Laszlo Csiszar

Laszlo Csiszar, age 89, of Portage passed away June 24, 2023. He was born June 22, 1934 in Gyal, Hungary to the late Laszlo and Julianna (Kovacs) Csiszar.

Much of Laszlo's early life was spent in the tumult of WWII. Living in Transylvania in the early 1940s during the time regimes and political boundaries were changing, Laszlo, his parents, and three out of four siblings were removed to a Romanian concentration camp, where they spent almost a year of their lives. Upon release, the family made their way first back to Transylvania, then continued on to the greater Budapest/Gyal area where they were finally reunited with their eldest sister. It was there that they settled and the children finished their primary education. However, life again changed in 1956 when the Hungarian Revolution broke out and by late December, Laszlo, along with his younger brother Mihaly (Mike) found it necessary to leave their home and family. In the darkness of night, they walked, along with others fleeing the country, to the freedom of Western Europe, at some point boarding a boat bound for America. Two weeks later, they landed in the United States and chose to make Michigan their new home in which to build lives for themselves and their future families. Though he made a happy and successful life here in the states, his heart always longed for Hungary. He kept his heritage alive by sharing his love and his stories, especially of his father, whom he idolized, and would often try teaching Hungarian to his grandchildren.

Laszlo was a longtime owner of Csiszar Builders Incorporated, which he started in 1969. He took pride in the work he did and houses he built. He made it a point to ensure the homes he built were safe with special touches to make each of them unique. He had a true passion for building and woodworking. He incorporated many years of skills he acquired as a machinist to become a true perfectionist and creator, may it be homes, furniture, or a contraption he thought would help accomplish a task—even if it meant more energy and time were spent on the contraption than the initial task itself. He would make his own drawings and blueprints for the homes he built and gained the title of a true perfectionist. The family recalls a vacation to Silver Lake for Laszlo’s 60th birthday becoming a moment for yet another project. The unsightly and worn-out deck at the rental cabin just would not do—off to the store they went, and with tools borrowed from the homeowners, a new proper deck was built.

Laszlo was also well-known for his winemaking skills. Though pressured by many to sell his wine, he simply shared with whomever would partake. He was a social butterfly and was known to even convince a restaurant waiter, on occasion, to come and try his wine, too. He could truly strike up a conversation with anyone. Laszlo found many ways to bring people together. He had a love for Hungarian music and could always find the time and place to Polka, which usually drew a crowd. He especially loved dancing with his wife, Larradine, and the two spent many nights dancing together in public places for crowds who watched in admiration. Family fondly remembers his famous lamb roasts and the many sacrifices Laszlo made to ensure his family from Hungary could visit as much as possible. His grandchildren held a special place in his heart and life. He always had two main goals: build a home for each of his children and build each grandchild something special. He even created a makeshift roller coaster in his backyard to ensure they were always having fun. Laszlo was a very generous man—on top of teaching his many learned skills, sharing his heritage through stories, sharing his knowledge and his good wine, he spent many years building homes with Habitat for Humanity. He was a nature lover and preferred to be outdoors. His love of animals spanned dogs—man’s best friend—chickens, ducks, horses for their nobility, and even cats later in life.

Laszlo was preceded in death by his wife, Larradine (Howe) Csiszar in 2021; his parents; sister, Julianna Kalasz; and brothers Ferenc and Mihaly “Mike” Csiszar.

His is survived by his children: Etel Coffman, Laszlo (Janice) Csiszar, Ari Csiszar, and Maria Csiszar; grandchildren: Steven (Jenny) Coffman, Amber (TJ) Smith, Kristen (Tracy) Moore, Kaylee (Doug) Heystek, Ashley Csiszar, Nick (Kristi) Csiszar, William (Jasmine Cavazos) Greenlee, Alex Greenlee, Andrew Greenlee, and Sam Greenlee; great-grandchildren: Landon, Oliver, Sydney, Hunter, Ian, Emalee, Winter, and Damien; sister, Ilona Czenke of Hungary; and nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held Friday, July 7 at 1:00pm at Langeland Family Funeral Homes Burial and Cremation Services, 411 E Centre Ave, Portage, Michigan 49002, where family will greet friends prior to the service from 12-1:00pm. A time for food and fellowship will follow to continue celebrating Laszlo’s life.

Donations in Laszlo’s memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.

To share a memory or leave a condolence for the family visit https://www.langelands.com .