Julia Bartko

Mrs.Julia Bartko, age 93, died on October 10,2007 at Clara Maass Medical Center after a prolonged illness. She was born in the village of Gombos, Greater Hungary on June 19, 1914. Mrs. Bartko had a twenty year career as a music educator and choir master in her native country, and had the distinction of being the first woman Cantor of the R.C.Church there. She earned a Masters Degree in music education, and also had the privilege of studying conducting with the internationally celebrated composer/conductor/educator Zoltan Kodaly. She became a specialist in the practice of the Kodaly/Orr method of choral education. During WW II., in the Spring of 1945 she managed to elude, and guided her nuclear family to safety on the fiercely contested battlefields defined by the retreating German and the advancing Soviet Armies. On November 28, 1956, after the brutal annihilation of the Hungarian Revolution by the 200,000 men strong Soviet Army, Mrs. Barko, who at that time was put on trial by the State for anti communist activities managed to escape with her family to the safety of Austria, and fortunately on to the United States,eventualy landing in Passaic New Jersey where she spent the last fifty years. Although she managed to maintain her musical involvements in the U.S. as a long time choir master of St.Sephen s R.C. Church of Passaic, as the long time conductor of the Bela Bartok Hungarian Citizens League men s choir of Garfield, teaching choral music part time at several area Catholic schools including Pope Pius XII High School of Passaic, as a refugee without proper credentials, Mrs Bartko managed to earn a living as a factory worker, a cleaner of houses and businesses, taking care of the elderly, and ending up as a manager of the cafeteria at Bradley s, retired at 79 years old Pre deceased by her husband George D.Bartko in 1987, Mrs. Bartko is survived by her daughter Julia Lanigan of Passaic, son George Bartko of Vinalhaven, ME and Budapest, Hungary. She is also survived by grandson Thomas B. Lanigan of Westin, FL, grand daughters Lilla Bartko of St.Louis, MO, Eva Bartko of San Francisco, CA, great grandsons Maxwell Lehman of Chicago, IL, Raphael Lanigan of Westin, FL, and great grand daughter Angela also of Westin. A Funeral Mass will be held Saturday 9:30 AM at St.Stephen s R.C, Church, Third Street, Passaic, NJ. The family of Mr. Bartko would like to invite everyone who knew her, and a special invitation is extended to those who made music with her for all those years. Arrangement by the Powell-Marrocco Funeral Home 470 Colfax Avenue Clifton


PDF Printable Version