András Katona

With a heavy heart, we say goodbye to András Katona, a man who truly lived his life like a perfectly executed water polo play—with strength, strategy, and an unwavering sense of team. Born in Budapest on a cold January day in 1938, András was, from the start, born to make ripples. We’ll never forget the story he’d tell, with a twinkle in his eye that never faded, about the 1960 Rome Olympics. He’d describe the chaotic, thrilling final match, the roar of the crowd, the relentless sun, and the moment the bronze medal was finally secured—not with a flashy goal, but with sheer, gritty Hungarian heart. He’d hold up his medal, not as a relic, but as a ticket to a story he shared with his grandchildren, who would sit spellbound as he recreated the final minutes on the living room floor, using a stray sock as the ball. But András was more than our Olympic champion; he was our anchor. To his wife, Éva, he was the love of her life—a partner for over sixty years who believed a marriage was the best team you could ever be on. To his children and then his grandchildren, he was a gentle giant with endless patience. He taught his grandsons to swim not in a pool, but in the safe, shallow waters of