Istvan Kiss died on March 21, 2024, surrounded by his daughters and grandchildren, love, chatter, music,
and even at times, quiet laughter.
Istvan was born in Kunhegyes, Hungary on June 3, 1930. His love of learning and nature began on the
Hungarian prairie in a small schoolhouse where his father was the sole teacher. At the age of 12 he
joined his older brothers at a boarding school in Kisujszallas where he stayed through high school. World
War II and the subsequent occupation of Hungary by Soviet troops impacted his family, and they lost
their home and land to the communist government. Istvan's excellent grades allowed him to go to
university despite his family being on the undesirable list. He studied mechanical engineering at the
University of Miskolc, and later designed technology for an agricultural machinery company in
Szombathely. In 1956, Hungarians rose up against the Soviets, and Istvan was elected head of his
company's revolutionary council. They took over the local police headquarters, freed political prisoners
and took part in larger demonstrations against the government. When the Soviets regained control of
the country, Istvan fled across the border to Austria where he spent a short time in a refugee camp and
then immigrated to England. In England, he learned English and worked for the British Motor
Corporation.
On a trip to visit his cousin in France, Istvan passed through Luxembourg where he met his future wife,
Meta Rietveld, a lovely woman from Amsterdam who was working as a translator for the European
Common Market in Luxembourg. It was love at first sight, and they maintained a long-distance
relationship until he could immigrate to the United States in 1959. Meta arrived by ship in New York City
18 months later. They were married in Chicago and loved living in the large, modern American city.
After Istvan completed computer courses at the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1962, he was offered a
job with IBM, and they moved to Rochester, Minnesota where he remained with IBM for the next 35
years, specializing in hardware performance engineering. The boy from the Hungarian Puszta, who
would get excited the few times he saw a car passing his home, rose to one of the highest technical
positions within IBM. In the meantime, he helped raise his two daughters, completed a master's degree
in mathematics, taught as an adjunct professor at Winona State College, played tennis and bridge,
learned to cross country ski, and even once (reluctantly) rode his daughters' horse in an "over the hill"
horse show event.
Istvan was the cornerstone of the extended Dutch and Hungarian families, and the catalyst behind the
annual Kiss family reunion in Budapest. He was a devoted father who provided unconditional love,
kindness and support to his daughters and later to his grandchildren. When Meta became physically
disabled with rheumatoid arthritis, the motto became "have wheelchair will travel". During his lifetime,
Istvan was proud to have visited every continent, including Antarctica. He loved music, French and
Hungarian poetry, mathematics, hiking in the mountains, the ocean, skyscrapers, playing tennis (until age
85), cooking Hungarian meals, and a really good political debate. In 2019, Istvan was diagnosed with
liver cancer, and he moved to a senior home on Mercer Island, Washington to be closer to family. His
traveling days were over, but he adjusted to his new life, enjoying visits from family and friends, bird
watching from his patio, and taking day trips to the nearby ocean and mountains.
We learned the following from our dad. Love your family and have wonderful adventures with them.
Follow opportunity. Stay active. Plan but be flexible. Get educated and be inquisitive. Enjoy what you
have and don't worry about what you don't have. War and hardship can take away possessions but not
your talents and knowledge.
Istvan was preceded in death by his wife, Meta, his brothers and parents. He is succeeded by his
daughters and sons-in-law, Annemieke and Jeff Powers, and Doreen Kiss and Ron Wiener, and his
grandchildren Cathelyne and Shannon Powers, and Ben and Jake Wiener, as well as numerous cousins,
nieces, and nephews. A private Celebration of Life will be held on the Washington coast in September.
The family would like to extend a special thank you to the staff at Island House and the UW Medical
Center for their wonderful care. In lieu of flowers the family suggests making a donation in memory of
Istvan to the Arthritis Foundation, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, or any charitable organization that
has special meaning for you.