Elementary teacher, mother of three, crafter, good friend, and an alto and volunteer with SGC’s Dementia-friendly Evanston Choir
Sounds Good Choir “has been a salvation for me,” says Suzanne Cohen. “It is such a positive experience for me to be able to sing again. And I have a whole new group of friends.”
After singing for two seasons with Sounds Good in Evanston, Suzanne was among the first to sign on as a volunteer when Sandy and Jonathan Miller brought the Good Memories Choir to Evanston for people with early-stage memory loss and their care partners. Like many of her fellow volunteers, Suzanne feels a bond with people who are dealing with dementia. Her father was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease in 1966, and as a young mom, Suzanne helped her mother manage his care, first at home and then in a long-term care facility. Back then she observed that singing can be therapeutic for people with dementia—something that is now well understood and documented by research and clinical studies.
“My father had a wonderful voice,” she recalls. “When I went to visit him, I would bring a radio, and he would sing along. It’s as if he came alive when he heard the music. I recognized then that song was the last thing he had. So, when I heard about Good Memories, I knew I wanted to be involved. It becomes very special, to see people light up and build trust with us.”
The empathy that Suzanne shares with Good Memories singers is a trait that many of her kindergarten and first-grade students experienced during her 30-year teaching career in Evanston and Skokie. A note she recently received from one of those students demonstrates the impact that one great teacher can have on a child: “Even as a little boy, I knew that our special connection was a powerful agent of healing and growth. Although I wouldn’t articulate that until years later, I’ve always felt a strong impulse to ‘do for others what Mrs. Cohen did for me.’ And that’s how I’ve grown up to become a therapist. I get to channel your empathy every day.”
Prior to becoming a teacher, Suzanne spent 14 years as a full-time mom for her daughter and two sons. It was during that time that she took up crafting, a pursuit she returned to later in life. “I’m not an artist, I’m a crafter,” she asserts—something that those who’ve seen her work might dispute. In retirement, she launched a small business selling three-dimensional pictures created from greeting cards enhanced with precision cutting, using tiny, sharp scissors. Her business endeavor came to an end when the store where she sourced the cards closed. But she had sold enough pictures at holiday bazaars and craft shows to buy a new dining room set. She kept 17 pictures for her personal collection.
Another artistic pursuit was inspired by a sad occasion, the sudden death in 2016 of Alden, her husband of 55 years. “He was a colorful guy—very creative—and he wore colorful ties,” Suzanne recalls. She decided to use the ties to create keepsake pillows for her children and grandchildren. She designed a pinwheel pattern and took it to a local couturier, who created a prototype.
“It was just what I wanted, so I asked him if he would make 16 more,” she says. At the end of the engagement, he presented Suzanne with a pillow that he had made especially for her using pieces from each of the ties, saying, “I did this for you because I can see how much you loved him.”
The pillow project helped Suzanne manage her grief. “The best thing about it is it kept me busy for six months, and my mind was occupied with that, rather than feeling sorry for myself. Every week I picked up a new pillow, and each was better than the one before.”
Joining Sounds Good was another step forward in working through her grief—one that produced a benefit she could not have predicted. Using what she laughingly describes as “a perfect pickup line,” another singer approached Suzanne after a rehearsal and said, “Don’t I know you from somewhere?” And that is how Suzanne became reacquainted with Irv Miller, whom she first met in 1975, when they both sang in the choir at Beth Emet Synagogue in Evanston. Irv had recently lost his wife of 55 years. He invited Suzanne to get reacquainted over coffee, and these two old friends became new friends.
“And here we are, three years later, enjoying each other’s company, sharing this unexpected partnership,” Suzanne said. She treasures a poem that Irv wrote as a testament to their new friendship.
Together
we breakfast
together
read the paper
together
talk of
what was
your life
my life
your husband
my wife
this is
what is
we are
together
we are
content
we are
surprised
who knew?
Suzanne Cohen created this 3-dimensional picture of a Hamsa, an ancient Middle Eastern symbol that is regarded in all faiths as a protective talisman bringing good fortune, health and happiness. It also protects its owner from all evil forces.
I met Susan Cohen at our Sin-a long “c=Coffee Hour”which was created during the Pandemic. It was such an delight. She is a fascinating and delightful woman. I am so honored having met Susan. I miss her and delighted read about her. Also, she showed her creations and I was totally awed!