Maryann To Kuss

Maryann To Kuss passed away peacefully at home on July 23rd 2024, after a short battle with cancer. Maryann was born on August 11th 1971, in Saigon, Vietnam. She was born into a country that was in the late stages of a terrible war. Her earliest memories were of the time after the communists had taken over South Vietnam. Due to his role in the army, her father was sent to a “re-education camp.” Maryann recalled a member of the communist party coming to their house telling her father that they needed his help. He would not return for 19 months. She remembered the strength of her mother who provided for the family and managed the family business during his absence. When he was finally released, he returned home to great celebration. The family, however, continued to face constant harassment from the communist party. When Maryann was 7, her family made plans to escape. They all boarded a boat with the hope of traveling to Hong Kong. Unfortunately, this effort ended in tragedy as the boat capsized before ever leaving port. While Maryann and her father survived, her mother and five sisters perished. Her last memory of her mother, oldest sister, and baby sister was seeing them in the water of the harbor in the dark of night as they were swept away from her. It was an image that would stay with her the rest of her life. Maryann had fortunately been able to grab onto a part of the boat and held on until she was rescued. Maryann and her father were able to finally escape on another boat, reaching the Philippines, where they were settled in a refugee camp. For two years, her father reached out to friends and family in the United States for help. Finally, they were connected with a woman who would become Maryann’s guardian angel and new mother, Shirley Meagher of Washington, Illinois. She agreed to sponsor them and they were able to immigrate to the United States on June 11th 1980. They both initially lived in Washington with Mrs. Meagher who generously welcomed them into her home. She would eventually become Maryann’s guardian and mother who supported her through all of her major milestones in life. She loved to refer to Maryann as her “bonus daughter,” and Maryann spent many years living with her as her father traveled around the country trying to decide where he wanted to settle and work. They developed a close and lasting bond that continued until Mrs. Meagher passed away at age 100 in 2023.

Maryann and her father would eventually settle in Bakersfield, California. Maryann attended Garces High School, where she would meet her future husband John Kuss, before attending the University of Notre Dame where she earned a degree in chemistry. She and John were blessed to have celebrated 32 wonderful years of marriage at the time of her death. They welcomed three children, Lynne, Lauren, and Haylee. Maryann’s greatest joy was being a wife and mother and she excelled at being the CEO of the Kuss family. She always made sure every family need was taken care of. This past year, with great emotion, John and Maryann took their youngest daughter to start college. While Maryann missed all her daughters dearly, she was so proud of them as they pursued their individual goals and dreams. Maryann and John had begun making plans for the future, travel goals and even future retirement plans. In the past few months, however, after a short illness, she was diagnosed with metastatic cancer. She met this diagnosis with her usual grace and strength. After initial treatment failed with continued complications, she made the decision to return home to spend her final days with her family. Thanks to the wonderful care from hospice, she passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by love. She will be missed desperately but her family takes comfort in knowing she is now in God’s house, surrounded by the embrace of both mothers that she loved so very much.

Maryann is survived by her husband, John Kuss, daughters Lynne Saucedo, Lauren Kuss, and Haylee Kuss and son-in-law Eric Saucedo. She is also survived by her stepmother Jin To, sister Jineava To and brother Vincent To.

She is pre-ceeded in death by her father Thoai To, mothers Linh To and Shirley Meagher, and sisters Trinh To, Chau To, Trang To, Bang To and Nhan To.

Services will be held on Thursday, August 1st at 10 AM at Saint Anne Roman Catholic Parish in Gilbert: 440 E Elliot Rd, Gilbert, AZ 85234. There will be a reception immediately following in the church hall.