Susan V. Davis, 72 of New Port Richey, Florida, died July 24, 2020. She is survived by her husband Glenn, children Rodger and Ronnie, six grand children and two great-grandchildren, and her brother Edward, his wife Elena, and their daughters Briana Costagliola (husband Luke Costagliola), Shana Ramirez (husband Luis Ramirez), and great-nephew Nathanial Ramirez.

My name is Alyssa Dillon, and I was “Nana” Sue Davis’s only granddaughter. It is my great honor to be able to write this—to share with all of you what made Nana one of the great loves of my life. And not just my life, but the lives of everyone who knew her.
I have written and rewritten this trying to find the right words to say, but how do you summarize a life as beautiful as hers in just a few lines? I’m not sure it’s possible, but I’m giving it my best shot.
Nana was born on April 1, 1948 in Jersey City, NJ to Charles and Claire Van Schaack. She had two younger brothers Charles “Chuckie” and Edward “Eddie” Van Schaack, and her grandmother was her best friend. She was loved by her family and by many friends, some she still has to this day.
When she was 16, she fell in love with a tall, lanky guy who sang baritone in a doo-wop group called “The Kraftones.” One night sitting on the wall near her family’s apartment she asked that guy if he liked her, he said no. Immediately taken aback she said, “you don’t?” To which he replied, “no, I love you.” At the age of 17 she and my Poppop, Richard “Glenn” Davis married in Closter, NJ on August 29, 1965. Those two love birds just could not wait to start a family and soon after they welcomed their son Rodger Glenn Davis. To round out their perfect little family they welcomed, my mom, Suzanne Veronica “Ronnie” Davis just a few years later.
They raised their babies on Miles Street in Alpine, NJ. They even added another baby to their family—their sweet dog Chipper. They enjoyed many adventures together; a family favorite was the great camping trips they would take when the kids were out of school.
Once the kids got older, Nana went to work at, what was then known as Prentice Hall. She was a valued and dedicated employee through every change the company went through from Prentice Hall, to Simon and Schuster, to Macmillian, to Gulf and Western, to Research Institute of America to what is now known as Thomson Reuters. She served faithfully for over 30 years.
At the same time her babies grew up and started having babies. Ronnie made Sue a Nana when Rich “Richie Boy” Hartmann was born, then came me, Alyssa Hartmann Dillon, and to round out the first bunch came Joey from Ronnie and Eric from Rodger. Some years later Ronnie married Steve Donahue and added Josh Donahue and Stephen Donahue Jr. to the bunch.
I think the real highlight for Nana was when her very first great grandbaby was born, Savannah Rose Hartmann. Nana was so excited, she completely changed her plans of moving to Lenoir City, TN and headed straight for New Port Richey, FL. In her last months with us, she was able to virtually “meet” her second great grandbaby, Eric Andrew Donahue.
Nana was one of the best women I will ever know. She was kind, generous, and loving. She had the most contagious laugh, and she loved to do it. Though she could also cry at the drop of a spoon (as proven by her cousin many years prior). She was a devoted wife. She and Poppop modeled the kind of commitment we can all aspire to—when the going gets tough, you get tougher. I hope when I have been married for 55 years, I still look at my husband the way she looked at Poppop. She was a loving mother who never question sacrificing something of herself to give to her children. She was kind when she needed to be and tough when she needed to be too.
Though we were not ready, she knew when the Lord called her home. She was a fervent believer with a faith that could not be shaken. My mom describes Nana’s last breath as the most peaceful sigh of relief; we know it is because she finally saw the face of the Savior who died to know her.
John 14:1-3 says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” We are confident her room is a bingo hall where she is always yelling “BINGO!”