Susan Borst
August 1, 1958 - September 8, 2024
Susan J.Z. Borst, an extraordinary human and fountain of love, light and caring to everyone she met, passed away peacefully at her home in Centennial, CO, surrounded by family.
Born and educated in west Michigan, Susan lived her adult life in and around Denver, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC. as a Medical Social Worker and Educator. When she spoke about her work, it was often about time spent in rape and mental health crisis intervention, teaching English to international students and working with prison inmates to improve their anger management, communication and emotional intelligence skills. Susan was particularly proud of serving as faculty at Georgetown University and organizing Heritage Camps for those who had chosen international adoption to enrich their families.
Family camping trips across the U.S. and Canada when she was young inspired a love of travel and adventure. Whether scuba diving off the coast of South America or hiking in the Himalaya, Susan was curious and kind, always interested in the perspectives and cultures of those she met along the way.
Fiercely determined and strong willed, Susan fought for justice and equality not only for her Cambodian children but for all she saw as disenfranchised or discriminated against. In the face of fears, she protected her kids and believed in them and their future. She was welcoming, generous and compassionate toward friends old and new, always taking time to know people’s background and stories. Her empathy would keep her engaged in conversations when others had moved on.
She was supremely devoted to both her parents and her family. She served as her parents’ primary caregiver in their later years, overseeing their care as frailty advanced. She raised her children with passionate and tenacious love, determined that they maintain strong connections to their birth culture and their new family and identity in the US. Susan will be remembered by her many nieces, nephews, and cousins as someone who took a keen interest in them and who accepted them for who they are without reservations or conditions. Her children will remember her as a friend to all, full of life, sacrificial in putting others needs before her own and the best “Yaya” to her young grandchildren. She was not without contradictions and held those closest to her to high standards. Susan spent many years working on her own foibles and late in her life was able to realize the freedom, serenity, and resolution only available to those who dig deep to understand themselves in relation to the world.
Faced with small odds of beating a devastating cancer diagnosis, Susan immediately formed her own 5% Club, enlisting family, friends and caregivers to "Live Life with a Capital L" with her and work toward survival, despite those odds. In her last days, she could be found attending Cubs games with her brothers, scuba diving with giant whale sharks and manta rays at the Georgia Aquarium and exchanging reading recommendations with friends and family. She fought bravely to stay in this world with her beloved children and grandchildren; leaving them was her biggest heartache. Refusing to give up on life, she only began using her wedding silverware in her final days.
Susan is survived by her children, Mean Zuiderveen of Centennial, CO and Mea (Daniel) Postma and their children Rowan and Caoimhe of Rockford, MI, along with her partner in life, Mark Zuiderveen of Centennial, CO as well as her three brothers Steve, Scott, and Mike. A Celebration of Life will take place at Hudson Gardens in Denver, CO on October 5, 2024, following a service of Thanksgiving at St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church. Please contact the family if you plan to attend either event.
Susan’s Celebration of Life
Friday, October 5, 2024
Please contact the family for the time
Hudson Gardens
6115 S Santa Fe Dr.
Littleton, CO 80120
Donations
Chesed Life to provide spiritual counseling services to those in need at:
Chesed Life LLC
3006 S. Holly Place
Denver, CO 80022
Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation (NETRF)
31 St. James Ave. Suite 365
Boston, MA 02116
Southern Poverty Law Center, dedicated to racial justice and advancement of the human rights of all people