Laszlo Arpad Karpati

Laszlo Arpad (Les) Karpati, of Waynesboro was born July 11, 1944 in Budapest, Hungary, the son of the late Arpad and Terezia Bara Karpati. On the evening he was born the Allies were bombing Budapest. His father was trained as a piano technician during the 1930's at Steinway Piano Co. in Hamburg, Germany. Arpad owned a piano shop in Budapest until 1948. Arpad and Terezia had one daughter, Irene Gunya, who died in 1992. Laszlo and his parents left Hungary in October 1956 after the short lived revolution against USSR rule. They arrived in America in December 1956 and first lived in Rochester, NY and later moving to New York City. In 1960 they moved to San Diego, CA where they opened their own piano shop. Laszlo was trained as a piano technician trained by his father. While in San Diego he was a concert tuner representing all Steinway and Baldwin concert pianist including Rubinstein, Van Cliburn, Liberace, and Borge. In 1970 he moved to Wayne County and organized his own business, Karr Industries, Inc., manufacturing furniture. He married Linda Jones on

July 17, 1971. Mr. Karpati departed this life on Tuesday, May 29, 2012 at Wayne Medical Center in Waynesboro, Tennessee at the age of 67 Years, 10 Months, 18 Days. He was a member of the Board of Directors at Wayne County Bank, a past member of the Board of Directors for Buffalo River Services, a chairperson for the William Thomas Helton Foundation, and a member of the Masonic Lodge.



He is survived by his loving wife, Linda Jones Karpati of Waynesboro, TN;

a son, Stephen Arpad Karpati (Brigette) of Linden, TN; a daughter, Livia Arvai of Somerset, NJ; three grandchildren, Chesney D'Lynn, Andrew Hunter, and Spencer Blaine of Linden; mother-in-law, Arland Jones, sisters-in-law, Betty Helton and Kaye Balentine all of Waynesboro; brothrs-in-law, Stephen Jones of Grand Junction, CO and Gerald Jones of Collinwood; nieces, nephews, and friends.



Services will be held Friday, June 1, 2012 at 3:00 PM at Shackelford Funeral Chapel in Waynesboro, Tennessee with Jerry L. Robbins officiating. Masonic rites will be given after services. Burial will follow in Waynesboro Memorial Gardens with Shackelford Funeral Directors in charge of arrangements.