Leslie Charles Kun, Ph.D., of Riverview, FL passed away peacefully while surrounded by family on Friday, March 5th, 2021 at the age of 92. Leslie (Laszlo by birth) was born to Laszlo Kun and Ilona Stadler on June 17th, 1928 in Debrecen, Hungary. He would survive WWII and immigrate to the U.S. shortly after the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. Graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering from the Technical University of Budapest the year prior, Leslie went on to receive his Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He always took pride in his studies and extracurricular activities; his early passion was designing model airplanes and at one point, was fluent in Latin. His interests and knowledge were vast and included classical music, botany, fine arts, philosophy, economics, and medicine. Following the loss of his first wife, he married Kathy (Katalin) Orvos at the Riverside Hungarian Reform Church in Buffalo in 1979. Traveling the world on business, publishing 3 books, multiple technical articles, with numerous foreign patents and a total of 27 U.S. patents, Leslie (known as Les to his colleagues) also received an Honorary Doctorate from Moscow State Technical University. Dr. Kun's work in turbomachinery development resulted in over $300 billion in energy savings since 1983. He retired from his position as Senior Corporate Fellow in 1996 after 36 years at Union Carbide (Praxair), continuing as President at Index Technology Inc. until his early 70's. In 2013, Leslie was inducted into the Praxair Technology Hall of Fame. He is survived by his wife, their two sons (Daniel and Gustave) and a daughter (Lillian). Not only was he a pillar to his immediate and extended family, with the help of his loving wife, his life-long generosity resulted in the betterment of nearly everyone who knew him. He was the type of man who would help another, without expecting anything in return. Leslie and Kathy moved to Florida in 2006, where their children also now reside. He will truly be missed by everyone whose life he's touched. Leslie had an older sister, Victoria, who, along with her two children, preceded him in death. In the words of Khalil Gibran, "All things in this vast universe exist in you, with you, and for you."
Due to the current pandemic, services will be held at a later date; a memorial is planned in the summer of 2021 in Budapest, Hungary.