Irene Szabo of Tustin, CA has gone home, leaving behind a circle of those who loved her.
Below, a small portrait of a life that will not soon be forgotten.
Irene spent her working life as ['administrative assistant at Rucker Corporation and later Aerojet Corporation'] — and was, by all accounts, loved by those who knew her best.
We measure lives in love, not minutes.
Irene Szabo, a former long-time resident of Tustin, died peacefully at her home in Georgia on March 12, 2026. Irene was preceded in death by her parents, Ethel and John Farkas, her brother John, and her husband, Alex. She is survived by her son, James, her daughter Susan, son-in-law Philip, granddaughters Sara and Julie and grandson Tristan, and two great-grandsons.Irene was born during the Depression in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, a small suburb of Pittsburgh. After a few difficult years, her parents moved their family to Detroit, where Irene graduated from Western High School and Detroit Business College, where she excelled at typing, stenography and shorthand. She used these skills at Ford Motor Corporation and enjoyed life as a young single lady until she met and married her sweetheart, Alex, in 1952. The couple spent their honeymoon at the most popular destination of the time for newlyweds, Niagara Falls, which suited them well, as her new husband was a Canadian citizen at the time. After several years they began family life with the birth of their daughter, Susan, and adoption of their son, James. Soon, the family moved from the East Coast to the West Coast. Sunny Southern California welcomed them and they built a home in Tustin, surrounded at the time by orange groves and tumbleweeds. Irene continued her career as an administrative assistant at Rucker Corporation and later Aerojet Corporation, until she retired.Irene enjoyed many things in life, but most especially cooking and baking. She often made delicious Hungarian meals and pastries for her family, as a way to nurture and pass on her heritage to the younger generations. Irene was a reader, and kept a thick notebook with lists of the many novels and authors she had read, from romance to suspense to inspirational, even cookbooks! She enjoyed traveling with her husband and church friends and was always ready to explore a new place.After her husband’s death, Irene started a new life in Georgia, living with her daughter and son-in-law, who were by her side and cared for her in her last years.We will miss Irene’s twinkling eyes and soft chuckles, her stories of the old days and her readiness to play a good game of dominoes or Sorry! A graveside memorial will be held at Santa Ana Cemetery on June 6th at 1pm where she will be surrounded by those who knew and loved her and by yellow roses, her favorite flower.
