Susan Anne (Olsen) Cook

Susan Anne (Olsen) Cook

January 7, 1960 – February 7, 2022

Susan Anne Cook, 62, passed away on February 7, 2022 at Gilchrist Hospice in Columbia, MD after battling cancer. Known as Susi to family and friends, she was born January 7, 1960 in Heidelberg, Germany to George and Brunhilde (Stuckert) Olsen. The second of four children, she remained very close with her siblings throughout her life.

As a child of a US Army father, Susan’s early years were filled with travel, living in White Sands, NM; El Paso, TX; Oxon Hill, MD; and Germany, eventually settling in Seabrook, MD where she went to Thomas Johnson Junior High School and DuVal Senior High School, graduating in 1978.  On arrival in Seabrook, MD in 1972, she formed many lifetime relationships, including one with a boy named James Edward Cook of Lanham, MD.  Over the next 15 years, their friendship grew and they eventually married on October 10,1987 in Seabrook, MD, not far from where they first met. They moved to Laurel, MD and then Odenton, MD, where Susan worked at the National Security Agency in computer operations and then records management until 2002.  She received a BS from University of Maryland and excelled in her career, being accepted into the leadership fellows program.  During this time, their family grew as they welcomed their first child, Alexandra, in January 1994 and their second, Jennifer, in November 2001.

Susan’s passion was gardening, and her home was constantly filled with flowers, plants and herbs of all kinds.  She enjoyed any time she could spend outdoors walking in the park, the woods, or on the beach, especially when it involved her daughters Lexi and Jenni.  When the girls were young, day trips on Saturday or Sundays were always a highlight for the family.  She was an enthusiastic photographer and wherever she went, her camera was constantly with her.  When at home, she also enjoyed cooking and baking, and the holidays always included plenty of variety, with enough leftovers for everyone.  Her talents at home weren’t limited to gardening and cooking – she was known as “the fixer,” always ready to take on a home repair.

Friends and family were always an important part of her life, and it was typical for her to send a text, a card or letter to mark a milestone, or to offer support in a time of need.  Pets were also important to her, especially the family cats, Barlow, Cari and Cassi.  But no relationship was more important to her than her daughters.  Her passions and talents will live on in her daughters, with Lexi carrying on her interest in archival work, family history and writing; and Jenni excelling at art, music, cooking and gardening.

Susan was preceded in death by her father, George Olsen; and mother-in-law, Phyllis Jean Cook.

She is survived by her husband James and daughters Alexandra and Jennifer of Glenelg, MD; mother Brunhilde “Bonnie” Olsen of Seabrook, MD; father-in-law John Cook of Columbia, MD; sister Danita Nicholls and husband George of Holland, NY; sister Karen Olsen of Seabrook, MD; and brother Robert Olsen also of Seabrook, MD; sister-in-law Laura Ann Moleski and husband, Walt, of Laurel, MD; and nieces Amanda (Nicholls) Estes, husband Paul and their daughters Melody and Zoey of Rochester, NY; Kaileen Nicholls of Rochester, NY; Gabrielle Moleski of Laurel, MD; and nephew Ryan Moleski also of Laurel, MD; and extended family in Germany, New Hampshire, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.

A Funeral Mass will be held at the Shrine of St. Anthony in Ellicott City, MD at 2:00 p.m. on February 28th.  The family will also hold a celebration of life at a later date for family and friends. Due notification and invitations will be provided in advance.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you make a charitable contribution in her memory to the Sydney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins Hospital; Gilchrist Hospice Center of Howard County, MD; or the Shrine of St Anthony in Ellicott City, MD.

Gilchrist Hospice - Columbia
6336 Cedar Lane, Columbia (Howard county) MD 21044
Web: https://www.gilchristcares.org

The Johns Hopkins Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center
750 East Pratt Street Suite 1700, Baltimore MD 21202
Tel: 1-410-361-6391
Email: kimmelgiving@jhmi.edu
Web: https://secure.jhu.edu/form/kimmel