Obituary of Elvira Gart

Elvira Theresia Gart (formerly Biddle, née Suratny), 81, died on January 20, in Denver, Colorado, after a brief but bravely fought battle with cancer. Elvira was born on June 19, 1934 in Metzling, Czechoslovakia (Czech Republic) to Josef and Helene Suratny (née Erhardt), the third of five children. Born into the war-torn region of Bohemia, many of Elvira’s earliest memories were of the impacts of World War II on her family. The Surtany family was a part of an enclave of ethnic Germans that lived in Sudentenland (the German name for the area in Czechoslovakia) for over 1,000 years. At the end of the war, in 1945, the returning Czechoslovakian government instituted a policy that all Germans were to be expelled from Czechoslovakia regardless of their political affiliations or religious beliefs. Elvira and her family, along with over 3 million other Germans, were removed from their homes and forced to leave their businesses. The family was put on a train to West Germany and was allowed to take only 50 pounds of their personal belongings with them. Elvira’s family settled in Wertheim am Main and this would become the hometown that she would hold dearly in her heart for the rest of her life. Elvira would often tell stories of her youth in her adopted home and she enjoyed many return visits over the years. She attended numerous “Wertheimer” reunions and delighted in keeping in contact with her schoolmates. Elvira held many interesting jobs in her young adult years. Her earliest career ambition was to be a stewardess on an international airline. To this end, she took a position as a nanny in England so that she could learn to speak English. While she never became a stewardess, her interest in travel and adventure never ceased. After her job in England, Elvira returned to Wertheim and worked at the local American Army base where she met her first husband. Elvira was married to Herb Biddle from 1959 to 1974. They had one child, Patricia (Patti) who was born in Wertheim. Six months after the birth of their daughter, the young family moved to the United States. During the time of her first marriage, Elvira lived in Maryland, Arkansas, California, Ohio, Missouri, Texas, and finally settled in the Denver area. After her divorce from Herb, she supported herself and her then teenage daughter with a minimum wage job at Burger King. She was known by the kids around the neighborhood as, “The Burger King Lady”. Although times were often difficult, Elvira’s generous spirit was never hampered. If a friend was down on their luck and needed a place to stay, they were always welcomed to a warm spot on her couch. After Patti moved out on her own, Elvira went to work as a bookkeeping clerk at Gart Brothers Sporting Goods. There she met the man who would become her second husband, Melvin Gart...and that was when the party really got started! She married Melvin in 1991 and he showed her a side of life about which she had previously only dreamed. Melvin and Elvira frequented many fine restaurants in the Denver area with favorites being the Quorum, the Normandy, and the Profile Room. They were also familiar faces at many benefit events around town. They enjoyed traveling the world with trips to Hong Kong, Hawaii, and many locations in Europe and the Caribbean. After Melvin’s death in 2007, Elvira continued to enjoy traveling, especially cruising with Crystal Cruises aboard the ship, the Symphony. She cruised to Norway, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, New England, the British Isles, and the Panama Canal. She celebrated her 80th birthday onboard the Symphony as she traveled solo to Iceland, Russia, and Northern Europe. Elvira is survived by her daughter Patti (Orth) and son-in-law Joe, of Longmont, Colorado and her brothers Werner and Josef Suratny, of Rochester, New York and Wertheim, Germany, respectively, and her sister Gertrude Suratny also of Wertheim, Germany. She is further survived by a niece (Verena), three nephews (Eric, Ralph, and Robin) and their families, and by many loving members of the Gart family. Not only did her husband Melvin precede her in death, so did her younger sister, Olga and her nephew, Walter. She was also predeceased by her beloved Pekingese, Stoopsie, who was to Elvira, the son she never had. Elvira leaves behind many adoring friends across the world. At Elvira’s request, cremation has taken place. A memorial service will be held on Monday, January 25, at 3:00 p.m. at the Feldman Mortuary Chapel, 1673 York Street, Denver, CO 80206. Her ashes will be inurned at Fairmont Cemetery and scattered at special places around the globe. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a contribution in her memory to Rocky Mountain PBS or the Denver Hospice. “Quit worrying and enjoy your life!” ~ The best advice she ever gave her daughter.