Katha Diddel Sussman, 56; Triathlete, Business Executive

Katha Diddel Sussman, died at home in Greenwich, on Tuesday, March 25, 2014, from lung cancer. She was 56.

She was born in New York City, Oct. 11, 1957.

A graduate of Brown University, 1979, and The Hotchkiss School, 1975, Mrs. Sussman also attended the Dalton School and Marymount in New York City. She traveled extensively around the world, and was the ambassador to the Chinese Olympic team in 1980. In the same year, she founded and served as the Chief Executive Officer of Katha Diddel Home Collection, a company she began while she was living in China and which specializes in the design, import and export of handmade home furnishings and accessories to the US and European markets.

She was a talented competitive athlete all her life, and became a celebrated world class triathlete in the last 10 years. She participated in her first triathlon in 1984 in Hong Kong, where she was living and working at the time. She subsequently focused her time on raising her three adored children, building her business, and volunteering for a number of charitable organizations.

Mrs. Sussman began her rise to national ranking in triathlon competitions in 2007 Her crowning achievement was representing the US in the 2012 World Triathlon Championships in New Zealand, while undergoing cancer treatment. Prior to that, she completed an Iron Man Triathlon as well as the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon three times. She was also named to the Triathlon All- American team, ran the 2012 Boston Marathon and the NYC Marathon twice. Katha "podiumed" in almost every competition she entered.

She was the wife of David Sussman, and mother of Paul, Thompson and Kiki Warren, step-mother of Jane and Becky Sussman.

She also is survived by her mother Kathryn C. Diddel of Greenwich; her two brothers, Glenn Diddel (Dr. Roberta) of Houston, TX, Scott Diddel (Suzanne Michaud) of Greenwich; her sister Heather Diddel (Sam House) of Delmar, NY; nieces and nephews Gregory, Andrew and Matthew Diddel, and Emily and Nate Diddel House. Katha was predeceased by her father Andrew G. Diddel II.

A service will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, March 28 at Stanwich Congregational Church, 202 Taconic Rd., Greenwich.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Katha Diddel & Warren Family Fund for Genome Research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, http://mskcc.convio.net/site/TR?pg=fund&;fr_id=1590&pxfid=33493.