CORDIER, Vanda-Roza - Vanda-Roza Cordier, also known as Erdélyi Rozsa (Rose of Transylvania), passed away on August 7, 2018 at the Toronto Grace Hospital after a long battle with illness.
She was 75.
Vanda was born on July 3, 1943 in Cluj (Kolozsvar), Transylvania to the late Alfred Cordier Sr. and the late Etelka Jancso.
Vanda studied at the Kolozsvar Conservatory before fleeing communism, to settle in Toronto, Canada in 1969.
She adopted her stage name in 1971 and rapidly became a sensation in the local Hungarian theatre community, starring in many plays and operettas. She opened Roza Dressmaking & Alterations in 1980, where she worked as a seamstress and couturier, and was much beloved by her loyal clientele.
Vanda ceased acting in 1993 but continued to perform as a vocalist in Toronto as well as throughout the US and Canada. Her repertoire included traditional Hungarian folk music, English-language standards and eventually, her own original material combining influences of electronic, world music and free-jazz improv.
Vanda was a true free spirit and a lifelong seeker of peace and understanding through spiritual practice. Her warmth and enthusiasm lit up any room she entered.
She is survived by her son, Kalman Andrasofszky Jr., her daughter-in-law, Annemarie Baynton and the father of her child, Kalman Andrasofszky Sr. She was predeceased by her brother, Alfred Cordier Jr.
A memorial to celebrate Vanda's life will be held on Sunday, September 9th at 3 p.m. in the Tiki Room at the Tranzac Club (292 Brunswick Ave., Toronto).
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