Milana Carlson (Sukany)

Milana Josephine (Sukany) Carlson, 93, died February 25, 2021, in Highlands Ranch, Colorado.  A memorial service honoring her life will be held later in 2021.

Milana was born January 16, 1928, in Flint, Michigan, to Frank and Josephine (Durdak) Sukany and with her twin, Miranda, was the oldest of five brothers and sisters. She grew up on the north side of Flint in an extended family of Czech cousins, learned English as her second language, was active in the Sokol International gymnastics and the ZCBJ Lodge Nova Cechie, and graduated from Flint Northern High School and Flint Junior College. She met and married her husband Boyd Carlson in Flint, raised five wonderful daughters beginning in Flint and later in Bloomfield Hills, enjoyed a fulfilling career in medical transcription in a period when career-women were rare, and in retirement built a wonderful lake house with Boyd in Indian River. While she was a trailblazer for her commitment to her work in medical transcription, she will be forever remembered as the ever-loving wife of Boyd and the nurturing mother of “The Fab Five”--daughters Patricia, Jennifer, Camille, Erica and Gwen--and the two generations that followed of eleven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren she had the delight of loving.

Always surrounded by a large family and by friends she cared about as though each were family, she was the consummate host who made the art of fun gatherings look simple, and no family gathering was complete until Milana grabbed her camera and memorialized her pride in her family.  Milana always kept her hands busy crafting, crocheting, knitting, and sewing, and often made these beautiful items in the service of community organizations such as the hospital guild.  She was an avid reader and family correspondent, and an active member of her local Lutheran church communities, Beautiful Savior of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and St. Thomas Lutheran of Cheboygan, Michigan.

Milana had an admirable, resilient spirit with an aura of joy about her, always ready to lend a hand, and be a voice of sympathy and support.  Even as old age set in, she was still the woman who could warm up a room with her regal presence, easy smile, and a late-blossoming innocent mischievous streak.

She now rests in peace with her predeceased and ever-loving husband, Boyd Carlson, and her eldest daughter, Patricia (Carlson) Aiello, along with siblings Thomas and Frank, brother-in-law Gerald Lockhart, in-laws Ernst and Barbara (Carlson) Kuhn and granddaughter Abigail Dromgoole.  She is survived by children Jennifer Carlson, Camille (David) Johnson, Erica (Timothy) Dromgoole, Gwen (David) Scott, and son-in-law Peter Aiello; siblings Miranda Lockhart and Josephine (Daniel) Elliott, and sisters-in-law Joanne Sukany and Pamela Sukany  and their families, who will all miss her dearly.

In lieu of flowers and in honor of her life, donations may be given to the Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit; Mom really missed Pat.  (https://www.karmanos.org/karmanos-foundation/karmanos-foundation)  Mom also relished her life in Cheboygan, so donations may also be shared with the St. Thomas Lutheran Church of Cheboygan Food Pantry (https://www.stthomas-elca.org/give.html).