Sandor Joseph Farkas

The Rev. Sandor J. Farkas, 89, of Sonoma, died January 28, 2021, from complications of surgery. He loved his retirement in Sonoma, where he found great joy in the beauty of nature and making new friends.

Born in Hungary, Sandor began his ministerial studies in 1953 at the Reformed Theological Academy in Budapest. His studies were interrupted by the Hungarian Uprising in October 1956, and recommenced at the Evangelical Faculty of the University of Vienna, where he earned his Bachelor of Divinity Degree in 1959.
 

He met his wife Brooke at a World Council of Churches work camp in 1957. They married in Vienna in 1959, and moved to the United States where he studied at Chicago Theological Seminary as a World Church Fellow. He earned his Master of Theology Degree at Princeton Theological Seminar in 1964.
 

During his ministry, he served the Hungarian Reformed Church in Leechburg, PA and the Hungarian Presbyterian Church in Wharton, NJ before spending almost 30 years as minister of the Hungarian Presbyterian Church in Youngstown, OH. In addition to his ministry in Youngtown, he served for 22 years as Director of the Refugee Resettlement Home, which helped more than 600 refugees from several countries. He also was part of a Hungarian language radio ministry.
 

Upon his retirement, he was named Pastor Emeritus. He then served briefly as Assistant Interim Pastor at Poland Presbyterian Church in Poland, OH. For many years, he served on the Board of Directors and preached during the season at St. John’s-on-the-Lake Chapel on Bear Island, Lake Winnipesaukee, NH, where the family had a summer home. He was an avid hunter of chanterelle mushrooms, which he enjoyed sharing with family and friends. He loved to tell jokes and recount stories from his life.
 

He enjoyed attending the opera in San Francisco and volunteered with the Sonoma County Chapter of the San Francisco Opera Guild, as well as Medshare, a humanitarian aid organization. He enjoyed gardening and traveling, and attending St. Andrew Presbyterian Church.
He is survived by Brooke Bryan Farkas, his devoted wife of 62 years, and three children: Carroll Connacher (Nat) of Stamford, CT; Jocelyn Alexander of Palo Alto, CA; and Thomas Farkas (Sheila) of Gardiner, ME; and seven grandchildren. He was greatly loved and will be sorely missed by all.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in Sandor’s name to  St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, 16290 Arnold Drive, Sonoma, CA  95476.  www.andrewpres.org

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