasz, Hungary on April 8, 1932, to Charles and Ella Kovacs. After World War II, when she was fifteen; Gabriella immigrated with her family including her sister Beverly and brother Lloyd to the United States, settling in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
There she met the love of her life Andrew Szoke who later became her husband. They were married on February 6th 1954 at St. Ladislaus Catholic Church, enjoying over 64 wonderful years of marriage together. She was dedicated to helping others and worked as a registered nurse, compassionately helping the sick for many years.
During her life she had the opportunity to travel the world with her husband Andrew visiting many countries, most notable were her trips to Egypt, and Asia where she fell in love with the culture and rich history of these exotic lands. In her spare time, she enjoyed reading, writing, traveling, swimming at the beach and spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
She was also a wonderful mother, raising three children Andrew Jr., Kathleen, and Peter which she would describe as her life’s purpose and greatest joy. Later her family was expanded to include Noreen and Stephen which were spouses to her children Andrew Jr. and Kathleen, respectively.
In her later years, she enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren Andrew III and his wife Mary, Erin and her husband Donald, Stephen, Kristina, and Jessica. Also, she was blessed with great-grandchildren Colston, Arianna and Lillian which were a source of much joy in the final months of her life.
Gabriella is described by her family as the rock, foundation, source of wisdom and strength, and center of the Szoke family. She was known for her intelligence, candor and strength but also was a source of great love, compassion and guidance for the entire family.
She was a spiritual person who would consistently remind us about the simple things in life; love is the greatest gift of all and how fortunate we are to be a part of this wondrous beautiful world. Her kindness, laughter, empathy and deep enriching conversations will be missed by all as she was truly a remarkable person. She will be greatly missed by her family and most deeply by her husband. Gabriella is preceded in death by her father, mother, sister, brother and her son Peter.
She believed that red cardinals were a spiritual messenger, bringing you comfort from your deceased loved ones from the other side. She talked about seeing cardinals on many occasions after her son Peter died and truly felt that these sightings were messages from her son. She would want her family to know that if you ever see a cardinal in passing or at your window it may be our Gabriella bringing a message of love from the other side.
A Memorial Service will be held on October 27, 2018 from 5:00 PM until 7:00 PM and reception 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM at the Forest Lawn Funeral Home South, 2401 Southwest 64th Avenue, Davie Florida 33317.
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