LYNN — Nunziato Rocco DiBona, 94, of Lynn, formerly of West Quincy, died on Jan. 2, 2017, at the Kaplan Family Hospice House in Danvers. He was the husband of Catherine M. (Dow) DiBona for 36 years, former husband of the late Doris (Driscoll) DiBona for 24 years and former husband of the late Julia (Kane) DiBona for three years.
He was born on Aug. 16, 1922, in West Quincy, son of the late Nunziato and Raffaela (Gaudiano) DiBona. He was a 1941 graduate of Quincy High School. During his school years, he worked for the railroad, and after graduating high school, Mr. DiBona was an apprentice at the Hingham Shipyard before being drafted into World War II.
After receiving intense training, he served in the Army/Air Corps during the war as a specialty bombardier/navigator. He flew 14 combat missions as a navigator, 11 of these as the lead navigator, and five others as a bombardier. He was stationed in Hethel, England where he held the rank of 2nd Lieutenant in the 593rd 8th Air Corp. He was awarded the Air Medal and Oak Leaf Cluster, lapel button issue, WWII Victory Medal and EAME Ribbon 1 Star.
After the war, he attended Spring Hill College in Mobile, Ala., where he earned a B.S. in chemistry and a minor in biology. He was the former manager of quality control for United Farmers in Charlestown. He then went on to work for West Lynn Creamery in Lynn as director of quality control. He established their original laboratory for testing milk, cream and by-products. He also instituted formulas for cream cheese, sour cream and ice cream. In addition, he set up their laboratory in Winslow, Maine, and was instrumental in procuring licenses for intrastate selling of their products.
He was a past member of the Knights of Columbus. He loved golf, horse racing, classical music, jazz and Frank Sinatra. Ned was a fabulous cook, particularly of lasagna, gnocci and toasted cheese sandwiches.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his daughter, Eleanor (DiBona) Putz and her husband Gerard of Brunswick, Md., his son, Paul and wife Susan (Peloquin) DiBona of Laconia, N.H., and daughter, Theresa (DiBona) Sheahan and her husband Jeffrey of Amherst, N.H. He is also survived by seven grandchildren, Julie DiBona and her spouse Christina Liberatore, Elizabeth DiBona and Stephen DiBona and spouse Jessica (Banks), Daniel Putz, Catherine Putz, Jessica Sheahan and spouse Vien DoBui and Caroline Sheahan, five great grandchildren and many special nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his siblings and their spouses, brother, Luigi, John and his wife Olga of Quincy, Philip and his wife Madeline of Milford, Conn., and sister, Marguerite (DiBona) Girard and her husband Alfred, Ida (DiBona) Lucier and her husband Joseph and Genevieve (DiBona) Scavuzzo and her husband Nathan, all of Quincy.
Service information: Visiting hours will be in the CUFFE-McGINN Funeral Home, 157 Maple St., Lynn, on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, from 4-8 p.m. His funeral will begin at the funeral home at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017, with a Mass of Christian burial to be celebrated at 11 a.m. at Sacred Heart Church, 579 Boston St., in Lynn. Burial with U.S. Air Force honors will follow the Mass in Pine Grove Cemetery in Lynn. In lieu of flowers, donations are requested to the charity of one’s choice. Please visit Cuffemcginn.com for directions, or to sign the online guest book.