Vilma Vojta

Vilma Vojta was born on August 31, 1921 in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia. She passed away on October 9, 2025 in Issaquah, Washington.

Vilma worked as a stenographer for the Foreign Office in Prague. After World War II she was assigned to be secretary to Juraj Slavik ,the Ambassador to the United States, from June 1946 to March 1948. A few days after the Communists took over the government of Czechoslovakia, Vilma resigned from her post. She then took various secretarial jobs while studying at George Washington University from which she earned a B.S. in Statistics.

While living in Washington D.C. Vilma met Vaclav Frank Vojta and they married in 1954. They were both nature lovers and yearned for a mountainous location where they could build a life. After driving across the country they discovered the Northwest and settled in Seattle. Vilma joined Boeing as a computer programmer and systems analyst and worked for Boeing for 29 years. She was part of the first computer division at Boeing and one of the few women.

Vilma was a champion volleyball player, an avid skier and hiker. She and her husband Vaclav ( Frank) regularly opened their home to friends and family for delicious meals and swimming on Lake Washington. They were known for their continued support of and advice to new immigrants to the area. After retirement they enjoyed traveling all over the world.

In 1993 Vilma was presented the Medal of the Righteous Among Nations in honor of her parents who hid three Jewish families including seven adults and five children for five months during the war. Vilma was 22 at the time. These three families lived with Vilma's family in a three bedroom apartment with one bathroom next to the bomb shelter entrance. Vilma was so reticent about her own life and achievements that few people knew about this stunning demonstration of family courage.

Vilma was a role model for her family. We were all blessed by her presence in our lives and she will be sorely missed.

Vilma is survived by Vaclav Ostatek (stepson) of Czech Republic, Kristina Limbeckova of Slovakia, Jana Bertkau, of Massachusetts, Patricia Svoboda of Washington D.C. (nieces), and Tomas Herrmann of Slovakia (nephew).