If you want to read about the life of President Jimmy Carter (remarkable in many ways, especially his early years), there are plenty of publications and online news websites to choose from. But every now and again, someone so influential to the local business community dies that we have to mark the occasion.

During the Christmas and New Year break, we were saddened to learn of two deaths in particular: Christopher Daniels and Charles Huebner. You can read their fuller obituaries on page 18. They were two very different men, but each was significant in their own way. At first glance, Huebner would seem like the more obvious candidate for us to cover. He was president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hungary from 1997–1999.

In an organization that has just celebrated its 35th anniversary, those were not exactly pioneering years, but Hungary’s market economy, although established by then, still had plenty of excitement to offer. Posting the news of Huebner’s death on LinkedIn, AmCham described him as “a pillar of our community and a tireless advocate for strengthening Hungarian-American business relations.”

I remember the first time I met him at an event, something to do with strengthening links between academia and the commercial world. He asked if he could say a few words, the summation of which was that perhaps the most important thing teachers could do was instruct their students to say “Good day” when they walked into a room, sit up straight and pay attention. There was an old-world air about him, and I mean that as a compliment. It is reflected in the comments people gave us: “Decent, honest and reliable,” “generous and kind,” and “a fine gentleman with great knowledge and an even more humble attitude.” He was also fun to be around and talk to.

Christopher Daniels, a man who took on many roles but always had a love of music, is, perhaps, the less obvious candidate for us to cover until you recall his job title at the Budapest Festival Orchestra (BFZ): international development director. He moved to Budapest the same year I arrived here, and while the success of the BFZ would never have been possible without the great talent of its musicians and its founding conductor, Iván Fischer, Daniels played no small part in promoting it and helping it build its international reputation. He was never shy of exploring sponsorship opportunities, but it was always done with such enthusiasm. I have an email from him in 2009 in which he talks about the BFZ playing at the Proms in London, “just about the most exciting music festival in the world, and our orchestra is privileged to have been invited to perform many times over the years. […] The Proms audiences are incredibly enthusiastic and appreciative, and the atmosphere is positively ‘electric.’” Even after all these years, it still positively crackles with excitement.

Since we were already committing space to these gentlemen, it would have seemed churlish not also to mention the passing of Ágnes Keleti, Hungary’s most decorated Olympian who truly lived a “life less ordinary.” According to The Associated Press, she survived the Holocaust by hiding her identity and working as a maid. Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg saved her mother and sister, but her father and other relatives died in Auschwitz. Three very different people. All remarkable. All will be missed. Happy New Year.

Robin Marshall

Editor-in-chief

This editorial was first published in the Budapest Business Journal print issue of January 10, 2025.