Janos Zsigmond Shoemyen's Obituary
Janos Zsigmond Shoemyen, 93, died December 7, 2014, at his home in Alachua, FL. He was born in Budapest, Hungary to Zsigmond Jozsef Gyula Kalloi-Somjen and Ilona D’ore (Kiss) Kalloi-Somjen. His sister, Ava Kalloi-Somjen Szandtner, preceded him in death.
World War II shaped Janos’ life like so many of his generation. His lifelong passion was writing – poetry, plays, novels, and most significantly, his perfected craft – short stories. He escaped from Hungary in 1948, beginning an odyssey that took him to England where, in 1950, he met and married the love of his life, Clare, an American. He immigrated with her to the US and was proud to become a naturalized citizen. Although he knew five languages, he only learned his sixth, English, after leaving Hungary. His first jobs included working as a copy boy on the Philadelphia Evening bulletin and grinding prisms for tank sights. In 1952, he and Clare moved to Florida to work with a Christian missionary-service-training center. He was also employed as a cowboy, artist model, and hospital orderly. A later move to England, where the family lived with his in-laws, helped Janos recover a lost faith. This regained faith, his experiences in war-torn Europe, and his beloved America are heavily reflected in his published works. He wrote under the pen name Lawrence Dorr and was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction for his second of four short story collections, A Slight Momentary Affliction. His first published work appeared in the highly respected literary journal, The Virginia Quarterly Review, in 1958, marking the beginning of over 50 years writing his short stories. He worked for 25 years in the publications department of IFAS at the University of Florida as an editor, where he joked that he was paid to “correct the natives’ English”. He loved his 30+ years teaching Creative Writing for Santa Fe College’s Continuing Education Program, saying at times that he might not remember all the names of his students, but he always remembered “their stories”. He also taught at several national writers’ workshops. Perhaps, he was most proud to be a founder, with his wife, Clare, of the All Saints Anglican Church, which in many ways was a tribute to his missionary father-in-law, Francis Wilkinson, and Janos’s own conversion to the Anglican faith. To his grandchildren, he was Fadoux, the man with the beard, a story, and a hug.
He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Margaret Clare Wilkinson Shoemyen; a daughter, Sibet Clare Ottila Shoemyen Grantham (James), Gainesville, FL; a son, John Lawrence Shermyen (Anne), Alachua, FL; and three grandchildren, Katherine Ilona Grantham, Atlanta, GA; John Gray Kalloi Shermyen, Gainesville, FL; and Sarah Francis Fitch Shermyen, New York, NY.
A memorial communion service will be held on Saturday, December 20th, at 2:00 pm at All Saints Anglican Church, 12880 NW 39th Ave., Gainesville, FL. The family will also host a gathering in celebration of his life, 3:30-5:00 pm, December 20th, at the WILLIAMS-THOMAS FUNERAL HOME WESTAREA, 823 NW 143rd St.-CR 241 North, Gainesville/Newberry, FL 32669. Memorials may be made to: All Saints Anglican Church, 12880 NW 39th Ave., Gainesville, FL, 32606.
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