Obituary of Virginia Pados

Virginia B. Pados Virginia B. Pados went Home to God on Wednesday, July 25, 2012. She was born on January 25, 1922 in Rochester, NY, the daughter of the late Frank David Bogdan and (Countess) Rozalia Kerekes Bogdan, both from Hungary. She was a 1943 Kappa Gama Phi honor graduate of Nazareth College, Rochester, NY, and then went to Boston College for a Choirmaster's degree. At the University of Montreal, Canada, she earned the Master of Music degree in 1950 magna cum laude. An F.A.G. O. (Fellow of the American Guild of Organists) she played pipe-organ and directed children's large choruses in the Eastman Theatre and other special programs in Rochester. She also gave organ concerts in Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Detroit, and Webster Groves/St. Louis, as well as Tryon, NC, and Spartanburg, SC. A published composer in 1935, 1950's, and 1960's, her compositions were later performed in Minnesota, Oregon, NY, NC, SC, and Europe. She gave private lessons to elementary, secondary, college, and older adult pupils. She served for over 30 years as choir-director and organist in Rochester, Fairport, and Buffalo churches. After that, she was a music teacher for grades Pre-K through 8 in the Inner-City Buffalo public schools, retiring in 1985. Moving to Tyron, NC, she retired after seven years of organist service in 1994, and moved back north to Erie, PA where she was choir-director/organist, for a few more years, finally retiring in 1997. Among her passions and hobbies were: visiting shut-ins, helping the needy and handicapped, letter-writing, reading, her children's friends, poetry, symphonic music, embroidery, gardening, watching sunsets with her husband, with whom she walked daily, scrabble, and spending time with family; especially her grandchildren. Just knowing her made you a better person. Her husband, Karoly Pados, a 1956 Hungarian Freedom Fighter, whom she married in 1957, preceded her in death, on November 3, 2003. Survivors include her son, Dr. Charles F. Pados and his wife, Barbara P. Pados, of Erie, her daughter, Virginia Pados Beutnagel and her husband, Mark C. Beutnagel, of Mendham, NJ, three grandchildren in Erie: Bethany Pados, Scott W. and Carey Rose Pados, one grandson in Mendham, NJ, Maxwell Beutnagel. Also, many dear friends in PA, VA, MA, NY, NC, SC, and AZ. She was preceded in death by her American Veteran brother, Aurelius Bogdan. She was a member of the loving Grace Church family since 2005. Friends may call at the Dusckas-Martin Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc., 4216 Sterrettania Rd. on Sunday from 1 p.m. until time of service there at 4 p.m. The Rev. Richard H. Page will officiate at Service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Grace Church, 7300 Grubb Rd. McKean, PA 16426-1066 or to the Erie City Mission, PO Box 407, Erie, PA 16512. Enhance your memorial with a slideshow and video