Obituary of Anthony Antal Fodor

Anthony Antal Fodor (65), of Strathmore, Alberta, passed away on August 27, 2023 after a short but brave battle with cancer surrounded by his loving family.

Anthony Antal, fondly known as Tony, was born to Gondi, Irene and Fodor, Antal Sr. in Szeged, Hungary on March 5, 1958. He attended school with a lovely young lady who was destined to one day be his wife and mother of his children. Tony valued knowledge, evidenced by his work in many fields over the years. Not a fan of being bossed around, his life’s goal was to own his own business, but this was not easy to do while living behind the Iron Curtain in the 1970’s and 1980’s.

In December of 1985, while working as a contractor, he met his son Zoltan for the first time when a small boy ran into his legs. “Where is your mom?” Antal asked but the boy ran away. Antal was soon introduced to Suzanne by a mutual co-worker who thought they were meant for each other. By a happy surprise, the former schoolmates were reunited. Tony and Suzanne, who hadn’t seen each other in years, knew this was destiny. Suzanne was the mother of the shy 5-year-old who ran into Tony’s legs a short time before.

In February 1986, Tony traveled to Canada to visit his sister. He quickly fell in love with the natural beauty of Canada and began thinking of a different way of life. He returned to Hungary (with a jar of peanut butter for little Zoltan), excitedly told Suzanne all about his trip and the possibilities open to them. Before long, thoughts of returning to Canada with Suzanne and Zoltan became a constant refrain in Tony’s mind.

Tony was a proud Hungarian so leaving Hungary was not an easy decision to make, but eventually Tony and Suzanne’s minds were made up. On July 17, 1987, Tony and Suzanne were married in a small but meaningful ceremony under the loving gaze of their closest family.

Their trip to their new home wouldn’t be an easy one. Only three days after their wedding, they arrived in Munich, Germany, where they lived for 14 months while they waited for their paperwork to move to Canada. They arrived in Calgary on September 7, 1988. At that time there was no Bankers Hall, the Calgary Flames being Stanley Cup winners was still a dream and the occasional Olympic flag was still flying around the city.

Adjusting to life in another country is never easy, especially when you can’t speak the language. English lessons were slow and steady with the support of the Hungarian Canadian community. While missing home, the Fodors spent a lot of time exploring the Rocky Mountains. This is where Tony’s passion for photography was born. The winding mountain roads that conceal majestic waterfalls and colourful meadows were no match for Tony’s impressive sense of direction. Even in the last year of his life, he could recount to you how to get to some hidden gem with precise precision.

The Fodors became Canadian Citizens in 1991 in a very special ceremony amongst many new Canadians and some members of the RCMP in their impressive bright red tunics. An unexpected surprise came in May 1997 when their beautiful daughter Veronika was born. With one child in diapers while one is close to leaving the house, life had certainly changed again for the Fodors. The one thing that remained constant was Tony’s love of his wife’s cooking (particularly the Hungarian fair she so expertly prepares).

Zoltan married his high school sweetheart Andrea in August 2008 and soon Tony’s first (and so far only) grandchild Matthew was born (in September of 2014). Tony held many titles in his life (from Artist to Entrepreneur) but the title of Grandfather was his favorite. Tony fell ill in late 2022 and mere days after a life altering brain surgery in January 2023 he began regaling the nursing staff of the Foothills Hospital with stories of how smart his grandson was.

He was able to return home shortly after where he remained for the rest of his life under the loving care of his wife. While 2023 was difficult for Tony and the rest of the Fodors, we would not trade time spent bringing him comfort for anything. The final decade of Tony’s life was devoted to providing health and happiness to others through his passion for Alternative Medicine and Energy Healing, something that never left him, even in his final days.

Tony ended his Earthly Life on August 27, 2023 at home, surrounded by his loving family. We know he has found peace amongst the angels and with his German Shepherds (Rex, Morgó and Farkas). He was predeceased by his parents, father-in-law, nephew and many relatives in Hungary. He is survived by his wife Suzanne, son Zoltan (Andrea), daughter Veronika and grandson Matthew who all have his name. His legacy will live on through us.

He will also be greatly missed by his remaining family in Hungary; his mother-in-law Sebök Vilmosné (Kati Mama), brothers in law; Ferenc and Zoltán, sisters in laws Ági and Tímea, nephews; Gábor and Tamás, niece Dóra and many friends.

We would like to thank Dr. Maria Muller and the Strathmore Palliative Homecare team for their tenderhearted care and support through the most difficult time of Tony’s life. We would also like to thank the Palliative Paramedic team MacKenize and Victoria for their compassionate guidance in Tony’s final hours of life.

The Fodor Family invites you to celebrate Anthony Antal’s life on Friday September 1, 2023 at 1:00 pm at the Wheatland Funeral Home (202 Lakeside Blvd, Strathmore, Alberta). Lunch will be served afterwards for anyone who would like to stay and reminisce about Tony’s life with us.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Canadian Cancer Society or the National Brain Tumor Society of Canada to help further research in the treatment of Brain Cancer.

Apuska / Apa / Dada/ Tata, we love you. We will see you again someday.

To watch a live stream of the service, click here.