January 4, 1944 – April 4, 2024
Susan K. Alcántara, 80, of Princeton, passed away on April 4, 2024, at her son’s home in Waco, TX, surrounded by her loving family.
Born in New York City in 1944, Susan and her twin sister grew up in Allentown, PA. She attended Ithaca College where she graduated with a degree in physical therapy. Shortly thereafter, she moved to Princeton where she worked at Merwick Care and Rehabilitation Center’s original location on Bayard Lane. She met her husband José at Merwick in 1971, and they were married in the chapel there two years later.
In 1975, they moved to the newly built Princeton Community Village, a vibrant, caring, multicultural community located off Bunn Drive. They raised their family at Mulberry Row and were among the longest-tenured residents of the Village, having lived there for forty-eight years until 2023. Residents always appreciated her quiet strength and thoughtfulness and saw her as the perfect counterbalance to her husband whom they referred to affectionately as, “The Mayor of the Village.” They held membership at Princeton United Methodist Church for close to three decades. In their latter years, they also worshipped at Central Church in Ewing and Stonehill Church in Princeton.
Susan was preceded in death by her parents, Robert and Helen Schmidt, and her grandchildren, Justin Alcántara and Viviana Hightower.
She is survived by her husband of fifty years, José; her twin sister, Karen; her daughters, Amanda and Lucia; her son, Jared; her step-sons, Rick and Tony; and, her nine grandchildren: Austin, Julian, Maya, Hayes, Liliana, Gabriel, Rayan, Emerson, and Evelyn.
The funeral service will be held at Princeton’s Stonehill Church, 1025 Bunn Drive, on April 13, 2024, at 10 am. Visitation will begin at 9 am. After the service, the family will hold a private graveside service in Wayne, NJ.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the place that she loved to bring her family, Princeton Public Library, at www.princetonlibrary.org.
Arrangements will be made by Mather-Hodge Funeral Home in Princeton. Condolences are welcome on Susan’s tribute page at www.matherhodge.com.
The family would like to offer its deep appreciation to José and Susan’s dearest friends, George and Mina Angeletopoulos, and to Jared’s wife Jennifer for devoting herself so fully to caring for Susan in her final year.