Nina Brown Kosik (1937-2017)
as remembered by Eric Jackson
Nina Brown Kosik, after a battle with cancer and a series of strokes, passed to the other side on May 6. A scathing critic she often was, but Nina Brown Kosik was a friend of and contributor to The Panama News, even if you never saw her byline. Way back when she made some financial contributions that kept us afloat through a difficult times. Until almost the end she kept up her support by sending news tips, links to stories and critiques of what was published here.
Nina and the editor first met at gatherings of the Panama Historical Society. She was one of the folks who knew and helped to preserve the history of the Canal Zone. She maintained an interest in Panama’s natural history as well. That legacy survives her and long will. Punch up her name in a Google advanced image search and you will see historical photos that she collected and passed on, or which others donated to the Panama Canal Museum about which she commented.
Nina was one of those proud — and should we say staunch — Zonians who didn’t fully assimilate into a life in Spanish or into the Panamanian culture, except that as much as many Zonians would never admit it, Canal Zone culture was a phenomenon largely shaped and influenced by Panama, its expressions and its mores. Nina was one of those individuals who maintained that strong American identity along with her Panamanian cedula, but never left in the mass exodus after the 1977 Panama Canal Treaties.
The following is an obituary that Nina’s daughter Laura Kosik wrote:
Kosik (Brown), Nina Marie, 79, Panama City, Panama, passed away on May 6th, 2017 in the land that she loved, Panama. Nina was born to John and Emma (Van Clief) Brown, on November 16th, 1937 in Colon, Panama and never left the country. She lived in Colon then moved to Red Tank, Pedro Miguel, and Gamboa in her childhood life. When she married August (Gus) Kosik, they were living in Rousseau then Cardenas where her children (Kyle and Laura) were born. Then she took her children to live in Ft. Clayton as she was a civilian working for the Army. She worked at the Civil Engineers for a few years in Corozal then retired out of Building 519 in Ft. Clayton. During this time, we moved to Panama City but when her children grew up and left the nest she remained in the City. Mom was a graduate of Balboa High School 1955 and was well loved by her classmates and many other Zonians. She loved her horses at the saddle club in Pedro Miguel, and loved bowling at the Balboa Bowling at least four nights a week.
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