Susan Kay Kokott

Every so often, the Lord takes a young person to Heaven that just makes you wonder if the people on the other side needed a soul with a high fun factor and a wild sense of humor to shake things up a bit. That’s certainly the case with Susan Kay Kokott, 56, a wonderful mother, sister, and friend who was finally reunited with her husband John Kokott in heaven on February 10, 2012, after battling cancer for two long years.

It’s hard not to crack a smile when thinking about Susan, even in this time of intense sorrow. She was a natural born talker, chatting up anyone and everyone, often times to the embarrassment of her children. She loved to be surrounded by her friends and family and was always the first to volunteer to host a party, house guests, or provide delicious food…any excuse to justify deep cleaning her ceiling fans, power washing the deck, or eating massive amounts of baked brie.

Born Susan Kay Standley, the second oldest of ten children, Susan liked to think of herself as the favorite, but alas, realized she had a BIG mouth and couldn't keep a secret. Her mom and dad (Jack and Anne Standley) DID like her, just told her frequently, "Loose lips sink ships”. Susan, on the other hand thought she was the keeper of secrets, though we all know she couldn’t help but spoil a surprise.

Sue met her soulmate, John Kokott, in 1977 and it wasn’t long before they were married. It began as a blind date where John covered the peephole on the door so she couldn’t look out and turn him away if he wasn’t cute enough. Thankfully, John’s fears were ridiculous (he was a handsome guy, afterall) and the couple instantly fell in love, marrying just five short months later and pregnant with their first child one month after the wedding. Susan always said that John was her rock and she was the kite.

Susan’s lively spirit, sarcastic sense of humor, and breathtaking good looks will live on in her children, Allison (32), Katie (30), Lauren (29), Jonny (27), and Aisling (16) and her grandchildren, Arleigh (23 months), and baby to be due August 2012 (which Susie already claims is a boy and has dubbed him “Pipp” though that will NOT be the name and the gender is still unknown!).

Blessed with the ability to see the silly side of life, Susan’s goofiness kept those around her a little more light-hearted than they would have been without her. Susan always said “If it weren’t for bad luck, I wouldn’t have any luck at all”. Even with that cynical outlook, she still fought on through all her hardships. After her initial cancer diagnosis in December 2009, Susan never fully believed she was sick. The day after her thoracotomy and lobectomy (which would have completely sidelined the average person) Susan was up and about her hospital room, flipping the mattress, straightening her personal belongings, and doing her hair and makeup. After fully healing from her major surgery, she continued working out four times a week with a trainer, tackling huge projects around the house, and traveling to Washington, Florida, Chicago, and Wisconsin. Up until January 2012, Susan often said she didn’t believe she had cancer because she was pain free and wasn’t experiencing many symptoms. Her own children even questioned her terminal diagnosis because of how much energy she still had.

After her husband John died in 1998, Sue’s energy never dampened. She wore many hats-website designer for her own company Emagine Interactive, a baker at Three Dog Bakery, a corporate employee for Wells Fargo, a wannabe farmer at Coyote Run Farm, a teacher’s aide for special needs kids at Westridge, a childcare provider at her very own in-home daycare, a volunteer at Hospice House, a supporter of Smile Train, a leader for Weight Watchers, and a member of the Livestrong Program. Although seemingly restless, after finding her personal notes for this obituary we realized she did accomplish her life’s purpose. “Thinking of it, I did accomplish all those things that I had my heart set out upon doing. Having children. I wanted to be a mom. That was my number one goal. I helped to raise over sixty children (via foster care) and loved most of them”

Susan will be fondly remembered and sadly missed by her siblings and their families: Tom and Anne Marie Progin (Washington); Mike and Nancy Standley (Iowa); Craig and Debbie Morgan (Iowa); Pat Standley and Matt Russell (Iowa); Kaydee McCabe (Iowa); Tim and Beverly Golightly (Iowa); Johnny Standley (Illinois); Danny and Stephanie Cubero (Colorado); and Stephen Standley (Wisconsin). The Kokott family would like to make a special mention to Iowa Hospice who provided her hospice care from September 2011 through February 2012. Her nurse, her CNA, the chaplains, the massage therapist, the music therapist, her doctor, the social worker, the on call nurses-every single one of them loved Susan and helped her through the hardest journey of her life. When hospice arrived after her death, there was not a dry eye in the house. Susan was not just a patient to them-she was a mother, friend, and fighter. The Kokott family was blessed to have found such a compassionate organization to take care of their mom and to support their family through all of this.

The family is holding a small private service on February 18, 2012 and will be scattering John and Susan’s ashes in Lake Geneva and the Atlantic Ocean off the Florida coast. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made directly to the family or sent to the funeral home on their behalf.

Susan’s kids are blessed to know that they now have two guardian angels watching over them, guiding them, and protecting them. How many people can say that?

Online condolences may be expressed at www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com.

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