Eva Rebek

Eva Rebek, 91, died Tuesday, January 18, at a local hospital following complications from a stroke. Eva was born in Nyiregyhaza, Hungary, the daughter of Julius Racz and Ilona Szabo. She married Julius Rebek, Sr. in 1941 and fled to Austria during World War II. There, she and her family lived in a displaced person's camp from 1944-1949. The family received a sponsor in Perry Kansas through the Church World Service and arrived in the USA on Christmas Day 1949.

They moved to Topeka shortly afterward where they lived in Highland Park for more than 50 years. Eva was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, who enjoyed cooking and gardening and always had home-grown flowers in her house. She moved to Aldersgate in 2006, following the death of Julius Sr., her husband of 65 years. There, she enjoyed playing cards with her neighbors.

She is survived by her sons: Dr. Paul Rebek and his wife Carolyn of Topeka and Dr. Julius Rebek, Jr., and his wife Mitra Tadayoni-Rebek of La Jolla, Ca.; granddaughters Eva Louise Rebek of New York City, Stacy Nicole Rebek, and her husband Mike Brown of Topeka, Anna Elizabeth Rebek of La Jolla, Elizabeth Ashley Southall, and her husband Chris of Topeka, and grandsons, Arash Abbot Rebek and Pouya Rebek, both of New York City. She also is survived by great-grandsons, Jake Stanley Bush and Trenton Christopher Southall of Topeka.

Private graveside services will be held at Penwell-Gabel Cemetery. Mrs. Rebek will lie in state after 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 20, at Penwell-Gabel Southwest Chapel, where the family will receive friends from 6:00-8:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Topeka Rescue Mission, 600 N. Kansas Ave., P.O. Box 8550, Topeka, KS 66608-0350. To leave a special message for the family online, please visit www.PenwellGabelTopeka.com