Andrea "Rega" Heller

Andrea “Rega” Heller of Bethesda, Maryland, born in Budapest, Hungary on September 10, 1921, passed on peacefully at home in Locust Grove, Virginia, May 2, 2021.

Rega lived a remarkable life of nearly 100 years filled with great love of family and friends, yet experienced enormous horrors, tragedies and dislocations which she met with courage, determination, hard work and grace. During WW2, Rega survived the forced deportation march from Budapest in November, 1944, and the three concentration camps, Ravensbruck, Venusberg, and Mauthausen. Returning home to Budapest, devasted to learn her parents had been murdered by the Nazis, she was reunited with her beloved brother, Erno.

Rega rebuilt her life in Russian-­‐occupied Communist Hungary, until she and her young daughter, Edie, escaped during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. Once again, she rebuilt her life, this time in the United States reunited with her Hungarian husband, Andrew Heller, whom the American Government had brought earlier to Washington, D.C. for his testimony and stunning photographic evidence of the events of the Hungarian Revolution. Rega, Andrew and Edie were shortly thereafter joined by the birth of daughter, Julia. For 23 years, Rega and Andrew together built and operated Heller’s Camera in Bethesda, Maryland, internationally renowned for its extensive collection of Leicas and antique cameras. Rega will be remembered for her kindness, generous spirit, and beautiful smile. She is survived by her daughters, Edie and Julia (Dr. Michael Banaszak), and grandsons Max Banaszak (Gina Ng), Charlie Banaszak, and Jack Banaszak.

Services were held privately at Mt Lebanon Cemetery. Donations in Rega’s memory may be made to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum (ushmm.org) or to HIAS (hias.org).