Beloved husband, father, grandfather, uncle, friend; Louis Muller was a true family man, a talented upholsterer, exceptional furniture designer, businessman, and globe trotter who travelled the world with his beautiful wife, Eva. A determined, yet gentle, hard-working, and loving man who will be sorely missed by us all.
Louis was born April 12, 1934 in Bratislava, and moved with his family to Budapest as a small child. While still a young boy, Louis lost his father, William (Vilmos) who was taken into forced labour and ultimately was killed in the Holocaust.
Growing up with his widowed mother and younger sister Mimi, Louis took on responsibilities far beyond his years and learned the family trade of upholstery while still a teen. Later, he was selected for an elite program to provide youth the opportunity to go to university. He proudly recounted completing a rigorous year of coursework that essentially crammed all of gymnasium (high school) into one year. He was accepted into a prestigious program to train to be a gymnastics coach, but after completing only one year of university, he was drafted into the Hungarian army.
Louis completed his service just before the outbreak of the Hungarian Revolution. He was always quick to tell his children and grandchildren entertaining stories about cooking for the whole squadron, or making bathing suits for the officers – not the stuff of military manoeuvres but stories retold by us all to this day. He fled Hungary, along with his fiancée, Eva, and her family. Marrying Eva while they were still refugees in Austria, the family eventually got visas to Canada where they settled in Toronto.
Always someone who used his resources to rise to a challenge, Louis immediately set to work as an upholsterer. Initially working for others, he soon started his own business out of his garage. As his reputation grew, so too did the business of Louis Interiors. Within the design and furniture world in Toronto and internationally, he became known as the guy who could bring a designer’s ideas into form, without ever compromising on quality.
Louis leaves behind his beloved Eva. The two met when he was on leave from the army and they were engaged just before the Revolution. As refugees in Austria, they married one another in a simple ceremony. Louis loved to shower Eva with beautiful things and the complementarity in their life together made theirs an enduring love of over 65 years. The two poured their hard work and love into raising their 3 sons, Bill, Rob, and Steven.
A hard-working man with an incredible sense of responsibility for others, Louis always made time for family – whether it was shabbat flowers for Eva and treats for the children, and later the grandchildren, or incredible family vacations in the station wagon and abroad. Later, he and Eva were world travellers, making friends and exploring new places on every continent. One of the most generous people you could ever meet – Louis chose to GIVE birthday presents to the whole family when he turned 80. Even in recent years, Louis’ kind smile was always easy to find, as was the twinkle in his eye and his warm hugs. He will be so missed by so many who knew and loved him.
Louis is preceded by his parents, Vilmos and Anna, as well as his sister, Mimi and brother-in-law Gyuri. He is survived by his wife, Eva, his three sons Bill (Joy), Rob (Diane), and Steven (Michelle), along with grandchildren, Susie, Andrew, Ben, Aviva, Aaron, Noah, Jesse, Anna, Jacob; sisters-in-law Marika (Chaim z”l) and Edith (Leslie), along with loving nieces and nephews Miki, Judit, Diane, Peter, Eddy, Vivian, and Tammy.
Memorial donations can be made to The Heart and Stroke Foundation: Donate Here
Message of Condolence