Vince Lombardi Children: Honoring the NFL Legend’s Legacy Through Family and Faith
March 6, 2026 — Green Bay, Wis. — Vince Lombardi’s children, son Vincent Henry “Vince” Lombardi Jr. (born 1942) and daughter Susan Lombardi (born 1947, died 2020), have carried forward the legendary NFL coach’s influence in sports, leadership, and family values, as seen in their lives and those of their descendants.
Vince Lombardi, renowned for leading the Green Bay Packers to multiple championships, married Marie Planitz in 1940 and raised his two children amid his demanding career. The Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation, established by Marie in 1971 after his death, continues his legacy, including a 2025 grant to Hopecam supporting children with cancer.
Vince Lombardi Jr.’s Career and Advocacy
Vince Lombardi’s son, Vince Jr., has built a multifaceted career echoing his father’s principles. A former Minnesota legislator, lawyer, and NFL executive—including roles with the Seattle Seahawks, NFL Management Council, and USFL teams—he now speaks on leadership and teamwork. As detailed in his speaker biography, he draws from family experiences to motivate audiences on excellence and integrity.
Susan Lombardi’s Life and Legacy
Susan Lombardi, one of Vince Lombardi’s children, passed away on December 30, 2020, at age 73 in Atlantic Beach, Florida, as reported in her Green Bay Press-Gazette obituary. A devoted Packers fan, she had three children, including daughter Maggie, and four granddaughters. Her daughter Maggie Lombardi said,
What everyone always comments on is her great smile and her laugh. You couldn’t forget her laugh… My sister and I and her granddaughters meant everything to her.
Family friend Kathryn Egan Stout noted Susan’s resemblance to her father: “a delightful smile because she looked exactly like her dad.”
Extended Family Carrying the Torch
Vince Lombardi’s children have extended the family legacy through grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Grandson Joe Lombardi, son of Vince Jr., serves as NFL offensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos, emphasizing his grandfather’s credo of “faith, family, football.” Never having met Vince, Joe stated in a 2023 profile republished in 2025,
I never had a chance to really meet my grandfather, but the things he has passed on about our Catholic faith lives on with me today.
Great-granddaughter Riley Lombardi, a high school soccer player at Station Camp in 2021, continues the name’s prominence, recalling early questions about her relation to the coach in a Tennessean story.
The enduring impact of Vince Lombardi’s children underscores a multi-generational commitment to the values that defined the coach’s storied career.
