Villapiano, Susan Penrod, Age: 55, Rumson

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Susan Penrod Villapiano, 55, passed away peacefully Tuesday, November 22 after a long and courageous battle with breast cancer. By her side were her best friend and husband, Phil, the love of her life, her son Michael and Susan’s sister, Mary, and brother, Bob.

Susan was born in Champaign-Urbana, Wisconsin. She attended York Community High School in Elmhurst, Illinois, and graduated in 1979. After high school, she attended The University of Illinois where she earned her BS in marketing and the University of Chicago where she earned her MBA in finance. Soon after college, Susan moved to New York City where she was a former corporate finance professional and CFO of a Fortune 500 company. After meeting and marrying Phil, she moved to New Jersey. She resided in Ocean Township before moving to Rumson.

Susan was very active in every aspect of Michael’s life as well as the community in which she lived. She was a community volunteer at Holy Cross Church. She served on the Advisory Board for the NJ Commission on Cancer Research, the Board for the Mercy Center of Asbury Park with its Sisters Academy of NJ, the Foundation to Save the Jersey Shore after Hurricane Sandy and the Rumson Education Foundation. In addition, Susan created the Rumson PTO Curriculum Enhancement Liaison Program for Rumson Elementary schools just to name a few. Susan was honored last spring at the Beauty Ball 2016 sponsored by the Beauty Foundation for Cancer Care. That evening, she received the Peter Criss Courage Award. In addition to all this, she chased two beagles, Yankee and Nestle, around the streets of Rumson for a decade.

Susan was predeceased by her grandparents, Robert A. and Lillian Reidel and Margaret L. Wnn and Charles E. Penrod; also her in-laws, Dorothy and Augustus Villapiano.

Susan is survived by her husband, Phil; a son, Michael; a stepdaughter, Andrea and her husband Jim; a stepson, Philip and his wife Laura; her parents, Bob and Judy Penrod of Verona, Wisconsin; a sister, Mary Penrod and her husband Rob Ruggiero of Paoli, Pennsylvania; a brother, Bob Penrod and his wife Kristen of Plano, Texas; her aunt, Barbara Lowers and her husband Stan of Houston Texas; brothers-in-law, Gus Villapiano and his wife Lauren of Oakhurst and John Villapiano and his wife Sharon of Long Branch; a sister-in-law, Carolee Villapiano of Oakhurst; and a host of nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews and grandchildren.

Buckley Funeral Home, Asbury Park, was in charge of arrangements. Memorial donations may be made in her name to The Mercy Center-Sisters Academy, 1106 Main Street, Asbury Park, NJ 07712. Condolences to the family may be expressed at www.Buckleyfuneralhome.net.