Just two months after her artwork was featured at Gosford Regional Gallery, Susan Zsuzsi Marrable (nee Iklody-Szabo) has died at the age of 93.
Born in Budapest, Hungary, on January 21, 1930, she grew up on the shores of Lake Balaton at Alsoors where her father, Jonas Iklody-Zsabo, was a well-respected senator and landowner.
As a child she loved drawing and painting and throughout her life she was attracted especially to landscapes of places where she’d travelled.
In January this year, her Life in Art exhibition was held at Gosford Regional Gallery.
Her father Jonas died suddenly in 1943, and her life was further disrupted in 1944 with the Russian occupation of Hungary.
Aged just 14, Susan escaped with her mother Elizabeth to her mother’s family in Ravensburg, Germany, until the end of WWII.
They then migrated to England where Susan trained as a nurse and met her future husband, Harvey.
As a young couple with their firstborn, Chris, they travelled to Fiji where Harvey worked as a doctor.
Their children Mark and Andrea were born there.
After returning to England, the family migrated to Australia in 1960 as 10-pound Poms.
Their fourth child Simon was born and the family settled permanently on the Central Coast.
Susan and Harvey travelled far and wide overseas, and toured Australia in Trusty, their Toyota van, long before the Grey Nomad was a thing.
Susan was a highly regarded community nurse for many years.
An avid reader, her passions included painting, cooking, travel, camping, music and theatre.
She had a full and varied life until she died peacefully in her sleep at home in Bateau Bay on March 17, 2023.
She is survived by her four children, six grandchildren and one great-grandson.
Susan’s memorial service and burial will be held on Friday, March 31, at Lake Macquarie Memorial Park at 1pm (details on their website), followed by a wake at Toronto Yacht Club.
Source:
Media release, Mar 22
The Marrable family