| Stephen A. Balogh |
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Stephen A. Balogh, 87, of Meridian, passed away from natural causes at St. Luke’s Meridian on Friday, August 28, 2009. He was born September 1, 1921, in Fairfield, Connecticut, to Kalman and Helen Bakos Balogh.
Steve grew up in a Hungarian-speaking community in Connecticut, lived for many years in Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan, and moved to Idaho in 2000 to be near his daughter and her family. He was an avid reader and fisherman, and a lifelong fan and supporter of Dartmouth College. He was a member of the Grosse Pointe Woods Presbyterian Church; the Grosse Pointe Rotary Club, where he was a Paul Harris Fellow and served as president; and a member of St. Clair River Golf and Country Club. He finished the crossword puzzle every day, and still bowled with the seniors group on Monday afternoons. (He had been hoping for a new bowling ball for his birthday.) Steve was a connoisseur of fine dining, and especially loved seafood and Hungarian dishes. He visited each of the 50 states, achieving that goal in 2008 on a cruise to Alaska with his son-in-law, Mark. Steve was the quintessential jokester, and never met a stranger. Steve is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Deborah and Tom Jenks of Wheaton, Illinois, and their daughters, Allyson and Stephanie; by his daughter and son-in-law, Susette and Mark Freeman of Meridian, Idaho, and their children, Zack, Catie, and Matthew; and by his nephew Bill Figg (Vicki Smith) of Dexter, Michigan. A memorial service will be held 11 a.m. Friday, September 4, 2009, at Meridian United Methodist Church, with the Rev. Jamie McPherson officiating. Burial will be in Connecticut at a later date. Arrangements are under the direction of Accent Funeral Home.CondolencesSender's Name: Liz Moore I bowled in the senior league, and was always impressed that Stephen's socks were so fancy and always matched his shirt. It became a joke between us, he would always ask what color my socks were, (always white) and he would show me his socks. He will be missed by many of his bowling buddies. |
His dream was to be a pilot in the United States Navy, and he realized that dream, serving as a pilot in World War II and in the reserves for many years. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1951, and made a successful career as a salesman for New York Life Insurance Company. He married Catherine Figg in 1954 and Dorothy Sergus in 1991.