Ari William Kohut

For two hours, his mother, Amy, watched the tiniest and most perfect combination of Ari’s father, Eric, and her live. He lived. His little heart kept beating, and he did not suffer. Amy studied all his tiny, tiny, features while he was alive. He lived, if only for a short time. He lived.

Ari means lion in Hebrew, and it is also a combination of Amy and Eric’s names. He was their little lion. William, Ari’s middle name, was chosen to honor Eric’s beloved uncle, of blessed memory. They had so many plans.

Ari had his Mom’s hands and long fingers. His feet were big, like his Dad’s, with long toes, like his Mom’s. He had strong Thompson thighs and broad shoulders, and what looked to be the beginning of his Mom’s bow legs from his knees down to his big feet.

His face. Ari had his Dad’s jawline and the beginnings of the Kohut chin. He had the same tiny line indented on the end of his nose, like his Dad. Ari had the beginning of eyelashes and eyebrows. He had an oval shaped face, and that was his Mom’s. His skin was very soft. He was absolutely perfect.

Ari’s Dad is currently serving in the United States Navy and could not leave his command to meet Ari. Eric sent a beautiful voice recording for his son to hear while he was still alive. Ari listened very carefully. Ari’s Mom told him about all his ancestors, family friends, and family dogs to go find. Ari listened very carefully. At some point, surrounded by love, Ari left this world in an MH-60 Romeo Seahawk helicopter.

Ari will be buried at Eden Memorial Park, the same Jewish cemetery where one branch of his Mom’s Ukrainian family is buried. His little body will go back to the earth, and he is surrounded by some of his ancestors - who lived. They lived because Ari’s Great-Great-Grandmother, Zelda Brenner, of blessed memory, hid under a log for three days in Ukraine before immigrating to the United States before World War One. She was strong. Zelda, and all of Ari’s predeceased relatives, will protect our little lion.

Ari is survived by his mother, Amy Kohut, and his father, Eric Kohut; his paternal grandparents, Martha and John Kohut; his maternal grandparents, Lynn Bienenfeld and Michael Krakower; his paternal aunt and uncle, Kristyn and Marco Molina; and his maternal aunt, Andrea Krakower. He is predeceased by his Bernese Mountain Dog brother, Roark. He is survived by all those who came before him to make his short time with us possible. We, and so many others, will miss Ari forever, and he will always be in our hearts.

The Little Ship

I stood watching as the little ship sailed out to sea.

The setting sun tinted his white sails with a golden light, and as he disappeared from sight, a voice at my side whispered, "He is gone."

But the sea was a narrow one.

On the farther shore a little band of friends had gathered to watch and wait in happy expectation.

Suddenly they caught sight of the tiny sail and, at the very moment when my companion had whispered, "He is gone" a glad shout went up in joyous welcome,

"Here he comes!"

-Unknown