Washington, DC – Members of the Hungarian American Coalition (Coalition) were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of The Honorable Helen M. (Ilona) Szablya on October 21, 2024, surrounded by her loving family. She was 90 years old.
Helen served as the Honorary Consul General of the Republic of Hungary for the States of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho from 1991 to 2019, marking an exceptional tenure that highlighted her dedication to U.S.-Hungarian relations.
Helen served on the Coalition Board of Directors as the representative for Seattle Pecs Sister Cities for more than 20 years. She often shared her incredible story of escape in 1956 with a newborn baby in tow and proudly shared the books she wrote through the years with our members. She was instrumental in finding ways to link the East and West coast Hungarian communities, including introducing the Coalition to Dr. Charles Simonyi, who became a major partner and supporter of our programs.
Born in 1934 to Helen (Ilona) and Louis (Lajos) Bartha-Kovacs, Helen was raised in a prosperous family where her father led Molnar & Moser, a successful pharmaceutical and cosmetic company. As the eldest of three daughters, she was raised to follow in his footsteps. However, the tumult of WWII irrevocably altered her life’s path. The German Army’s invasion of Hungary in March 1944 forced her family into a survival struggle that included a harrowing 72-day sheltering in a cave during the siege of Budapest.
Following the war, Helen faced the threat of deportation due to her father’s status as an entrepreneur, leading her to marry John (Janos) Szablya in 1951 at the age of 16. This strategic marriage allowed her to remain in Hungary while her family sought to escape the oppressive regime. Helen and John ultimately fled to Austria amidst the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, a journey she recounts in her acclaimed autobiography, My Only Choice: Hungary 1945-1956.
After resettling in Vancouver, BC, Canada, Helen thrived as a mother and entrepreneur, launching a successful business importing European goods. The Szablyas later moved to Pullman, WA, where Helen’s community involvement expanded to teaching language classes and contributing to local media.
Helen’s academic pursuits flourished as she returned to college at the age of 40, graduating from Washington State University in 1976 with distinction. She became a sought-after speaker, sharing her experiences of living under totalitarian regimes and advocating for democratic values.
In addition to her work as an author and lecturer, Helen was a project director and co-author of “Hungary Remembered,” an award-winning series commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. Her contributions to journalism were recognized with numerous awards, including the “Communicator of Achievement” from the Washington Press Association. She also published My Only Choice: Hungary 1942-1956 and she also offered a percentage of the sale of her book, The Fall of the Red Star, to benefit the Coalition.
Helen’s passion for her homeland was evident as she traveled back to Hungary after the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, collaborating with her husband to foster democratic development through their company, Szablya Consultants, Inc.
Preceded in death by her husband John, her son Stephen, and her sister Marietta Szechy, Helen is survived by her children: Helen Szablya of Los Angeles, CA; Janos Szablya (Lys Hornsby) of Kent, WA; Louis Szablya (Kate) of Moses Lake, WA; Alexandra Szablya (Vincent McDonough) of New Orleans, LA; Rita Pool (Karl) of Kennewick, WA; Niki McKay (Christian Tiedemann) of Seattle, WA; and daughter-in-law Kristy Tenwick Szablya of Pullman, WA. She is also survived by sixteen grandchildren, eleven great-grandchildren, and her sister Elizabeth Nemethy of Toronto, ON, Canada.
A funeral mass and memorial will take place on March 28, 2025. The Coalition and the Hungarian American community mourn the loss of a remarkable leader and Hungarian patriot.