Dr. Andrew F. Halmagyi
elevated 1bOVj January 26, 1935 ~ August 12, 2024
elevated 1bOVj Visitation
Monday, August 19, 2024 from 6-8 p.m.
Holy Cross Catholic Funeral Home
211 Langstaff Road East, Thornhill, Ontario, L3T 3Z6
elevated 1bOVj Funeral Service
To be held in private
elevated 1bOVj Interment
To be held in private
elevated 1bOVj Obituary
After a brave fight with cancer, Andrew passed away peacefully on Monday, August 12, 2024 at North York General Hospital. We would like to thank all the nurses and doctors that looked after him with much kindness and compassion.
elevated 1bOVj He is survived by his loving wife of 68 years, Lili; his daughters Kathy (David), Andrea (Remo) and Julie (Cameron); and his eight beautiful grandchildren Mitchell (Manuela), Sean (Mary), Danielle (Paul); Matthew (Heather), Joshua (Christina), Jeremy (Sheri) and Riley; Emily and his lovely new great granddaughter Nala.
elevated 1bOVj Andrew and Lili arrived in Canada after escaping Hungary during the revolution of 1956.
elevated 1bOVj He went on to study medicine at Queen’s University while also learning English. He became one of the first general surgeons at North York General Hospital and had a long and very distinguished career.
elevated 1bOVj We would like to sincerely thank everyone who has sent our family such lovely messages of kindness and condolences.
elevated 1bOVj There will be a visitation on Monday, August 19, 2024 from 6 – 8 p.m. at Holy Cross Funeral Home, followed by a private service for Andrew’s family on Tuesday, August 20.
elevated 1bOVj In lieu of flowers we ask that if people would like, they may donate to North York General Hospital in memory of Andrew to the Department of General Surgery or to the Area of Most Need.
elevated 1bOVj https://donate.nyghfoundation.ca/site/Donation2
elevated 1bOVj Also, if anyone would like to share a memory or a message we would gladly welcome that on this website.
elevated 1bOVj
We are so sorry to hear about the loss of your father. My heart goes out to you and your family during this difficult time. May cherished memories of him bring you comfort and peace.
Thank you for your kind message Sandra.
Our condolences to you and the family and friends who will miss him dearly.
Thank you Peter and Sharyn for the kind message.
Sorry for your loss. It’s never an easy thing to lose a loved one however, just know our thoughts are with you and your entire family at this very difficult time.
Wonderful man, great life story, honored to have known him. We are very sorry to hear the sad news and we send our love..
Dear Lili and family,
We are deeply saddened by the news of Andy’s passing and extend our heartfelt sympathy to you and the whole family on your great loss. We known Andy and you for more than 35 years and cherish lovely memories with both of you. Andy was a kind, lovely human being also our mentor and a very dear friend. For those you love don’t go away they walk beside you every day.
With sincerest condolences,
Such a lovely message to our family. It is greatly appreciated and we were very happy to see you and receive your warm wishes in person.
My condolences to you and your family for your loss. I remember working with him in the OR. He was always so pleasant and wonderful to scrub for. Always a true gentleman. He will truly be missed.
Thank you Kathy. It is always wonderful to hear from his “family” at the hospital that he loved to work at.
Julie, I am sending you and your family my Love and Deepest Sympathy and I am sharing in your sadness as we remember your Dad. He was a very Special man, and I know he was a Significant part of all of your lives and to those who had the pleasure to meet him. I know he had an incredible impact on Emily’s life as well and helped to shape her into the wonderful person that she has become. He was an Incredible ‘Girl Dad’ who led a very Remarkable Life and I’m Grateful that I got to know him. Cherish all the Wonderful Memories that you have of him and continue to share them with your friends and the younger Halmagyi generations, so he will continue to live on in their lives as well. May your Happy Memories give you Peace and Comfort during this time.
Such lovely and kind words. Yes, he did have a great influence on Emily. We are so lucky to have another medical expert in our family. Very much appreciate that you came to the funeral home. Thank you so much.
I first met Andy when he arrived as a classmate at the start of our 6 year class at Queens Medical School. He and Lili were living at the home of her relatives in Grimsby and studying to learn English. It became very evident that Andy was a very capable student and the most gifted of us in Anatomy studies. Lili was working as a laboratory technician. We spent many hours together in medical studies. Helen and I enjoyed socializing with Andy and Lili during our time in Kingston and throughout all the many years since.
After graduation in 1961, Andy completed the surgery residency at Toronto General. He was appreciated as an excellent specialist and consultant at the local hospital. Andy and Lili were superb parents with their three daughters. He was respected and loved by all who knew him.
We are grieved at his passing. Our love and support to Lili and the family.
