Jean Vincenza Di Bona, wife of the late John Di Bona, passed away on December 27, 2015, in Newport. She is survived by her son, TV Producer Vin Di Bona; granddaughter Cara Di Bona-Swartz; and great-grandchildren Sam, Phoebe and Kate; daughter-in-law-Erica Di Bona and Daniel Swartz, husband of Cara Di Bona-Swartz.
Born in Providence of parents Joseph and Matilda (Ficocelli) Di Chiara; and sister of the late Vincent Di Chiara and Louise Seligman. She graduated Central High School, Providence, with a secretarial degree. Jean was most well know with her husband, John, as the owners of the famed Lindys Restaurant, a staple in Cranston from the 1930’s thru the1960’s. As a result of her avid, monthly, Broadway theater going junkets with her first cousins Alice Viola, Mary Recchia, and best friend Gloria Metcalf and having seen the original “SOUTH PACIFIC” in New York in 1955, later that same year Jean created the idea for the exotic Bali Room Banquet facility and Cocktail Lounge, one of the first very large dining facilities to be successfully introduced in Rhode Island. In 1964, after more than 45 years in the restaurant business, John was approached by the Gulf Oil Company to buy his prime property on Park and Reservoir Avenues, the site of Lindys; and so, John retired and Lindys doors closed forever, at least in Cranston.
After a few years of retirement and world travel, Jean and John settled in a spot that would become Jean’s beloved home for the remainder of her life, Newport. One night Jean had a dream about eggs, omelets to be exact. John told her it was a great dream because there was a 400% profit margin in an egg; consequently, John came out of retirement to open The Good Egg Restaurant with great success and then onto Lindys Omelet Parlor in the Travis building, also home of the Tennis Hall of Fame building, both businesses were in the early to mid 1970’s. Mrs. Di Bona was a follower of the arts and civic organizations often participating in functions and fundraising events at the Newport Preservation Society, Newport Art Museum, Touro Synagogue, Newport Music Festival and the Rotary Club.
She was especially proud of participating in the 2012 4th of July dedication of the clock refurbishing at the Colony House, Washington Square, in Newport as well as leading the Newport Columbus Day Parade in 2006. She could be seen around town at any given time wearing one of her many favorite hats, her trademark since a teenager. She enjoyed going to the movies and plays, at least two a week, especially the Jane Pickens and loved to dine at The Aurora Civic Association, in Providence, and the Carnegie Abbey, in Portsmouth, La Forge and The Canfield House in Newport. Perhaps her greatest joy was EVEHERDEE, her 1895 Queen Anne Victorian home with its lush Frederick Olmsted gardens, peaceful cascading water feature and English rose covered path. The gardens were a favorite on the Newport Garden Tours often capturing yearly awards for excellence. Jean would often be seen seated, reading and enjoying the beautiful array of ferns on her open porch on a summer’s day and listening to the sound of her great-grandchildren’s laughter, as they visited from Los Angeles, making her day that much brighter.
As a birthday gift in spring of 2015, her daughter-in-law, Erica Di Bona, wrote a tribute to Jean:
There must be something about Rhode Island women. Perhaps it’s because you hail from the smallest state. You had to be scrappy. You had to stand up and be counted. You learned to take care of yourself.
Maybe it’s because you’re from the Ocean State. All the fresh water kept your skin dewy & youthful. The saltwater breezes invigorated you, even on the hottest days. The boats sailing by made you smile.
Or maybe it’s the glittery winters. Snowdrifts didn’t scare you. You could navigate even the coldest day. You learned how to get where you needed to be, do what you wanted to do, make life happen no matter what…
Whatever the powerful forces were, you have been granted an extraordinary life. You’ve got a son who slayed dragons. Who grew up from a sickly child, as you always say, to be a man among men. A son with a heart, a son with a conscience. A son who loves you dearly, with all his heart.
You built up Newport just as you saw your son into adulthood. You shared your pride in your city with all who visited. You took pleasure in the flowers in the garden, the fish in the pond.
You have given us much. You have maintained your attention to beauty, your delight in detail of accessory, and you have kept your mission to always raise the fashion standard.
You think big, dream big, and despite hailing from the tiniest state, you ARE big. Rhode Island should be proud of you. Vin is. I am. You are one of Newport’s finest, Rhode Island’s best. One of a kind. So if the shoe fits – wear it.
Happy Birthday.
Love,
Erica
Her funeral will be held on Wednesday at 10 a.m. from the Nardolillo Funeral Home & Crematory, 1278 Park Ave., Cranston followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Mary’s Church, 1525 Cranston St., Cranston. Burial will take place in St. Ann Cemetery, Cranston. Visiting Hours: Wednesday Morning 8:30-10a.m.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Bread for the Poor c/o St. Patrick / St. Anthony Church, 285 Church Street, Hartford, CT 06103 OR for war veterans: Wounded Warriors Project, PO Box 758517, Topeka, KS. Visit Nardolillo.com for online condolences.
