Richard A. LaBonte

Richard A. LaBonte, age 66, of Newark, DE, passed away unexpectedly at home on June 1, 2017.

Born in Putnam, Connecticut, Rich was the son of the late Edgar Joseph and Marie Dora LaBonte. After graduating from high school, Rich went to UConn, where he received his Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Chemical Engineering, the field where he spent his entire career. Before retiring, Rich was the Director of Environmental Health and Safety at EMD Chemicals, and for over 20 years, he worked at ICI. After retiring, Rich was a consultant in Environmental Health and Safety with his company, RAL Consulting, LLC. He was a longtime member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), as well as a Board Member of his community association for Lamatan II.

Rich was very talented with his hands and loved building and fixing things around the house. He loved the outdoors and enjoyed hiking, especially through the National Parks, as well as taking his daily 10 mile walks with his dog, Izzi. He was well traveled, having visited many countries, as well as multiple National Parks and Battleships throughout the United States. In earlier years, Rich enjoyed yearly summer vacations with his family at their beach condo in Ocean City, MD.

In his spare time, Rich loved continually learning and he was an avid reader of Bill O’Reilly and anything regarding history. He was the “grillmaster”, as he was talented with grilling and smoking all kinds of meats, as well as a wine connoisseur. Family was the center of Rich’s world. He loved spending time with his children and was excited about being a grandfather for the first time. They will cherish his legacy of his never ending positivity of always looking on the bright side, as well as his dry sense of humor.

Rich is survived by his daughter, Amee LaBonte Polk and her husband, Eric; his son, Nicholas Andrew LaBonte and his wife, Trish; his cousins, Jeanne May and Claire LaPorte; as well as his companion, Cheryl Quinkert. He will also be dearly missed by his beloved Great Dane, Izzi.

Family and friends may visit on Friday, June 9 from 10 to 11:30 AM at Doherty Funeral Home, 3200 Limestone Rd., Wilmington, DE 19808, where a Celebration of Rich’s Life will begin at 11:30 AM. Interment will follow at All Saints Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Delaware SPCA, 455 Stanton Christiana Rd., Newark, DE 19713. 

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