Katha Diddel Sussman, 56, Of Greenwich, CEO, Katha Diddel Home Collection

Sussman was born Oct. 11, 1957, in New York City. She was a graduate of Brown University, 1979, and The Hotchkiss School, 1975, she also attended the Dalton School and Marymount in New York City. She 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 U.S. and European markets.

She was an athlete all her life, and was a world class triathlete in the last 10 years. She participated in her first triathlon in 1984 in Hong Kong.

Sussman is survived by her mother, Kathryn C. Diddel of Greenwich; husband, David Sussman; children, Paul, Thompson and Kiki Warren, Jane and Becky Sussman; brothers, Glenn Diddel (Dr. Roberta) of Houston, Texas, Scott Diddel (Suzanne Michaud) of Greenwich; sister, Heather Diddel (Sam House) of Delmar, N.Y.; and nieces and nephews. She 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 Road, Greenwich to celebrate Sussman's life.

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

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