Born April 26, 1926 in Budapest, Hungary to Isidore Rein and Lina (Caroline) Hernhutter, Thomas Rejto was blessed with superb intelligence, splendid sense of humor, native talents and wit, as well as open-minded, ingenuous wisdom acquired through life-long experience of adversity and good fortune. All his distinctive abilities were crowned and graced by a wondrous vivid imagination.

He was many things: cook, chemist, textile engineer, inventor, author, Vice Consul of France -- from Budapest to a labor camp in Yugoslavia, to Asia-Minor, Paris and America... His immensely varied interests comprised the sciences, literature, world-affairs, and music as befits one who lived through and survived the tremendous changes and upheavals of the twentieth century. Yet he preserved in full bloom his wonderful charm, a frolicsome, adventurous, original even child-like side and a sensibility mixing Shakespearian and Schweik-like elements. His impish, clever, impetuous side could not conceal his affectionate faithful nature.

On November 27, at seven a.m., as a gentle snow fell – husband, father and friend Thomas Rejto passed away from complications related to prostate cancer.

He is survived by his wife Michele, his two sons, Laurent and Stéphane, his daughters in law, Meira and Janice and his grandchildren, Julian, Daniel, Adam, Rebecca and Ethan.

An extremely rare and irreplaceable human being has left us forever. He will be remembered in spirit and through his autobiography, The Reluctant Adventurer, which captured his adventures during WWII: deportation, resistance, escape, and the triumph of youth. It is his testament to friendship, family and love.

In honor of his father who died in a concentration camp, there will be no funeral. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made in Mr. Thomas Rejto's name, to the Prostate Cancer Research Institute, Memorials, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Suite 885 Los Angeles, CA 90045.