Imre Istvan Hegedus died peacefully in his sleep Saturday, October 21, 2017 in New Orleans, LA. He was 85 years old. Imre was born in 1932 in Szeged, Hungary to his parents Dr. Imre and Roza Hegedus. He graduated from the School of Architecture at the University of Budapest in 1956 and bravely escaped to New Orleans shortly thereafter during the Hungarian Revolution. Before even learning English he secured his first job as a draftsman for Burke, Lebreton, and LaMantia, and just seven years later in 1963 he and James Dent partnered to form Dent & Hegedus, Architects.  In 1971 he founded Imre Hegedus & Associated Architects where he lived out his passion for his craft with perseverance and dedication for as long as he could hold a pen to paper. In Imre’s over fifty years in private practice he won twelve Vieux Carre Commission Awards for restoration of buildings in the French Quarter among many other architectural honors. Imre’s memory lives on in brick and mortar across New Orleans, a city he adored. Among countless restorations throughout the city, Imre proudly designed the Rosa F. Keller Library and Community Center, The International Hotel, the Joe W. Brown Recreation Center, the Edward Hynes Elementary School, and the New Orleans International Airport Parking Garage. Imre’s most beloved design, for which he won a Louisiana Architects Association Honor Award and an American Institute of Architects Honor Award of Excellence, was his private residence in Lakeview. An ardent supporter of New Orleans arts and culture, Imre served as President of the American-Hungarian Cultural Association of Louisiana and Director of the American Institute of Architects, New Orleans for which he was Chairman of the 1984 World’s Fair Committee. He was President of the Cosmopolitan International Club of New Orleans, Vice President of the Vieux Carre Action Association, member of the Vieux Carre Commission, a lifetime member of the Junior Chamber International, and a season ticket holder to the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. Imre loved to travel and visited over 20 countries around the world. He enjoyed life and lived it to the fullest. Imre is survived by his daughters and sons-in-law Vincent and Monica Iacono and Nima and Christina Negahban, his sister Rozsa Hegedus and many relatives living in Hungary, his two grandchildren Sophia and Roman Iacono, and his longtime companion Christine Cambry. He is also survived by his dear lifelong friends, considered family, Joseph and Eva Mikes and Susan Bagwill. Family and friends are invited to attend the Funeral Service on Friday, October 27, 2017 at 1:15 PM in the J. Garic Schoen Chapel of JACOB SCHOEN & SON. Visitation will begin at 11:00 AM and continue until Service time. Inurment will be in Lafayette Cemetery #1. Condolences may be expressed at www.schoenfh.com

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