Secaucus Mourns Passing Of Councilwoman Susan Pirro

SECAUCUS, NJ — A former town councilperson and pillar of the Secaucus community has passed away. Susan Pirro, a Harmon Cove resident, died Sunday, March 18, after battling an aggressive form of cancer. She was 62 years old.

The town of Secaucus is in deep mourning Monday at Pirro's passing. She is remembered by the hundreds of people who knew her in town as someone who selflessly devoted her life to improving Secaucus. She was a past president of the Board of Education, a longtime councilwoman, a youth basketball coach and a volunteer at the Secaucus Animal Shelter.

"Susan was a staunch advocate for the people of Secaucus and put all her effort into everything she did," said Mayor Mike Gonnelli. "Susan's passing is a great loss for the town."

Susan lived in Harmon Cove, and raised her three daughters there, Christie, Lauren and Cheryl, as a divorced single mom. She was a hard-working businesswoman who ran her own jewelry store on Front Street for years, until it closed. After that, she went to work for the Union City Board of Education.

Her three daughters attended Secaucus public schools all the way through high school. Susan first became involved in municipal government when she decided to run for a seat on the Board of Education. Before that, she had served on the Clarendon School PTA, Middle School PTA (where she was president), and on the Secaucus High School PTA.

"She wanted to give back to her community and improve things," said her friend, Secaucus resident Judy Kennelly. "That's just the kind of person she was. Soft-spoken but determined. She was really a pioneering woman in town."

Pirro was elected to the School Board in 2002, and worked her way to become board president in 2006.

In 2011, she decided to run for town Council, and ran as part of Gonnelli's "Take Back Secaucus" slate. She served on the Council for six years, representing the Third Ward (which includes Harmon Cove). Pirro also coached girls' basketball in the recreation league.

As a councilwoman, she was a liaison to the Office of Emergency Management and the town Animal Shelter, where she was also a volunteer. One of Pirro's passions was helping animals, and she was a major advocate for the Secaucus Animal Shelter.

"She and (shelter manager) Chris Conte worked together to rescue animals from kill shelters in other states and bring them here," said Kennelly. "And she was one of the ones who helped organize the Animal Shelter's masquerade Halloween ball every year."

"When I first met Sue, it was at an event at Harmon Cove Towers and the Secaucus Animal Shelter was nothing like it is today. Sue was the only one fighting for it, all alone," said Conte. "She got me involved and I can say she is truly the one responsible for bringing the shelter to where it is today. She and I went on countless trips on weekends to Pennsylvania to rescue animals. I am just devastated by this. I lost a sister, not just a friend."

In late 2016, Pirro was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer. She had to step down from her position on the Council on Dec. 31, 2017 to focus on her health. Mayor Gonnelli said at the time he was "devastated" Susan had to resign her seat. Gonnelli appointed Orietta Tringali, also a Harmon Cove resident, to replace her.

"Susan was a genuinely great person who cared so much for everyone and did whatever she could to help others, and never did it for credit, praise or thanks," said another friend, Susan Flanagan. "What she did, she did because she had a heart of gold."

"The one thing that touched me deeply was last summer, there was a fundraiser for a local boy who had cancer," said Flanagan. (The boy has since passed away, as well.) "The event was in Buchmuller Park and Sue was quite sick at the time and was having terrible pain in her back. She came to the fundraiser and had to park a block away and walk to the park. I could see the pain in her face, but not once did she complain."

"I asked her to sit at the table with me, but she was in so much pain that she couldn’t sit, but she didn’t complain, just said 'It’s OK, I’ll stand and talk to you because it hurts to sit,'" she continued. "She was there to show love and support for someone else, and never thought about herself suffering. This wasn’t the exception, this was her rule."

"The town lost a great councilwoman, and there are countless people who lost a great friend," said Flanagan.

Others remembered Pirro for the role they say she enjoyed most: Being a mother.

"Her daughters were her light," said Lisa Snedeker, the director of senior services for the town. "She did everything for those girls and lived for them."

"She was a dedicated councilwoman, a loving mother to her children and a dear friend," said Mayor Gonnelli. "Her influence in bringing about change to Secaucus will be felt for many years to come. She was truly a special person."

It was a hard-fought battle with cancer that the entire town of Secaucus hoped Pirro would win.

"It was Susan's nature to fight hard no matter what the cause, and she approached her battle with cancer the same way," said Gonnelli.

"She served the town with dignity and honor even through her sickness," said First Ward Councilman Rob Constantino. "She was a hard-working single mother. She worked passionately for the town and gave more for others than she ever gave herself."

Visitation hours will be Thursday, March 22 from 2-8 p.m. at Mack Memorial Home on Paterson Plank Road in Secaucus. Funeral arrangements have not been announced.

Photos provided to Patch by friend Judy Kennelly. Top image supplied by the Town of Secaucus.