Tomorrow, Thursday, May 14, is a special day for resident Ferenc (Frank) Sikos.

He celebrates his 100th birthday.

As a special part of his celebration, a parade organized by Rural Metro and Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office will begin at 2 p.m. The public is invited to participate and wish Frank a happy 100th birthday. Those who join should be at Bainbridge Avenue and Fountain Hills Blvd. by 1:45 p.m. to line up.

Frank was born May 14, 1920, in Budapest, Hungary.

He served in the Hungarian Air Force from 1941 to 1945. In 1948, he married Terez.

In 1956, during the Hungarian revolution, the family decided to flee Hungary. In December that year, they got word that it was safe to cross the Hungarian border into Austria. In the middle of the night, Frank secretly took his family over the border with nothing but the clothes on their backs. They stayed in a church basement until their paperwork was processed so they could proceed to the United States.

They boarded a naval ship in Bremerhaven, Germany, and arrived in New York after 11 days at sea. They were taken to Camp Kilmer in New Jersey for processing. The family again lived in a church basement until Frank could get a job cutting hair to support his family.

In 1957, the Sikos family moved to Detroit, Mich., where he continued his barbering career.

The following year, Frank opened his own 10-chair barber shop at 8606 VanDyke, naming it “Junior’s.” The shop was located near General Motors, Chrysler and Ford, which kept him and his barbers busy. He hired several barbers to work in his shop cutting hair at $1 per cut.

Terez died in 1980. Frank remarried in 1981. He and Charlotte moved to Fountain Hills in 1984. Frank worked at Fort McDowell Casino for several years before finally retiring. After that, he and Charlotte have enjoyed traveling and exploring the area and spending time with family.

The family includes a younger brother, three daughters, a son, seven grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, three nephews and two great-nephews, and all their spouses. A number of family members live in Arizona so they are able to visit with them often.