Iren Gubacs

Iren “Nagyi” Gubacs devoted mother, grandmother and consummate teacher passed away peacefully on January 27th, 2022. Iren “Nagyi” Gubacs was born on August 16th, 1931, to her parents Janos Palhazi and Iren Erdody in Budapest, Hungary. From an early age, Iren was in love with swimming and won many championships at a wide range of levels. Her passion later transformed into an outstanding career teaching and coaching swimmers of all ages, on two continents. Her legacy includes being the first coach to bring synchronized swimming to the competition platforms in Europe, including Hungary. Iren continued giving her incredible gift of swimming when settling in the United States in 1991. From that point on, if you tried to go for a leisurely swim at the JCC at the Palisades or the Glenpointe Spa, a surprise lesson would always be waiting for you… whether you signed up for it or not. These lessons kept people coming back for years and decades, not just to learn, but also to spend time with the most organized, fun and extraordinary lifeguard, coach and friend. Iren was also well known and respected for her terrific bridge playing ability. The athlete brought her best to each competition whether in the swimming pool or at the card table. Staying true to the educator within, she also taught countless bridge lovers to bring their best when it counted the most. No matter where she was, Iren just wanted to teach and it was no surprise that she brought the love of teaching into her life with her children and grandchildren. Nagyi, as she was called by her beloved family, taught some of the most fundamental life lessons to her family. Most importantly, she was instrumental in teaching her grandchildren their ancestors’ language, Hungarian. Among the countless lessons she gave in her long and fruitful life, there is one that no one will ever forget, the unconditional and devoted love she gave to her children and family. Nagyi will be missed dearly by all of us, but we will forever celebrate her life with the same elegance and enthusiasm that she brought to every endeavor. She is survived by her daughters Christina, Rita and Klara, Son-in-Laws Dominick, Dennis and Ronald, and Grandchildren Deirdre and Andrea. Visitation will be held on Thursday from 4-6pm at Barrett-Leber Funeral Home in Tenafly, NJ. A Funeral Mass will also be held at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Tenafly, NJ on Friday, February 11th at 10:00 am honoring our beloved Nagyi. May she rest in peace. In lieu of flowers, we ask that friends and family donate to either PetResQ Tenafly: https://petresqinc.org or Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge: https://rbari.org

Iren Gubacs

January 27, 2022