Brenda R. Neuss, of Manilus, NY, passed away on February 27, 2020, at Crouse Hospital in Syracuse.  She was born in Plainfield, NJ, raised in Westfield, and resided in Syracuse, NY since 1968.  She was a graduate of Syracuse University receiving her BS in Education in 1972 and her MS in Reading Education in 1976.  She was employed by and retired from Dewitt Central Schools in Jamesville, NY.

Brenda was predeceased by her brother-in-law, Charles Mitchell.

She is survived by her sister, Sandy Mitchell; her nephews, Brent Mitchell and his wife, Jenny Hopp, of MD and Jonathan Halterman-Mitchell and his wife, Nicki, of VA; great nephews, Noah and Isaac Halterman-Mitchell, and Jacob ("Jake") Mitchell; and many friends.

Brenda was a producer.  Not the star on stage.   She made things happen.   She made shows happen.   She loved children, and she was a dedicated teacher.   But she retired early to throw herself into theater.   She wanted her passion, and she got what she wanted.

She ran shows.  Professional shows with Talent Company.  Student shows for J.D. High School.  She took care of details.  From auditions to tickets to the spot-lit performances, she loved dramas and songs.  She loved the people who made them.

Her home has a hallway of framed posters from the shows that she had helped put on.  Broadway has a little tribe of directors, choreographers and actors who she put up in her home.  Her guest room was another tool to help put on a show.

Brenda was a good listener.  You only listen that way if you truly care about people.

She cared.   She started out six years behind her sister, but grew into such a companion that they turned into twins.  She loved her family, her brother-in-law, her nephews, and the great-nephews who gripped her like a grandparent.

She cared about other stuff too.  She always had a convertible.   Sometimes, she aimed it at Las Vegas and gambling.  Sometimes, she filled the trunk with shopping bags.   The clothes.  The cool jewelry.

She filled her memory with names, places, and the stars and songs from Broadway shows.  A memory like an elephant.  She remembered people with gifts.  The dish towel with G-clefs that was perfect for you.   The beaded kitchenware that she gave to everyone.

Brenda chose Syracuse.  She came for college, but she made her life there.  She relished the cold.  No heavy socks.  No bundling up.  She bragged when the winter snow total crossed 75 inches.  She bragged about Wegmans to folks who didn't have them.  She loved Danny Wegman.  (He was unaware.)

She chose the 'Cuse as well.  Orange basketball.  At the Dome, but mostly at homes with friends.   Friends who didn't mind that she screamed at televisions.  "Come on guys!  What's wrong with you?"

They say "Everybody needs a Brenda."   To Container Store your home.  To help you move. To suggest the right place to put the couch.  To support you when the worst things happened.  To celebrate with you when you win the game.

They say "Everybody loves Brenda."

And they're right.

Graveside services will be held at 1 PM Sunday, March 1, 2020, at Beth Israel Cemetery, Woodbridge, NJ.  Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Flynn and Son Funeral Home, 23 Ford Ave., Fords, NJ.

Donations in Brenda's name may be made to the Redhouse Art Center in Syracuse or the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central New York in Syracuse.

A celebration of Brenda's life will be planned by friends this spring.