Barbara Rabasca Dibonaventura

Barbara Rabasca DiBonaventura

Barbara R. DiBonaventura passed away at her home in Warren, New Jersey, May 25, 2022 at age 65.
Barbara was born in Plainfield, NJ to Doris and Albert Rabasca and grew up in Scotch Plains NJ later moving with her family to Warren. She graduated from Scotch Plains - Fanwood High School in 1974 and earned an early childhood education degree from Kean University in Union, NJ. As full time teaching positions were scarce at that time, she took a position at Dun & Bradstreet where she was a program manager for 36 years in which she organized and oversaw trade shows and various campaigns and events for D&B.
Barbara loved ballet and took lessons at the Garden State Ballet, Princeton Ballet and the New Jersey School of Ballet where she met the love of her life, professional dancer Peter DiBonaventura. They married in June of 1989 and moved to Cleveland, Ohio where she worked at D&B's Cleveland office while Peter was principal dancer with the Cleveland Ballet. When the ballet company toured she went with them visiting Denmark, Ireland, Scotland and South America. She even performed a small supporting role in the ballet Romeo and Juliet with Peter as Romeo.
After returning to New Jersey, Barbara and Peter lived in Montclair. In 2014 she retired from D&B to become the primary caregiver for her mother Doris who had become ill.
She will be remembered for her unfailing regard for others, always putting their needs before her own, her humor and love of family, particularly her nephews and great nieces and nephew to whom she had become a 2nd mother. The world is a little less since losing her.
Barbara is survived by her husband Peter, brother Albert (Jeri), sister Carol (Scott) and her beloved nephews Michael (Meghan), Paul, Stephen, Scott and great nieces and nephew Angelina, Rosalie and James.
Life Celebration will be Tuesday May 31, 2022 from 4 to 8 pm at Gray Funeral Home, 318 E. Broad Street, Westfield. Funeral services will be 11 am Wednesday June 1, 2022 at All Saints' Episcopal Church 559 Park Avenue in Scotch Plains, NJ. Cremation is private.
Donations in lieu of flowers may be made in her memory to, St. Jude Children's Hospital 501 St. Jude Pl, Memphis TN 38105-9959, or the Wounded Warrior Project, at support.woundedwarrionproject.org/