Suzanne Szozda

Suzanne (Perotin) Szozda, 96, joined her loving husband, John, on their next adventure on March 23, 2024. Suzanne was born in Warmeriville, France in 1927. At age nine, after her mother had passed, she assumed the duties of helping her father and grandmother, 79 at the time, raise her five brothers and sisters. Her younger siblings called her “Little Mother.” This started her life-long devotion to family. She raised seven children, who in turn are raising families of their own. She is survived by John (Rebecca) Szozda; Jeri (Rick) deGroff; Kathie (Jim) Koenigseker; Frank (Darla) Szozda; Tim (Lila) Szozda; Chris (Rick) Amstel and Lisa (Tony) Santos, 21 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren, sisters Marie-Madeleine Randoulet, Marcelle Servais and brother, Michel Perotin.

Suzanne was 11 when Germany invaded France during World War II. She remembered fleeing the Nazis on the family’s 180-mile march south to Orleans. The family was fortunate to have a horse-drawn wagon to carry supplies and take turns riding.

Suzanne met the love of her life in 1945, Sgt. John Szozda. He was stationed near her village after sustaining injuries when his tank hit a daisy-chain mine. He spoke only English; she spoke only French, but they fell in love while talking on her front porch. When the war ended, he asked her to marry him and move to Toledo. She told him to come back in four years when she could pass the family duties to her sister, Marcelle, when she turned 14. Suzanne and John were married in her village in 1949. Marcelle recalled the wedding in a letter she sent for John and Suzanne’s 50th wedding anniversary. She wrote, “The vicar, in his sermon, said, ‘John, don’t forget you are taking a treasure back to America with you.’”

When John returned alone to Toledo after the wedding, he sent for Suzanne after earning enough for her fare. Suzanne joined him some months later, crossing the Atlantic on a passenger ship.
She was, as the vicar predicted, a treasure to our family. She enriched us all with her guidance, love and encouragement. Her devotion to family and her creativity remains an inspiration to her children and is being handed down to their children.

Suzanne was a member of Christ the King Catholic Church. She used the lessons she learned from raising her brothers and sisters to raising her new American family. She knew how to cook, bake, sew and knit. She made afghans, quilts and clothes, particularly sweaters, caps and mittens for her children and later for the poor. She loved to bake bread and her chocolate chip cookies were treasured by her grandchildren. She was proud of the kielbasa she made for Easter and goulash for Halloween.

She also loved to play Scrabble, Dominoes and Rummy and fish at the family cabin Up North.
Suzanne is preceded in death by her parents, Vital and Eugenie, two brothers, Roger and Maurice, and the love of her life, John.

The family requests memorial donations to The Cherry Street Mission or the Salvation Army. The family also thanks the caring nursing staff at Toledo Hospital.

Visitation will be Tuesday, March 26, 2024, from 3- 8pm at Ansberg-West Funeral Home, 3000 W. Sylvania Ave. Funeral services will be at Christ the King Catholic Church, 4100 Harvest Lane on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, at 11 am. Interment will follow at Calvary Cemetery.