Szabolcs "Mike" deGyurky

Szabolcs “Mike” M. de Gyurky of Hartford, was Born to Eternal Life on Sunday, November 3, 2013 at the age of 75 years, with his wife by his side. Mike was born on August 23, 1938, in Miskolc, Hungary, the son of Dezso and Agnes {nee Szent-Imrey} de Gyurky. In September 1944, when the Soviet armies invaded Hungary, his mother decided to flee the Communists and took him and his three year old sister Agnes and fled west. Szabolcs, or Michael as his friends called him, was separated from his mother in 1947. He spent two years in a German orphanage and contracted tuberculosis. Michael then spent a year and a half in hospitals getting cured and reunited with his parents and sister. They immigrated to the United States in 1951 and settled in Parkersburg, West Virginia, where Michael’s love of America flourished. All his dreams of childhood were fulfilled. He graduated from Parkersburg Catholic High School in 1956. Michael served twenty years in the United States Army, where he met the love of his life, Cheryl A. Bollerey in 1973, while she was also serving in the U.S. Army. The couple was married on May 3, 1976. His combat service in Vietnam included assignments with the 5th Special Forces Group {Green Berets}, the 101st Airborne Division, M.A.T. I-5, and the 173rd Airborne Brigade. His final assignment in the U.S. Army was as Staff Officer for Command, Control, Communications and Information Systems at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe in Belgium from 1976-1979. After retiring from the U.S. Army in 1979, he was offered the position of Team Chief of the Voyager General Science Data Team by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory {JPL} in Pasadena, California. At JPL he worked 25 years as a Technical Manager, building telemetry, command and communications systems for such spacecraft as Ocean Topographic Explorer, Jason 1. He also designed and built The Global Decision Support System, a large air traffic management system, for the U.S. Air Force’s Military Airlift Command; large military war gaming and exercise support models, as well as interactive event driven combat simulations. He retired from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 2004 to devote his time to writing. In 2006 his book, “The Cognitive Dynamics of Computer Science” was published by John Wiley & Sons. Michael published his first novel, “Before the Rains Came,” on Amazon Kindle. Another technical book for John Wiley & Sons entitled, “The Autonomous System” was published just prior to his passing. In Vietnam, as a young infantry officer, Michael started to write poems and essays. This collection of poems, “Reflections During a Monsoon Evening,” was published by Scythe Publications, Inc., under his pen name Michael Simay. Michael is preceded in death by his parents, his sister Agnes de Gyurky and his stepfather Dr. Stephen Simay. He is survived by his cherished wife, Cheryl and his beloved canine companion “Monty.” He is further survived by other relatives and friends. Family will greet relatives and friends Friday, November 8 from 11 AM to 12 Noon at St. Kilian Catholic Church. Mass of Resurrection will follow at 12 Noon at the Church. Rev. David LaPlante will officiate. Private Interment. Memorials to St. Kilian Parish would be appreciated. The Berndt-Ledesma Funeral Home is serving the family. www.berndt-ledesma.com

Szabolcs "Mike" deGyurky

August 23, 1938 - November 3, 2013