Helen Leko

Helen was born on November 20, 1947, to János and Anna Regenyei in Enying, Hungary. Helen was the middle child and had both an older brother, Péter Regenyei, and younger brother, János Regenyei. After high school, Helen moved to Budapest where she attended Nursing School. She met her ex-husband, Frank Leko, while living in Budapest and they were married in July 1967.

Wanting a better life for themselves, Helen and Frank left Hungary with only the clothes on their back and the little money they had saved and immigrated to the United States in December 1968. They lived in Rochester, New York for a couple of years until they moved and settled in Clearwater, Florida in the early 1970’s.

When Frank opened his own business, a machine shop, in 1978, Helen worked alongside him and was actively involved in the business until they divorced in 2007. Wanting to stay active after her divorce, Helen decided to revisit her nursing background and took classes to become a CNA. She worked for a local agency for several years as a caregiver. Helen enjoyed her work very much. It brought her so much joy and fulfillment to know that she was making a difference and helping others.

Helen was a wonderful mother to her two children, Claudine and Chris. She was always actively involved in their lives growing up and was very proud of all their accomplishments. She was also a wonderful grandmother to her two grandchildren, Dylan and Cameron. She loved them so much and they brought her so much joy.

Helen had a great passion for cooking. She was a wonderful cook and she very much enjoyed cooking for her family and friends. She enjoyed making traditional Hungarian dishes and pastries, but she also loved watching the Food Network and discovering new recipes. She was also very passionate about music and attending concerts and traveling to shows. Her favorite artists were Il Divo, Adam Lambert, Andrea Bocelli, Hauser, and Il Volo to name a few. She always looked forward to attending her next concert as it was a special time that she spent with her daughter and friends enjoying music and escaping real life for a little while.

Helen had a zest and enthusiasm for life that was infectious. She was adventurous, liked bright colors, bold designs, and she wanted to share her enthusiasm for all things she loved with everyone she met. She liked what she liked, and to her it was “The Best”. She worked hard her entire life and when she could she liked to have fun and enjoy the things that had made her happy.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her older brother. She is survived by her daughter Claudine (Dave) Leugers, son Chris (Kelly) Leko, grandsons Dylan Leugers and Cameron Leko, brother János Regenyei and former husband Frank Leko. She is still loved so very much and will be greatly missed by her family, friends and all that knew her. May her memory forever be cherished, and may she rest in peace.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, March 9th, 2024 @3pm Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park & Funeral Home, 2853 Sunset Point Rd, Clearwater, FL 33759. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Suncoast Hospice Foundation, 5771 Roosevelt Blvd., Clearwater, FL 33760.