Susanne Mary Kohout

Age 92, on Sept. 11, 2016, of Severna Park and Bowie, MD. Beloved wife of deceased, John Kohout, devoted mother of Steven Kohout (deceased) (Kay), Peter (Lea) Kohout, Margie (Marc) Connelly, Susanna (Andrew) Metz, David Kohout, and Michael (Tammy) Kohout. Also survived by sisters-in-law Jean Hermes, Pat Ryan, and Marika Ujvari, and brother-in-law Bernard (Francine) Kohout. She will be missed by 16 grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren, and one great, great grandchild, as well as many nieces and nephews. Friends may call on Friday, Sept 16, from 6-8 pm at the Robert E. Evans Funeral Home, Rt. 450 & Racetrack Rd., Bowie, MD. A Saturday service will be offered at the funeral home at 10 am followed by interment at Lakemont Memorial Gardens, Davidsonville, MD. A friends and family gathering to follow.

We mourn the loss of a wonderfully kind and sweet woman, our mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, Zsuzsanna Maria Ujvari was born May 17, 1924, in Esztergom, Hungary, the first-born daughter of Eszter and Istvan Ujvari. She was the oldest of three children with a sister Eva and brother Bandi. Before World War II, she became a school teacher, but the war changed and uprooted lives. Before the Russians occupied Hungary towards the end of the war, Zsuzsanna's parents sent her and her sister to safer environs in Bavaria, Germany. Mom spoke of tremendous hardships including sleeping in a train car so cold that her hair froze to the floor of the car. She recalled being strafed with machine gun fire from the Allies while she and her sister picked strawberries. But the war also brought her a young American soldier who was lonely and was invited by her host family to join them in some card games. Jack Kohout and Susie fell in love, and before he left, he promised to send for her upon his return to Iowa.

As a war bride, she bid good-bye to her parents, her sister and brother, and ventured into an unknown land barely knowing a few words of English. She was welcomed to America by Jack and his large family. Her in-laws, Mary and Tom Kohout, joined Jack’s four brothers and four sisters in embracing this shy young woman. She never saw her father again, for he died suddenly before she had a chance to return home. It was eighteen years before she could visit Hungary and the family she left behind. Susie and Jack were thrilled that her younger brother Bandi eventually escaped from behind the Iron Curtain and immigrated to America bringing a young woman Marika who would eventually become his wife.

Jack and Susie settled in Iowa where Jack attended college in Ames, Iowa, on the GI Bill, and Susie had the first three of six children, Steve, Pete, and Margie. Jack graduated and began teaching in Calmar, Iowa, where she had two more children, Susie and Dave. She made close, lifelong friends, in that small Iowa community. As a mathematics teacher, Jack learned about an opportunity to work at the new National Aeronautics Space Administration in Greenbelt, Maryland. They pulled up roots and moved to Maryland at the urging of Jack’s older brother, Bud and his wife Francine. Jack taught high school in Rockville, MD, and Susie had their sixth child, Michael. It took a long while until Jack received security clearance with a Hungarian wife, but eventually he got the dream job he was looking for, and they found their dream home in a new community, Belair at Bowie.

With a new home and six children, life was always busy for Susie; their home was the home that everybody played at, and, as the children grew older, she and Jack welcomed any of their children’s friends that needed a hand up, a warm meal, or even a comfortable bed. Susie was loved by all because she loved everyone. She cooked and cleaned and kept a lovely home, but most of all, she made everyone feel at home. She touched the lives of many teenagers and young adults. She believed that potential and goodness was in everyone.

When Jack took a medical retirement, they started a new adventure in Severna Park. They purchased and renovated a home on the Severn River, and again their home became the gathering place. Their grown children and their families visited often and enjoyed many crab feasts, boat rides and Christmases at the Severna Park house. The multi-storied house was terraced to the waterfront, and keeping it up was a challenge that they enjoyed. They were generous in helping their children whenever it was needed-- whether it was helping with a down payment on a home, or with college tuition, or babysitting or even welcoming them back home if they needed a place. Their generosity of spirit was amazing and inspiring. Christmas was a favorite memory with a huge family room so full of presents that the children could hardly believe their eyes. Wonderful holiday meals of her Hungarian specialties and Iowa recipes filled the multiple tables. She always honored special requests for birthdays and holidays.

Eventually, the waterfront home proved a hardship to maintain, and Jack and Susie moved back to Bowie to their final dream home. The beautiful garden was Jack’s domain, and Susie created a beautiful home. Many a birthday, anniversary, and Christmas was celebrated there with a growing number of grandchildren and great grandchildren. Summertime was always a favorite time because it meant family picnics with the grandchildren enjoying the pool.

In their later years, Susie and Jack enjoyed traveling and visiting their brothers and sisters and their families. They enjoyed their many nieces and nephews and traveled to Iowa, Colorado, Texas, and Hungary. They were avid bridge players. Susie was able to visit her sister Eva and her family and bring them to America for visits. (In the early sixties, she was able to bring her mother to America for a year-long visit where she could meet and get to know Susie’s husband and children.) When Jack had a massive stroke in 1999, Susie was by his side every step of the way. Her love and devotion to him was so evident and never a chore for her. Susie made a new friend in Carol Baker who was Jack’s caregiver and eventually became her's as Alzheimer’s slowly and steadily set in.

Now it was time for others to care for her. First her son David, and then her son Pete took care of her day to day needs as the disease progressed. Her daughter Susie, took over the finances for her and made many a trip to the doctors with Carol. Her children and grandchildren visited and held her hand. Her great grandchildren sat on her lap, for even to the very end, Susie loved babies. In the end, it was one of the only things that she responded to. Because of her good care, Susie was able to remain in her own home until the day she died.

The life of Susanne Kohout was an example. She was love.

Now she joins Jack in happiness. She hugs her oldest son, Steve, and her father and mother, brother, and sister. She is free from disease and pain and is her true self again. She undoubtedly will watch over us again, caring for us again, loving us and showing us what to do.

Susie leaves behind many loved ones:

Her son Steve’s family including his wife, Kay, and their four children, Nick and his wife Chris, their boys Austin and Jack, Paul and his wife Jessie, and their boys Will and Jonathon, their daughter Stephanie and her wife, Nicola, their son Andrew and his wife Rachel and their two daughters, Eliza and Florence.

Her son, Pete and his wife, Lea, and his family including son Matt and his wife Brenda, Pete’s grandchildren Natalie and Eva, his son Danny, his daughter Luci and her husband Sam and their children, Tripp and Alaska, and his daughter Marika.

Her daughter, Margie, and her husband Marc, and their children, Chris and his children Reilly, Keenan, and Eric, and Reilly’s son Caiden. Their daughter, Carrie, and her husband, Michael and their daughter Sulli.

Her daughter Susie, and her husband Andy, and their children Sam and Katie.

Their son Dave

Their son Mike and his wife Tammy and their four children: Justin and his wife Tiffany, and their daughters Olivia and Charlotte, Shane and his wife Arden and their daughter Margo, their son Travis and his wife, Jessie. Their daughter Kristin.

Her caregiver and dear friend, Carol Baker, and her husband Dennis

Her sister in law Marika, and her children and grandchildren

Her brother and and sister in law, Bud and Francine and their daughter and her family

Her sister in law Pat Ryan and her children and families.

Her sister in law Jean Hermes and her children and families.

The children and families of Jack’s brother’s Tom and Jack's sister Margaret.

Her nephew and niece in Hungary, Laci and Eva and their families.

and ALL who knew and loved her.