Sally P Boros

Sally P. Boros, attorney, avid traveler, accomplished musician and artist, who had a life-long thirst for knowledge, an appreciation of all forms of beauty and a yearning to not simply live but to experience life, died from complications of ALS on Saturday, October 5. She was 82.

“Live deep and suck all the marrow out of life.” Thoreau

Sally was born with “eyes wide open” to Helyn Metcalf and Edward Petix of Rochester, NY. From very early on, Sally yearned to see, understand and experience all life had to offer. As a child, she loved music and played the piano. Upon entering high school, Sally also played the drums, bassoon and trumpet. She went on to major in piano at the University of Windsor, Ontario. Later Sally attended graduate school at Louvain University in Belgium and became fluent in French, earned the equivalent of a Master’s degree in Philosophy and studied the organ with Louis Huybrechts, a Belgian composer.

Sally’s love of world travel began at age 18 when she and a friend sailed across the Atlantic on the Queen Elizabeth (the first of 5 similar trips).

While working as a model and at Kodak in Rochester NY, she met and in 1964 married Julius Boros who had fled Budapest for the U.S. during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. Shortly after the birth of their first son, Chris, in 1965, they left to live in Tokyo, Japan, so Julius could cover the Vietnam War as an NBC News cameraman. While in Tokyo, Sally traveled throughout Southeast Asia, was asked to model for Japanese Designer, Hanae Mori, and studied Sumi-e, a Japanese art form.

Upon returning to the U.S. Julius was assigned to the Chicago Bureau and their second son, Andrew, was born. They moved to Wilmette in 1970 where Sally would reside until 1992, returning again in 2009. During that time Sally and her family often traveled throughout Europe. When she wasn’t traveling, she studied art including sculptures, charcoals, watercolors and photography. After divorcing, Sally and Julius continued to travel together often. Later Sally became a real estate agent with McKnight and Nash in Wilmette. Then, in 1991 Sally graduated from law school and spent the next 19 years practicing family and real estate law.

12 years ago, Sally began having mild signs and symptoms which were later diagnosed as ALS. Although she eventually lost most use of her muscles, she never gave into despair, always saying how fortunate she was not to have been stricken with ALS at a much earlier age. Sally continued loving life, being in the company of her family, including her grandchildren Andrew and Julia, and her Niece, Margit. She treasured experiencing the beauty of nature and life through long car rides and wheelchair rides outside, continued enjoying music at church and stayed true to her love of chocolate.

Sally is survived by her children, Chris (Laurel) and Andy (Danielle), grandchildren, Andrew & Julia; niece, Margit; siblings, Edward, David and Joan; caregiver, Arif; and countless dear friends. Donations may be made in the name of Sally Boros to any of the wonderful ALS research foundations.