Eva Veronica Lenard

Eva Veronica Lenard, 91, of Bloomington passed away on Monday, August 14, 2023, at Cedarhurst of Bloomington, after an extended illness. She was born on September 4, 1931, in Budapest, Hungary, the daughter of Alexander and Klara (Korosy) Kelemen. In 1944, Veronica was just 13 when Nazi troops occupied Hungary, and although her family was only nominally Jewish and had become Unitarian, they were subjected to Nazi anti-Semitism and survived by obtaining false identities and living in hiding. Following WWII, Veronica completed her high school education and enjoyed Budapest with a group of friends. These friends later relocated to diverse parts of the world, but Veronica remained in communication with them throughout her life. By 1949, Soviet domination of Hungary made remaining there undesirable. With no legal ways out of the country, Veronica escaped to Vienna, Austria, via a sham marriage to an Austrian student. A year later, she arranged for the paid smuggling of her parents across the border. From Vienna, they moved to Salzburg, Austria, and then, after a brief stay in a U.S.-run displaced persons camp, to Toronto, Canada. Following several years of trans-Atlantic correspondence, Veronica married fellow Hungarian Holocaust survivor Andrew Lenard in Toronto in 1953. They began married life in California, where Veronica attended the University of California Berkeley, receiving her Bachelor’s, and then New York City, where she received her Master’s in social work from New York University. Next stop was Princeton, New Jersey, where children George and Dorothy were born in 1957 and 1959 and they bought their first home. In 1966, Andrew was offered a professorship at Indiana University, so the young family moved to Bloomington and began living in the home they occupied thereafter. Veronica worked as a Clinical Social Worker in Bloomington for many years before retiring. During her long career, she impacted countless lives through individual therapy and found great value in being present for her clients during difficult times. She was awarded the Monroe County Social Worker of the Year in 1982. She was involved in a variety of community organizations, including membership in the Unitarian Universalist Church. Veronica loved her family, which came to include three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Veronica developed many close friendships over the years and treasured her connections with others. She always enjoyed a busy social life that included singing, listening to music, volunteering, traveling, and hiking, as well as visiting with family and friends. She will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her. Veronica is survived by her children, George Lawrence (Annette Davenport) Lenard of St. Louis; Dorothy Claire Lenard of Bloomington; three grandchildren, Emily Marie (Jon Stark) Lenard; James Alexander Lenard; and Michael David Moshe Lenard; and two great grandchildren, Lily Stark and Clara Stark. She was preceded in death by her parents, Alexander and Klara Kelemen, and her husband, Andrew Lenard. A celebration of life service for Veronica and Andrew will be held 1:00pm on Saturday, October 14, 2023 at the Allen Funeral Home 4155 S. Old St Rd 37 Bloomington. Visitation will be held from 11:00 m to service time on Saturday, October 14, 2023 also at the funeral home. A private burial will be held at White Oak Cemetery. Gifts in lieu of flowers may be made to The Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org). Allen Funeral Home and Crematory have been entrusted with arrangements. Online condolences, photos and memories may be shared with family and friends at www.allencares.com

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Eva Veronica Lenard

September 4, 1931 - August 14, 2023