János Szebedinszky

We knew he was sick when the talking slowed. If the afterlife cures all ailments, the spirit world now has many more words to ponder.

János had the gift of gab. He talked to all, regardless of their status, politics, or ethnicity. He was academically accomplished but could engage equally with professors and the less-educated. He was a serial talker driven by curiosity; he wanted to learn everything, and everyone was his teacher.

János’ core personality was formed under the terror of American bombs raining down upon beautiful Budapest. He was born on July 11, 1942, and would spend much of his early life hunkered in bomb shelters with his mother Amália. Amália had earlier given birth to twin girls, both of whom died in infancy. János never had a chance to meet his sisters who were surely there to usher him into his next life which began on July 26, 2024.

János’ father, Jenö, was conscripted into the military as a war correspondent. In 1945, he got word to Amália to flee their beloved country and leave everything behind. He abdicated the army and later found her and János in Germany where they lived until 1949 when they boarded the SS General Blatchford, bound for America where they soon settled in Pittsburgh.

Although they lost all their possessions, they never lost their culture. Budapest was a center of arts in pre-war Europe. Jenö and Amália brought the Hungarian culture with them, nurtured it, and instilled it deeply into their son János. Jenö was a writer, a well-known journalist, and an art critic. In the U.S., Jenö and Amália owned, produced and published a weekly Hungarian language newspaper, MAGYARSAG. This is how János came to love the arts and the written word.

After obtaining advanced degrees in multiple disciplines, including inorganic chemistry, he began his career as a research chemist for Jones and Laughlin Steel in Pittsburgh. There he worked to develop specialized canisters for the food industry. He became horrified to learn that the military had usurped this work for the construction of Napalm bombs, and he quit his job. He could not let himself contribute to war’s terror and the profound effect it invokes on children.

János’ spoken word and written word were fluent and sophisticated in both English and Hungarian. His complex mind processed thoughts differently depending on the language he used. Once again, he dove deeply into academia. This time, to study linguistics.

He supported himself by developing a rare book collection, often including trips to Chicago, where he met his wife, Patty Anne Walsh, on her twenty-first birthday in 1971. Their mutual passion for the arts instantly merged and they never looked back. Together they dove into life’s adventures in love and friendship. They often traveled to their favorite state, West Virginia, where they experienced the beauty of backwoods mountain culture, caving, climbing, authentic bluegrass, and endless conversations with the rural folk.

János was fearless. One day in Chicago, as he and Patty were driving by Cabrini Green, he saw flames leaping from a high-rise window. He ran up the fire escape before the Fire Department arrived and ushered six terrified people to safety. Later that evening János and Patty were having a beer together in a Lincoln Avenue bar when the 10 o’clock news came on. The lead story covered the fire and the stranger who disappeared after saving all those people. A person at the bar commented with a racial slur. János and Patty walked out.

János had a sixth sense. On a long car trip to New Orleans, they had stopped at a roadside rest area to get some sleep. At 3:00 a.m., he shook Patty awake. “We have to leave now!” Just after their hasty departure, a tornado made a direct hit on that rest stop, leapt across the road, and wiped out a swath of homes, killing several people. This was not the only time his sixth sense surfaced.

When János and Patty moved to Indiana, they brought with them their love for Chicago Blues. Soon they discovered a vast community of Blues lovers who faithfully tuned to the weekend Blues Revue show on WVPE in Elkhart, hosted by Ole Harv. When Ole Harv informed his listeners of his upcoming wedding, János and Patty attended as uninvited guests. A lifelong friendship with Ole Harv and his bride Armida began that day.

Together with a book distribution partner, János and Patty started a publishing company called and books (yes, lower case “a” in and). They released over fifty books, many of which reached a national audience and garnered prominent reviews.

Later in life, János made daily trips to his beloved YMCA. No, he was not there toning his body, he was toning his mind by enjoying conversation with his gentlemen friends. János loved to float controversial ideas just to get a rise out of people, to initiate discussion and, always, to arrive at common ground.

The 49-year-old son of dear friends commented: “János was my first boss, my computer mentor, and an all ‘round unique cat. He will be missed.”

Szervusz dear János. We know you are dancing the Czardas in Heaven.

A Celebration will honor János’ life on September 7th at St. Paul’s Memorial Church, 1001 W. Colfax Avenue in South Bend. Service begins at 11:00 a.m. with refreshments and fellowship after.