Photo courtesy of CLOSED-Buckley Funeral Home - Asbury Park
Asbury Park, New Jersey
Dec 6, 1960 – Nov 22, 2016 (Age 55)
Susan P. Villapiano
Rumson
Susan Penrod Villapiano, 55, passed away peacefully Tuesday, November 22, 2016 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, her step son, Philip and step daughter, Andrea.
Susan was born in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. She attended York Community High School in Elmhurst, IL 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 NYC where she was a former corporate finance professional and CFO of a Fortune 500 company. After meeting and marrying Phil, she moved to NJ. 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. Winn and Charles E. Penrod, also her in-laws, Dorothy and Augustus Villapiano. Susan is survived by her husband, Phil, son Michael, step-daughter, Andrea (Jim), step-son, Philip (Laura), her parents, Bob and Judy Penrod of Verona, Wisconsin, sister, Mary Penrod (Rob Ruggiero) of Paoli, PA, brother Bob Penrod (Kristen) of Plano, Texas, Aunt Barbara Sowers (Stan) of Houston Tx., brothers-in-law, Gus Villapiano (Lauren) of Oakhurst, John Villapiano (Sharon) of Long Branch, sister-in-law, Carolee Villapiano of Oakhurst and a host of nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews and grandchildren.
Visitation will be at Buckley Funeral Home, 509 Second Avenue, Asbury Park on Sunday, November 27 from 2 pm – 6 pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday at 10 am in Holy Cross Church, Rumson. Interment will follow in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Middletown. In lieu of flowers, donations made to The Mercy Center-Sisters Academy, 1106 Main Street, Asbury Park, NJ 07712 would be appreciated. Condolences to the family may be expressed at www.Buckleyfuneralhome.net.
Thinking of you and Michael today my dear friend.
Ed Straw
November 19, 2025 | Washington, DC | Friend
So sad. She was to to young to be taken away.
Jerry McConkey
January 25, 2023 | Summerville, SC
Dear Phil, I pray you and Michael are doing well. It does not seem like Susan has been gone for all these years. I have to tell you that she often pops into my head and I just think of how lovely she was to so many people. I pray her spirit is at peace and that you and the rest of the family are doing well. Stay well, Sandy and John Barry
The Barry Family (John and Sandy)
November 21, 2021
Once again, my sympathies to Phil and Michael on this third anniversary of Susan's passing.
George Murphy
November 20, 2019 | Toms River, NJ
I wanted to offer another word of support to this great family about a wonderful lady. I pray that all is well for you, Phil and Michael. God Bless you all.
George Murphy
June 22, 2019 | Toms River, NJ | Friend
Phil, my blessing to you and your children. I lost my Husband to tonsil cancer on 11-6-16. This July it would have been 30 years with the love of my life. God, the Son, and Spirit are with you.
Elizabeth Weddington
June 20, 2019 | Charleston, SC | Acquaintance
So sorry Phil for your beloved wifes passing!! You were always my favorite Raider !!! She was too young brother!! But in a far better stratosphere!! Regards, Dean J. Donelson
February 16, 2018
To the family of Susan Penrod Villapiano,
I was friends with Susan in grade school at Hawthorne Elementary. I have just learned of her passing and am shocked and so sad. Susan, even in grade school, was amazing. So very bright, energetic and motivated. Truly a gifted and talented woman that was loved by so many.
Betsy Holderman Bradley
December 11, 2017 | Columbia, SC
Dear Phil, Michael and family ~ So sorry to hear the news of your devastating loss. I lived in Rumson, and since my move I've been out of touch, only recently hearing of Susan's passing. Michael you may remember me and my daughter Emma. You used to babysit her and actually taught her to ride a two wheeler. Once you got locked out of my house on Heathcliff Road with Emma and you and the other teenage boys in the neighborhood were on the roof looking for an open window. I must say you were as...
Beverly Keatley
November 13, 2017