Tribute

His Excellency The Chevalier / Sir Major-General vitez János Daniel Karászy-Kulin GCStG, GCLJ etc., Grand Master of the International Knightly Order of Saint George and hero of the 1956 Hungarian uprising.

Husband, Father, Grandfather.

Janos or John, as he was known, was born in Hungry on the April 22^nd 1929 / † October 19^th 2008.

"It was difficult to spend any time with John without becoming conscious of his tremendous strength of character and his hard-won awareness of the lessons of twentieth-century history. Hero of the 1956 Hungarian uprising, he then endured many years in exile after first navigating his way through a communist laid mine field to get into Austria, before being patriated into Great Britain by the British secret services, always being in considerable danger, while the Communists took over the country he loved and made it a very different place indeed from that which he had known.

In those early days, he had served as a young man in the Hungarian air force and had won promotion in recognition of his outstanding qualities as a soldier - his physical and mental strength, his leadership and his tactical awareness. Only the former was to wane with the years. His determination and courage in the field led to some hair-raising escapades that would have filled a colourful, but sadly never to be written autobiography, instead becoming material for the many stories he shared with his family and friends over the years.

Although John was more or less reconciled to peacetime life, the steel of his character was never lost. His fierce loyalty in friendship was matched by his combative spirit and willingness to defend those values that were rightly of importance to him. Ever the military man, he had no patience with bureaucracy or committee proceedings; his role was to lead, and that leadership was provided both from instinct and from duty.

The fall of Communism in 1989 brought about a new phase in John's life, when at last his achievements in 1956 were able to receive public recognition at the highest level. Closely associated with senior politicians and public figures in the post-Communist Hungary, his appointment as Grand Master of the International Knightly Order of St George, founded in Hungary in 1326, brought about a high profile both within his motherland and abroad. From his adoptive home of England, he led the Order from small beginnings to its present status as an internationally-based charitable organization. He was particularly proud when the Order opened its first home for the elderly in Hungary, and this was followed by numerous other charitable projects in support of the armed forces and others. His dedication to the Order was unstinting, and it comes as no surprise to learn that he was active in its interests until the very end.
The honours that John received were legion, and included the Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem, an appointment as Honorary Admiral from the United States of America, and many other chivalric and military decorations. John was also proposed and was awarded with an honorary doctorate at the St Katharine's Institute in Wyoming, USA, an honour which he relished and which gave him particular pleasure.

In addition to his other responsibilities, John was Colonel-Commandant of the Hungarian National Guard, and appointed a number of British, Polish, Serbian and Dutch residents to honorary officer's ranks in that historic body.

No account of John's life would be complete without mention of the devoted companionship of his wife Iris, who was both inseparable from him and indispensable to his activities at home and abroad and also to John's three children, his two step children and his thirteen grandchildren.

Everybody that John came into contact with was touched by his wit, his honesty, his warmth, his fascinating stories and even his ability to debate a subject by his vast knowledge of everything and, if all else failed, his ability to sometimes shout the loudest....

The encouragement and friendship that was enjoyed as a result of knowing John will remain with all of us as an enduring symbol of his values as a Christian a husband, a father, a grandfather, and as a humanitarian. His relatively small stature hid a giant personality and an enormous capacity for life in all its variety, including a notably wicked and rumbustious sense of humour. To be in his company for an evening of good food, drink and plentiful reminiscence was an occasion not easily to be forgotten, and provided a ready explanation as to why he was held in such great affection.

The work that he started will continue, but we shall not see his like again. John was a proud man and we should all be proud that he came into our lives.

Your family and friends all love you and will miss you John.

“May you rest in peace, and rise in glory."

Grand Hospitaller Dame José Philipoom-Snellens (Dame Commander of Saint George)
of the Grand Priory Kingdom of The Netherlands &
Beloved Grand Master János Daniel Karászy-Kulin
April 22^nd 1929 / † October 19^th 2008