Obituary -- Clara Takacs Gyorgyey

Clara Takacs Gyorgyey, 75, a member of the Connecticut Critic Circle, died suddenly Monday at Gaylord Hospital, Wallingford. She was a writer, critic, translator and teacher and was a contributor to the selection for the Nobel Prize in literature.

Born in Budapest, Hungary on May 23, 1933, she was the daughter of the late Laszlo and Sarolta Takacs. She lived in Orange with her husband of 50 years, Ferenc (Frank) Gyorgyey, but maintained an apartment in Budapest. She attended (Budapest University) ELTE, and Yale University where she majored in English and History of Drama 1957-59.

In 1956, she participated in the Hungarian Revolution, and then escaped to the West. She was a master teacher at Yale’s MAT program from 1959 to 1989 while teaching English at Hillhouse High School and later at North Haven High School. From 1990 on, she was Associate Director for the Medical Humanities at Yale; a contributor to “Critique” Magazine, “World Literature Today” and numerous other publications, both in English and Hungarian. She has served as president of the Exiled PEN American Branch since 1976.

Her literary works include the translation of “Catsplay”, and numerous other Hungarian plays. She authored “With Arrogant Humility”, “Ferenc Molnar” and “Szerelmetes Szurkapiszka”. Besides her husband, she is survived by two daughters, Katalin and Mari.

Friends are invited to attend a Memorial Mass of Christian Burial in Holy Infant Church, 460 Racebrook Road, Orange Monday, Jan. 18th at 10 am. She will be buried in Budapest. The reception at Yale will be held at a later date