Klara Maria (Kiss) Filip

December 11, 1941 - December 23, 2021

Service on December 30, 2021 at Saint John Kanty Church, Clifton NJ

Klara Maria (Kiss) Filip died tragically December 23, 2021 after being struck by a car while on her daily walk around the Montclair neighborhood the day before. Her sudden loss from this world is an exclamation point to the life of a survivor. She held on to life long enough to hear her son and daughter speak to her and open her eyes, drowning out the unfamiliar language of trauma doctors at St Joseph's Hospital.  She was always afraid to speak English to strangers for fear she would get the words wrong. She was modest, her use of language was superior, but she could no longer speak with tubes breathing for her. No one was ready to say goodbye but her body was telling her it was time to release her soul into God's arms.

Born to an Austrian mother and a Romanian/ Hungarian father in Oradea, Romania on December 11th, 1941 while a World War raged at their doorsteps. After graduation from High School Scoala Medie Nr. 5 Oradea, she graduated from Facultatea de Filologie of Universitatea Babes-Bolyai.  She taught French language and literature to many generations first in her natal city Oradea at Liceul 4 Oradea, then at Liceul Vasile Goldis Arad.

Above all, she was a dedicated mother to Patrick (46) and Olivia (43) and applied herself with utmost love, her sweet voice, radiant smiles, to the difficult task of parenting. Her love of her children took her on a last big move to America two years ago, after that passing of her husband Ioan Filip, to join her son Patrick and daughter Olivia's family. She wanted to be closer to her grandchildren Lyra (13), Alice (11), Luca (11), and Lazar (10). She split her time between Patrick's home in York, PA and Olivia's home in Montclair, New Jersey. Her last phone call to her son the night before the accident, was to make sure Lazar who was born on Christmas Day would get her special gift to him.

She was a French teacher all her life and was determined to master English by reading her grandchildren's books. Her daughter Olivia became a French teacher in New Jersey and her son Patrick finished medical school in Timisoara and became a physician in America. Her greatest joy was that her children were thriving. She was progressive, an early driver and car owner in the 60's, learned to navigate a computer in the 90's, taught her self languages, learned to adapt to hostile environments surviving the oppressions of Communism and the lack of resources that came with it.

She was the last of her immediate family, survived by cousins still in Romania and Austria, her son Patrick and daughter-in-law Sarah Lolley, their kids Lyra, Luca, and Lazar, and her daughter Olivia with granddaughter Alice. Her closest friends, that she would communicate with frequently Illeana Munteanu of Brooklyn, Agneta Barbas of Germany, Magdalena Filip of Oradea, Romania, Doina Petrila of Oradea, Romania, Viorica Bilek of Timisoara, Romania, Lumi Barbu, and many others.

Klara was a devout Roman Catholic, receiving her first communion in Oradea at the age of nine and continued to frequent to church throughout her life. She carried a simple wooden rosary in her pockets always. She prayed for the sun to come up every day and for it to set. We are without her prayers on earth and listen for them in Heaven.

Visitation Wednesday 3 - 5 PM at the Shook Funeral Home, 639 Van Houten Ave., Clifton. Funeral Thursday 10 AM at St. John Kanty RC Church, 49 Speer Ave., Clifton. Interment, Immaculate Conception Cemetery, Upper Montclair.

In memory of Klara and to honor her life, instead of flowers, we have identified two charitable organizations we would like to donate to, both involve the care and education of orphaned and abused children and women. There are a couple of options, direct donations through the web pages below. Or PayPal to patrickfilip@gmail.com, and with subsequent distributions by Klara's son.

HTTPS://nak-humanitas.ch

www.glasulvietii.ro