Bela Petsco

William Andre (Béla) Petsco, born 10 March 1943 in Queens, New York City, New York, son of Etelka Farkas Bodi and Béla Peczko, passed away peacefully on 12 May 2022 surrounded by loved ones. He has gone to join those who he loves and who loved him.

Béla often said that the most significant event of his life was his conversion to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Blessed with a vivid testimony and deep love for the prophet Joseph Smith, Béla often shared his testimony with numerous people.

Béla was a natural born teacher, creative writer, and dedicated Hungarian genealogist. A high priest, he was responsible for having thousands of Hungarian families sealed for all eternity.

Béla was loved by many around him. He loved his neighbors and enjoyed seeing the Shirley Reynolds’ family kids grow up. He was their adopted grandpa and a big part of their childhood. He loved that family dearly as his own and we know Heidi Jo Tuttle and Dustin Wright are greeting this man with open arms in heaven.

Béla was a published author and wrote an excellent book called “Nothing Very Important and Other Stories.” He took great pride in his work and had many meetings with enthusiasts who loved his book. He was a professor at BYU teaching creative writing. He loved teaching and taught all the way up to the day he graduated life.

Béla would tell everyone how to save money. He frequently talked about saving on their vegetables and different things he found in ads to save money. He was a penny pincher and wouldn’t buy something from a store unless it was on sale or he had a coupon for it. He loved to shop in thrift stores and enjoyed buying little trinkets that brought joy to others.

The last 12 years of this great man’s life was not easy. He had many trials with health and other struggles, but he was not alone during these final years. He had his best friend, Sam Brooks, by his side helping him with everything. Sam was a Certified Nursing Assistant who made a big impact on Béla’s life. Sam helped extend Béla’s life by more than 12 more years. They would do everything together and with Sam’s help and encouragement, Béla did things he thought he could never do.

Leading up to his passing, Béla was never alone. He was always well taken care of by the ones who loved him. He passed away peacefully and surrounded by all who loved him.

We will be celebrating the life of this great man at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, May 18, 2022 at the Berg Drawing Room Chapel, 185 East Center Street, Provo, Utah, with a viewing from 12:30-1:50 p.m. prior to services. Interment will follow at the Provo City Cemetery. Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.bergmortuary.com.