Prudence Mason Runyan, 72, of Windmoor, is a former senior vice president of customer relations and engagement planning for FCB Health, a New York pharmaceutical marketing company, as well as an author, actress, teacher and volunteer. He passed away on Thursday, January 25th due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. House.
Creative, charming, ambitious and determined, Mrs. Runyan demonstrated her natural talent when she landed her first marketing job in 1980. She became an expert in direct marketing, customer care and advertising, and she landed her dream job at FCB in 2015.
She was promoted to senior vice president, specializing in strategic planning, customer growth, and risk management. She commuted to New York by car and train every day for years, and in 2021 she retired.
Previously, he worked in marketing and advertising for various companies in the Philadelphia area as vice president, account director, and marketing director. She is also a consultant for a healthcare advertising agency, and she taught Direct Marketing to Adults at Villanova University for two years.
“She was considered a true partner, a master of her craft, a visionary and an advocate,” her family said in a memorial.
Mrs. Runyan had a smooth soprano voice and starred as a singer and actor in musicals at Frankfort High School in Kentucky. She attended college with actor Thomas Holtz and Village People singer Randy Jones, and she earned her bachelor's degree in theater from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in 1974.
She earned her acting qualification card by appearing in local dinner theaters and regional productions in Kentucky, and moved to New York to succeed after college. She returned to Frankfort after her third year and she met Stan Ranyan at her party for dinner, which made her even bigger. They married in 1978, honeymooned in Japan, and moved to Philadelphia in 1980.
The couple had a daughter, Abigail, and a son, Benjamin, and lived in Chestnut Hill and Windmoor.
“She was a good listener,” her husband said. She said, “She wasn't just telling her own story, she was enjoying other people and what they had to say.”
In 2020, she unexpectedly reunited with her estranged half-brother, Sam Mason, and their encounters and other experiences in her life were followed until his death in 2021. Postcards from Spongoria: A Memoir About My Brother Sam Mason. The 288-page paperback will be published in 2023, and readers online called it “heartwarming,” “moving,” and “heartbreaking.”
Mrs. Runyan finished the book just as her illness was worsening, and her daughter Abigail Romanul called its completion “an amazing example of strength and fortitude.”
Prudence Blackburn Chin Mason was born on July 7, 1951. As a girl she participated in horse shows around Kentucky, and she sang in her church's junior choir.
Mrs. Runyan had a bubbly sense of humor and a hearty laugh, and she and her husband went on memorable adventures to Europe, Canada, Hong Kong, and more. She returned to Kentucky frequently, and she doted on her three grandchildren in Massachusetts.
She taught mathematics to young students, was active in Baha'i spiritual assemblies, and championed social justice initiatives. She also took comedy classes, made her own jewelry, and created a beautiful garden outside her home.
She sang in the choir at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Chestnut Hill and volunteered on several church committees. When she became seriously ill in 2022, she worked as an online fundraiser and advocate for her ALS patients.
“She never complained,” her husband said. “She was an eternal optimist. Her motto was, 'Don't let the future scare you.'
Friends called her an “inspiration” and a “beautiful soul.” They said: “She radiated a warm and good spirit.”
Her son said, “She was fearless in everything she did.”
In addition to her husband, children and grandchildren, Mrs. Runyan is survived by other relatives.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, February 17th at 11 a.m. at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 22 E. Chestnut Hill Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19118. A memorial service will be held at a later date in Kentucky.
Donations in her name may be made to Bridging Voice, 2132 84th St., Brooklyn, NY 11214.
