January 21, 1934 ~ July 15, 2024
Dr. Albert Béla Janko died peacefully on July 15, 2024, surrounded by his family, at his home in Carmel, CA. He lived a life of service to others, guided by his unwavering faith.
Béla was born on January 21, 1934, in Budapest, Hungary, where he lived until forced to flee his homeland to Austria. He was a thirdyear medical student at the University of Budapest Medical School (Semmelweis University today) at the time of the 1956 Hungarian Uprising. A born leader with firm convictions to support the free pursuit of knowledge, justice and goodness, he was an influential and guiding force in the uprising– demonstrating against the Communist Party and evacuating the wounded from battle. Upon his escape, Béla helped establish the Union of Free Hungarian Students (UFHS), serving as its founding president from 1956-57. During that time, the UFHS relocated nearly 5000 refugee students in 16 countries and secured scholarships to help them resume their studies. Led by his indomitable spirit and courage, Béla arrived in the United States in 1957 and became a naturalized US citizen, proudly flying the American flag each day at his residence in Carmel and summer cottage in Leland, MI. Although exiled from Hungary, he felt at home in Carmel and Leland, a place that reminded him of childhood summers on Lake Balaton After 32 years away, Béla Janko returned to Budapest to reunite with family. In 1992, he was decorated with the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit by President Arpad Goncz. He returned many more times building personal and professional bridges between his mother country and adopted nation. Béla organized adventures throughout Hungary for his cherished American friends – experiences that often would be woven into his creative story-telling and charismatic toasting. He established the Visiting Medical Scholar Program with the Hungarian Medical Coalition, fostering improvements in Hungarian medicine and collaborations with colleagues in the US. In 2005, Dr. Janko was honored with the Semmelweis-Tauffer Memorial Award from Semmelweis University for these efforts.
