Susan M. Manigan

Born August 31, 1951, Susan grew up in East Bridgewater, MA. She was a daughter of the late John and Rita (Frabetti) Rust. She was a graduate of Bridgewater State University and also had two master’s degrees in education from Fitchburg State University. Susan was a second -grade school teacher in Hollis, NH, for 39 years, then worked for the Marriott Hotel chain for four years. For several years she had been a Mary Kay consultant. She retired to Palm Harbor five years ago.

She was the mother of David Kilpatrick and his wife Stephanie of Arlington, VA, and Alison (Kilpatrick) Hallberg and her husband Justin of Mendham, NJ, and step-mother of Colleen (Manigan) Fisher and her husband Andrew of Chevy Chase, MD, Timothy Manigan of Dover, DE, and Christopher Manigan and his wife Laura of Jewett City, CT. Also survived by nine grandchildren, Teddy, Gus, Mack, Addison, Ian, Linc, Celia, Charlotte, and Max. She also leaves a sister, Diane (Rust) Bellrose and her husband Clifford of East Falmouth, MA, and a niece Nicole (Bellrose) Mills of Londonderry, NH.

Nothing was more important to Susan than being a wife, mother, grandmother, aunt and best friend. She was known for her monthly flights back and forth from Florida to be with children and grandchildren who adored her visits. She loved nothing more than daily FaceTime calls with family. She never missed sending a card or gift for every life event for anyone she knew, and always had kind words to share along with good advice. She is remembered for her infectious smile, endless generosity and boundless love.

She looked forward to long walks with friends and family along the Dunedin ocean causeway near her Florida home. Her sudden passing has been a shock to her many friends and family in Florida and Massachusetts. She will forever remain in our hearts.

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INFORMATION ON MEMORIAL SERVICES

There are two celebrations of Susan’s life – one in Massachusetts and one in Florida.

The memorial service in Townsend, Massachusetts took place at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church on Saturday, June 26th with a luncheon afterwards.

The Palm Harbor, Florida service is set for Saturday, July 31st. Please contact Susan's family for more information.

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A loving note from Susan's son and daughter -

Dear Mom,

There’s so much we want to say to you – so much we want to thank you for. You were the absolute BEST Mom we could ever ask for. You were so incredibly selfless and generous with your heart and your time. You were patient and kind, and showed us to see the good in people and in the world. You were strong, confident and smart, and you encouraged us to chase our dreams and do the unimaginable. You believed in us – you believed in our potential, you believed in our hearts and you believed in our will. There wasn’t anything we couldn’t do and you inspired us each and every day, always being our #1 fan. You made us feel like the most important people in the world – with unwavering and undoubtable pride in us and in our life accomplishments. You made sacrifices and faced adversity with grace, and showed us that there was nothing we couldn’t overcome.

But most importantly, you loved. You loved unconditionally, at every moment, with the utmost love. It was all about the love. It was overflowing, up to the brim and in abundance – and we knew it, we felt it. We felt it every day. LOVE is the overarching theme and legacy of your life. LOVE. Love for your children, love for Tim, love for your grandchildren, love for your entire family, love for your friends, love for your neighbors, love for your community, and love for your former students. You ensured that all people that you loved were “full” in love, as well. The kind of love that lifted you up and embraced you. What a fantastically noble and lasting legacy. This is the legacy that will continue on in our hearts – in your grandchildren’s hearts – a beautiful lifetime of love. Thank you for loving us. Thank you for guiding and teaching us. Thank you for the memories. We are full of love because of you.

You will forever be with us and in our hearts. And we miss you more than words can say.

We love you, Mom. Always and forever.

David and Alison