Zsuzsanna Torda-Brandreth

Zsuzsanna (Zsuzsi) Ilona Torda-Brandreth, of Greenwood Village, CO, passed away unexpectedly on November 1, 2022. She was only 59 years old. The family is both devastated and shocked by her death. Zsuzsi was born on March 16, 1963, in Budapest, Hungary to Dr. Péter Torda and Zsuzsanna (Keszthelyi) Torda.

Zsuzsi graduated with a Masters Degree from the Budapest Business School in Budapest, Hungary in 1984. Zsuzsi also held a degree in Italian language studies from the University of Sienna in Sienna, Italy, and an MBA from the Open Business School of Budapest, Budapest, Hungary.  She was fluent in Hungarian, English, Italian, and German, and proficient in Russian. She was currently studying Spanish.

Over the course of her life, she worked in various areas of Human Resources where she met her husband Gary in Budapest, Hungary in 1996. Zsuzsi was married to Gary July 7th,  2001 in Budapest, Hungary.  Zsuzsi lived in Budapest, Hungary, London, UK and Colorado, USA.

Zsuzsi most recently worked as a para-educator at Challenge Middle School in Aurora, Colorado where her younger son, Aedan, attends the 8th grade.

Zsuzsi moved to the United States in 2018 and became a US Citizen in June of 2022.  She was a dual national with both Hungarian and U.S. citizenship. Zsuzsi was deeply proud of her Hungarian heritage.  Zsuzsi started her own business preparing Hungarian delicacies such as Bejgli (Hungarian nut rolls) and Linzer Karika (Hungarian cookies).  Zsuzsi sold and shipped these nationally during the Christmas season.  She was known in the United States Naval Academy  (USNA)Parents Club and soccer circles for her Palacsinta (Hungarian Crepes) filled with fruit jelly, chocolate, or Nutella. Anyone who had an opportunity to meet Zsuzsi would most likely receive a gift of European chocolate or Hungarian smoked paprika powder.

Zsuzsi’s main focus and interest was being a devoted mother to her two boys, Garret (20) and Aedan (13) and a wife to her husband, Gary. She was very active in the USNA Parents Club of Colorado/Wyoming. She was an extremely proud of her son, Garret, who is a member of the U.S. Naval Academy class of 2024.  In addition, Zsuzsi was equally proud and involved in the Colorado Rapids Soccer Club as team Treasurer of Aedan’s U14 2009 Boys ECNL team.

Zsuzsi had an immense capacity for serving and helping others, always looking to help whomever she could. This characteristic defined who she was.

Zsuzsi is predeceased by her father, Dr. Péter Torda and mother, Dr. Torda Péterné. She leaves behind two sons, Garret and Aedan, and husband Gary. She is survived by her brother, Péter Torda, wife Andrea, and their two children, Viktória and Péter of Budapest, Hungary, her mother-in-law Suzanne Brandreth of Aurora, CO, her brother-in-law Dr. David Brandreth and wife Karen of Flint, Michigan.

Services are being held for Zsuzsi on Saturday, November 12, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. at Our Father Lutheran Church, 6335 S Holly St, Centennial, CO 80121. Interment will be private in Flat Rock, Michigan, on November 19th.