Joseph Cannella and family
Thank you so much for those lovely words. Your friendship was incredibly important to both my mother and father. It was so lovely that you were out to visit him a few times before he got very ill and so wonderful that you were able to celebrate his life with us today.
The Halmagyis were great friends with my father Samuel Cass, who passed away 2 years ago at the ripe old age of 99. Our two families enjoyed the occasional dinner together, hosted by Sam as a thank you for all of the meals that Lilly invited him to share with them both. Andy’s life legacy is of course, his children and grandchildren, who will likely carry with them the inspiring story of Andy and Lilly’s escape from Hungary and their integration into the Great White North. Hopefully, Sam will be there to greet Andy with a golf club in hand, and some advice on how to navigate his new home, Heaven. Rest in Peace. 🌺
Barbara, thank you for your lovely message. I know how important Sam and the Cass family were to both of my parents. They spoke of you often and I do believe you are right. Those two will have a grand old time up there together.
We learned with great sadness about Andy’s passing. Our condolences to Lili and his family. I was a fellow refugee and medical student at Queens. Andy and Lili were friends and provided social support and the occasional Hungarian meal. They were friends and neighbors in Ontario street subsidized housing, when we were in training in Toronto. Ann and I maintained our friendship with him and Lili even in retirement
Best wishes to the family
I can’t express how wonderful it was to see you both yesterday. Unbelievable kindness of you to travel all that way to see my mother and our family. Both of our families have such a rich history to pass down to our families. I know that you were so important to both of my parents. Thank you so much for sharing your message and coming to see us all. Be well. You both looked incredible.
For us Bandi was a Man,
• who had to experience the terrible II. W. W.
• who lived in the terror of soviet occupation
• who broke the Red Army’s curfew to go to take care of his patients and was almost shot to death,
• who was brave to risk Lili’s and his life to flee from communism in 1956,
• who started from scratch their new life, his Medical University from zero in a foreign country,
• who later became a Specialist Surgeon and consultant
• who sew back a poor patient’s arm in a heroic surgery,
• who was strong enough to undertake three beautiful daughters
• who realised that homesick and a return to Hungary could ruin all his family’s carrier
• who went to the gym every day, who was not ill at all
• who has got several grandchildren and even one grand grand child,
• who could overcome serious illnesses in his last two years
• who could live 90 years and almost 70 years with his wife.
May God bless his Journey!
Klári and Gábor
Hungary
Thank you Gabor and Klari for the lovely synopsis of my father. You were both so very important to him and my mother, and of course, to our whole family. Such lovely words and kindness you have shown us all.
We are truly saddened since receiving the news of Andy’s passing and wish to extend to you and your entire family our deepest condolences and sympathy for your great loss. We shall always cherish the fond memories of our 45 years of interacting with Andy as a true friend, an amazing colleague and a wonderful mentor. Andy, you will forever remain in our hearts and prayers. Rest in peace dear friend.
Thank you so very much for your lovely message and for coming to see our family. You and your family were incredibly important to my father and my mother. Your friendship with him but also your treatment of myself and other family members when we were ill have always been very appreciated.
Dear Lili
Pat and I were sad to hear of Andy’s passing. We worked together for many years and he was always a source of common sense in the surgical service. I missed his input when he retired.
Our sincere condolences to you Lili and the family,for your loss. Andy was a talented surgeon and a good friend.
May your memories together sustain you through this difficult time.
Know you are in our thoughts and prayers.
Pat and Mo
Thank you so much Dr. Bent. Your name came up recently when my dad was in the hospital and Dr. Katchan was looking after him. Lots of fond memories were shared by us all. I heard you are still working!
Hopefully you will eventually just sit back and enjoy thinking about all those you have helped. Thank you for the kind words.
My deepest condolences to the Halmagyi family. May you all take comfort in all the memories you share as a family and all that you were blessed to share all these years. May Andrews memory be eternal.
Kathy, David and families , I’m so sorry to hear of the huge loss of your incredible Dad! Seeing his picture reminds me of that twinkle in his eye ,when funny things would occasionally happen at work. He was so well respected ,but occasionally something funny might happen and that twinkle would appear!! I hope that you can recall many family times that created that twinkle! I hope all those memories bring you all comfort at this time of such sad loss! Sincere condolences .
Heather, thank you for sharing. We love to hear from his colleagues. He had many wonderful years working with many extraordinary people. It was lovely of you to share those thoughts. Thank you again.
Dear Lili
I am so very sorry to hear of Andy’s passing. He was always such a gentleman. I enjoyed getting to know both of you. May you find peace and comfort in many sweet memories.
it is with great sadness that I just found out about losing our dear friend Andy – Lili we will miss him so much and send you and your family much love and will always remember our many visits in your home and ours