May 25 1932 July 10 2019
Janos W. Nevai May 25, 1932 – July 10, 2019 Share this obituary Send Flowers View/Sign Guestbook| Send Sympathy Card Janos W. Nevai of Mason, formerly of Lansing, Michigan, passed away at the age of 87 in his home on July 10, 2019. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Maria I. Nevai; their four children: Maria Nevai (Mike Cook) of Mason, MI; Janos H. Nevai M.D. (Nanette Clatterbuck) of Rockford, MI; Martha Nevai and grandson John Patrick of Sacramento, CA; and Tom Nevai of Charlotte, MI. He is predeceased by his parents Janos and Aranka Nevai and brother Tibor Nevai of Budapest, Hungary. Janos was born, grew-up and educated in Budapest, Hungary, earning his master’s degree from the Hungarian Physical Education and Sport-Medicine College. While still in high school, he met his future wife Maria, and they were married in 1956, in the year when a spontaneous revolution and the following freedom-fight of the Hungarian people was crushed by the Soviet Union. Janos and Maria had to escape from their homeland to bordering Austria, staying eight months in refugee-camps in Vienna. With the help of sponsors, they were able to come to the US in 1959, staring their new life and welcoming the birth of their first child in Muskegon, Michigan. In order to support his growing family Janos worked various odd jobs, learned the English language, and eventually saved up enough money to buy his first car. In late I959 Janos contacted Professor Henry Montoye at the MSU Physical Education Department to learn how he could further his education in the US. Following the advice and encouragement of Dr. Montoye, Janos and family moved to East Lansing to University Village. He enrolled in graduate classes and started a part-time graduate assistant job, where he participated in ongoing research, experiments and studies. The time he worked there gave him invaluable insight and experience into his professional area of interest in Sport Medicine and Exercise Physiology. In 1962 he was invited and hired full-time at Lansing Community College for teaching and developing various physical education, fitness and sport activity courses. He loved teaching and enjoyed the interaction with students and faculty at LCC, and the “fringe-benefit” of keeping fit while participating in fitness and sport-activity classes, especially his life-long passion of soccer. A respected sport and physical fitness teacher/instructor, Janos retired from LCC after his long and rewarding career of 35 years. He and his wife Maria truly enjoyed their country-home in Mason, Michigan for nearly 40 years, where they loved walking the trails in their small woods, birdwatching, gathering flowers, morel mushrooms, and gardening in the backyard. His avocations included playing soccer on the professional level since his teen years in Hungary. Soon after his arrival to the USA he continued to play soccer in local area teams up to his seventies. He enjoyed various out-door sports like fishing and hunting with his kids and celebrating holidays and events with his family. A Memorial Mass will be held at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 955 Alton St., East Lansing, MI 48823, on Friday July 26, 2019, 12:00 noon, with Father Mike Murray officiating the Mass. The Family will receive friends one hour prior to the service. For those desiring to make a memorial contribution in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: St. Thomas Aquinas School Education Fund – 955. Alton St., East Lansing, MI 48823 St. Vincent Catholic Charities Refugee Services – 2800 W. Willow St., Lansing, MI 48917 SERVICES Memorial Mass Friday, July 26, 2019 12:00 PM St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church 955 Alton Road East Lansing, Michigan 48823 Get Directions on Google Maps Print Obituary
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Janos W Nevai May 25 1932 July 10 2019.
Death notice for the town of: Lansing, state: Michigan