Sculptor, artist, writer.
Born at Kolozsvar, Hungary on 17 February 1912, he was the only child of Imre and Ilona Naphegyi and left Hungary in 1944 during the Second World War. His father had been an infantryman in the First World War and died early in the war, while his mother remained living in Europe and died there in 1960. He lived in a refugee camp in Germany for seven years. In 1950, he married Ilona Gulyas (1926-1998) and they went on to have five children.
In December 1951, the family immigrated to Canada. Although he was multilingual, he did not speak English and struggled to find employment, despite his credentials as a trained sculptor. His first job was at a lamp factory, after which his artistry led to a career at Eaton’s department store in Winnipeg in the display department. There he gained recognition for not only his floor displays, but also designing the Eaton’s windows at Christmas. As a sculptor, he worked with different media: clay, fibreglass, and casting resins mixed with dental plasters. He donated a chess set he had made from bread to the Manitoba Museum, and also sculpted the head of one of the Plains people for the Bison Hunt diorama there. As a painter, he used both oil and acrylic paint, and pen-and-ink. Eventually, he became a friend of local fellow sculptor Leo Mol, with whom he traded tips on the skill of casting. His sculptures and paintings are located in numerous countries, in the possession of family members and friends.
He was also an author and had a passion for writing stories on any piece of paper within his reach. He was especially interested in Hungarian literature. Besides penning and self-publishing six books of short fiction and humour in that language, he started a literary club in Winnipeg. For his writing he was awarded an honorary knighthood in the Vitézi Rend in 1965—the Hungarian Order of Vitéz, which honours individuals who defend Hungarian national interests and culture. He and his wife also helped many immigrants from Hungary with translation, finding homes and jobs, and accessing medical care. He and his family lived first on William Avenue, but had to relocate when plans were formulated for the parkade for the Health Sciences Centre. He then found his family a home in the Wildwood Park neighbourhood in Fort Garry.
After retiring from Eaton’s when he was 68, he and his wife eventually moved to Eriksdale to take up small town, rural life. He died at Winnipeg on 11 January 2006.
Obituary [Ilona Naphegyi Vitez Gulyas], Winnipeg Free Press, 29 August 1998.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 21 January 2006.
We thank Imre Naphegyi for providing information used here.
This page was prepared by Lois Braun.
Page revised: 20 March 2024
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