Washington, DC – Members of the Hungarian American Coalition (Coalition) were deeply saddened to learn that Gyula Várallyay passed away on March 8, 2026, at the age of 88. He is survived by his daughter Natalia Ilona (46) and sons Christian Imre (48) and Adrian Istvan (43), grand-daughter Sofia Garcia (9).
Gyula Várallyay
Gyula (Julius) Várallyay was born in Nyíregyháza on July 26, 1937. His family is from Borsod county dating back several generations.
He was a second-year university student at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME) when the 1956 Revolution broke out. He engaged directly in this revolution from the first moment, working on the Revolutionary Student Committee and serving as a National guard, and attended the first large student meeting on October 22, 1956 in the auditorium of BME University, where students formulated their demands. He volunteered to help provide logistical background for transporting care shipments. After the Revolution was defeated, he escaped with a group of students to the United States.
In the U.S., he made tremendous efforts to help the émigré students and educate people about the Revolution and the plight of student refugees. After arriving, he joined the student association in Cambridge, Massachusetts led by Béla Lipták. They founded the Association of Hungarian Students in the U.S., organizing conferences to spread word of the Revolution. He became president of the Association after its third conference in 1958. Later, he became a member of MEFESZ (Union of Free Hungarian Students), the leading organization of all 1956 student organizations in the West, and went to Geneva, Switzerland for a year and a half to help the work of that organization.
He returned to the U.S. and graduated from both Harvard and MIT. Julius had a successful international career as a civil engineer and later worked for the World Bank for more than three decades, all the while keeping ties with his former colleagues in the ’56 student organization. He published widely on the subject of the 1956 Revolution, including authoring several books. His key works include Jelző nélküli magyar: Naplójegyzetek, 1992-2007 (2008), a poignant diary of exile life; Tanulmányúton – Az emigráns magyar diákmozgalom 1956 után (1992), chronicling the post-revolution student diaspora; and Tévúton – Ügynökök az ötvenhatos diákmozgalomban Nyugaton, exposing espionage within that movement.
Julius has made lasting contributions to the Hungarian American community. He was a co-founder, long-time member and generous supporter of the Coalition. He also played a key role in establishing the Hungarian Human Rights Foundation.
Throughout his life, he received numerous medals and awards of honor for his role in promoting the cause of the 1956 Revolution in the west, including the Imre Nagy medal (1991) bestowed onto him by then President Árpád Göncz. Most recently on October 9, 2025, he was honored at the Hungarian American Coalition’s Annual Gala for his lifelong commitment to preserve the legacy of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and for his generous support of Hungarian students and organizations.
The Várallyay Family will be holding a vigil and reception for him on Friday (13th) evening from 6-8 pm at the De Vol Funeral home in Georgetown/Glover Park: 2222 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20007. There is a parking lot across the street next to the 2255 Wisconsin Ave. Apartments (right at the stop light).
On Saturday morning at 10:30, they have arranged a Funeral Mass for him at Holy Trinity Church in Georgetown (1315 36th Street, NW Washington, DC 20007), during which His Excellency Szabolcs Takács, Ambassador of Hungary to the United States, will share remarks.
The Coalition and the Hungarian American community mourns the loss of a devoted Hungarian patriot and a beloved member of our organization. His legacy is an inspiration to all of us.