Leslie Helyes

Leslie B. Helyes, 69, died unexpectedly on Sunday, May 1, 2022, at his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he arrived in January of this year after retiring and moving from a 40- year residency in Los Angeles, California.

Born Tuesday, October 14, 1952, in Budapest, Hungary, Leslie escaped to the United States with his parents on Christmas Eve 1956, at the height of the Hungarian Revolution and subsequent invasion of his homeland by Soviet armed forces. The Helyes family landed in New Jersey, where they became US. citizens, retained a lifelong passion for American democracy, and were eventually able to help several members of their family immigrate to freedom in the US.

Leslie graduated from high school from Morris Hills in Rockaway, New Jersey; and in the 1980s, shortly after college, moved to Los Angeles, where he enjoyed a successful career in corporate training and technical consulting. During his California years, Leslie became known and loved by a wide circle of friends for his effervescent personality, sharp wit and contagious laugh, as well as for hosting lively gatherings at his home, especially at Christmas. He was an avid nature lover, arts enthusiast, and sang with a Los Angeles men's choir for some years. In addition to camping and playing cards with friends on weekends, he enjoyed TV game shows and became a winning contestant on "Wheel of Fortune." The automobile he won on that show became known affectionately to many as "Vanna".

Leslie is survived by his mother, Helen Helyes; sister, Jeannette Helyes-Guertin, both of South Carolina, uncle, Tibor Aranyosi of California; cousin, Jackie Breiner of Florida; and cousin, Krisztina Cole of Texas.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial gifts be donated to the American Diabetes Association or the Alzheimer's Association.