In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Alfréd Rényi Institute of Mathematics to support the Fejér Memorial Lecture Series, or simply that you spend an hour with a pencil and paper, trying to solve something beautiful.
Arriving in Canada with little more than hope and determination, Fejér threw himself into his new life. He pursued higher education, eventually earning his law degree and establishing himself as a prominent figure in the Toronto legal community. He was awarded the distinction of Queen’s Counsel (Q.C.), a title reserved for lawyers who have made significant contributions to the legal profession.
Held on Wednesday, July 2, 2008, at the Morley Bedford Funeral Home in Toronto, Ontario.
The winter Bela Fejer turned ten, he learned that a broken thing is not a finished thing; it is simply a puzzle waiting to be solved. It was a lesson he carried out of the wreckage of post-war Europe, across the Atlantic in a rusted hull of a ship, and eventually into the sun-drenched clutter of his workshop on 4th Street. Mr. Fejer, a master horologist and the unofficial archivist of the city’s forgotten mechanics, passed away peacefully on Tuesday. He left behind a legacy measured not in years, but in the steady, rhythmic ticking of thousands of clocks he rescued from silence.
Bela FEJER Obituary (2008) - Toronto, ON - The Globe and Mail bela fejer obituary
Born in 1944 in Hungary, Fejér grew up in a country devastated by World War II and then trapped behind the Iron Curtain. He was only twelve years old when the 1956 Hungarian Revolution erupted in Budapest. As a child, he witnessed the popular uprising against Soviet control, followed by the brutal crackdown that crushed the hopes of a nation.
To those who knew him best, however, Béla Fejér was not just a successful lawyer and businessman; he was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. The term "Nagypapa"—Hungarian for "grandfather"—was used with deep affection in his obituary, highlighting how much he cherished his role within the family.
Fejér’s final years were marked by a heroic, lengthy struggle with leukemia. He faced the illness with the same resilience and dignity that characterized his professional career.
Jack, Indie, and Carmen, to whom he was affectionately known as "Nagypapa" —a nod to his Hungarian heritage. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that
, a distinguished figure in the legal community, passed away peacefully on June 26, 2008 , surrounded by his family after a courageous and lengthy struggle with leukemia. A man admired for his intellect, integrity, and dedication to his loved ones, his passing left a significant void in the lives of those who knew him.
Using a novel construction of sparse sets and oscillatory functions, Bela demonstrated the existence of an integrable function whose Fourier series diverges on a set of positive measure—yet converges at every point of a particular, surprisingly dense subset. The mathematical world called it “Fejer’s revenge.” Bela called it “just doing the dishes.”
. His obituary highlights a life defined by resilience, family devotion, and professional accomplishment in the Toronto area. Life and Battle with Illness
Bela Fejér distinguished himself throughout his legal career, earning the prestigious designation of . This designation reflects his profound knowledge of law and his recognized contributions to the legal profession. He was awarded the distinction of Queen’s Counsel (Q
Remembering Béla William Fejér, Q.C.: A Legacy of Law, Family, and Resilience
In a 2019 interview with Jazzma.hu , he was asked what he wanted his epitaph to be. He laughed and said: “Just write: ‘He played the second line correctly.’ Because in jazz, anyone can play the melody. Anyone can play the solo. But to play the second line —the harmony, the rhythm, the support—that is the real art.”
Celebrated on July 3, 2008, at the Holy Rosary Catholic Church.
Béla Fejér’s journey was one of remarkable perseverance. Born in Hungary in 1944, his early years were shaped by the tumultuous events of post-war Europe. Following the failed 1956 Hungarian Revolution, Fejér made the difficult decision to flee his homeland, ultimately finding refuge in Canada. This experience of starting anew in a foreign country instilled in him a tenacity and work ethic that would define his entire career.