From Budapest to Chicago with one suitcase – The story of a Hungarian refugee of 1956

Judy Kepecz-Hays, who has been one of the most successful real estate agents in Florida for the past 30 years, is one of those Hungarians who had to flee their country in 1956, 24.hu writes.

Sarasota, Siesta Key, Lido Beach – the most beautiful beaches of the US. Owning a home here is a privilege, and being one of the most successful real estate agents comes with serious prestige. Judy Kepecz-Hays has been part of the elite for a long time.

“To be a successful realtor means being a lawyer, a designer, a home decorator, a businesswoman, a teacher, an advisor, a broker, and psychologist all at once,” says Judy in the parlour of the Ritz Carlton residence in Sarasota, Florida.

The residence, which represents the same quality of luxury as the hotel chain, offers 2-3 room apartments starting at half a million dollars. Judy has sold several dozen of these, so it is not a surprise that she also lives here. She would most likely be spending her retirement in Budapest now if the Revolution of 1956 hadn’t turned the family’s life upside down.

Judy’s father, Lajos Büky was a professor of linguistics in Budapest, and he spoke 9 languages. His wife was from a well-to-do family; this is where Judy inherited her trading skills. By 1956, the family had lost the majority of their country estates. A few weeks after the revolution broke out, the family left their comfortable home under the cover of darkness. One suitcase, three children – thus the family fled in search for freedom. From Austria, they reached Chicago in a couple weeks, where their relatives waited for them.

“I reminisce rather much about our hikes with my father and his students in the Pilis mountains or on the banks of the Danube than our trip from Budapest to America,” says Judy. Her family found getting used to life in the US quite a struggle.

Her father didn’t speak English, and first he could only find a job in a factory. It took him years to get back to teaching. Judy’s mother suffered moving the most. The 10 years she spent in America before she died were characterised by depression, homesickness, and disappointment. At 16, after her mother’s death, Judy had to take on the great responsibility of caring not only for herself but for her siblings as well.

“I consider myself Hungarian even after 60 years. The family values, the love, the caring mean a foundation I wouldn’t change for the world,” says Judy,