Donald Stephen Barbadora
Donald Stephen Barbadora, 87, passed away Friday, February 21, surrounded by his loving family.
Donald was born in Alpha, NJ on August 19, 1937 to his parents the late George and Kathleen (Lehr) Barbadora. He was the husband of Gail (Durazzi) Barbadora. Gail and Donald celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary this past November. The two first met at a wedding, foreshadowing the long and loving marriage they shared.
Donald graduated from Phillipsburg High School in 1955 and continued his education at the National School of Meat Cutting in Toledo, OH. He also served in the U.S. Army.
Donald worked as a meat cutter at Rush’s Food Mart, Laneco and Bob’s Market. He also owned and operated a shop of his own, Don’s Meat Market.
Donald was a lifelong member of St Mary Catholic Church in Alpha, NJ.
Donald loved people and had an extraordinary gift of making everyone in the room feel special. During his high school years, he would always say hello and strike up a conversation with everyone around him — no matter if they were a freshman he had never seen before or if they were his best friend. It didn’t matter if he was in a room with one person or with one hundred people – he approached everyone with a smile and had a special way of making you feel good about yourself. He passed this message on to his children and grandchildren — instilling in them the importance of treating everyone with kindness and never judging a book by its cover.
Donald was a family man at heart and loved Sunday family dinners. He also enjoyed summer vacations on the beach, riding his bike, golfing and a healthy glass of red wine.
In addition to his wife, Gail, Donald is survived by his three children, Donald M. Barbadora and his wife Lori, Stephanie Ashton and her husband William, and Mark Barbadora and his wife Lisa; his five grandchildren, Morgan Ashton, Brianna, Taylor, Nicolas and Trevor Barbadora; his sister Leona Albert, his brother Bernard Barbadora and his many nieces and nephews.
Donald was predeceased by twin sisters, Eleanor Barbadora & Viola Terry, and his brother Richard Barbadora.
Donald was loved by many and will be deeply missed.
Family and friends are invited to a visitation from 9:00 to 10:30 AM on Tuesday, February 25, 2025 at Finegan Funeral Home, 924 2nd Ave, Alpha, NJ followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 AM in St Mary Catholic Church, 830 Fifth Ave, Alpha, NJ. Burial will be in the parish cemetery.
The family requests donations in Donald’s memory be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research at give.michaeljfox.org