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Obituary of Tibor Sajban
TIBOR SAJBAN
JANUARY 21, 1933 – MARCH 24, 2022
Tibor, who celebrated his 89th birthday on January 21, 2022, passed away peacefully on Thursday, March 24, 2022 at his home in Cranbrook. His good friend, Joan Stephens, was at his side. He had survived colon cancer a few years prior to his passing and experienced a gradual heart failure in his last year.
Tibor was born on January 21, 1933 in Budapest, Hungary. He was the youngest of five children (all boys).
At the age of 23, as a refugee, Tibor left his home country largely because of aftermath of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. After a brief time spent in the United Kingdom, he and a brother immigrated to Canada. He landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia and was scheduled to be placed in Vancouver, BC.; however, he and his brother were forced to get off the train in Cranbrook, BC. While his brother returned to Hungary within a few years, Tibor settled in Cranbrook, BC.
Tibor returned to Europe to bring home his bride, Anna Sajban (nee Szekely). Tibor and Anna enjoyed 44 years of marriage, before Anna passed away in August 2006 after spending her last few years at the Green Home. The couple built a nice home together in Gold Creek in 1981, the same home Tibor lived in right up until his passing.
Tibor was a skilled and well-sought-after painter. He was self-employed and worked well into his 70s.
Tibor and Anna particularly enjoyed curling and golfing. They won the trophy for the Rotary Mixed Curling Bonspiel in 1971. Tibor was a regular golfer well into his 80s. He won the Molson Hole-in-One Award and joined the Canada Dry Hole-in-One Club on August 18, 1978. Commemorative plaques for both achievements remained proudly displayed on his bedroom wall.
Animals always held a special place in Tibor’s heart. Living on an acreage allowed him to enjoy many pets over the years. Right up until his passing his priority every day was to ensure there was feed for the local wildlife that ventured onto his property.
Tibor had a gift for connecting with people and making them feel they were special to him. He was a warm, caring, thoughtful old school gentlemen with a great sense of humour. Unfortunately, the Covid pandemic, which he referred to as “the disease”, kept him from socializing as much as he would have preferred in his last years.
Having outlived his wife, his parents and his four older brothers, Tibor left no surviving family members.
At Tibor’s request, there will be no funeral service.
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