Daniel Jon (Dan) Barbulesco

Daniel Jon Barbulesco, 94, passed away peacefully on April 8, 2017, in his home at Brookdale Senior Living in Sonoma, where he had resided since 2011. A small family memorial to celebrate his life will be held at a later date at Brookdale.

Dan was born October 20, 1922, in Bucharest, Romania, to C.D. and Lucretzia Barbulesco. He immigrated at the age of 2 to the United States with his mother and sister, Carmen, traveling to New Jersey, where his father had previously settled and served as a radio engineer for the U.S. Signal Corps.

Dan grew up in Oakwood, Ohio, before his family moved to Yellow Springs, where he later graduated high school. The small southeastern Ohio town is home to Antioch College, where his father held a faculty position as professor of engineering.

With the outbreak of World War II, Dan enlisted in the Army Air Corps as a fighter pilot, but never served in combat. Following his discharge, he attended Stanford University on the GI Bill and graduated from the School of Engineering.

Dan logged an accomplished 31-year career for General Motors in Dayton, Ohio, holding numerous patents. During his tenure at GM, he worked in both the Frigidaire appliance division and at Delco, specializing in auto air conditioning.

He married his wife, Elizabeth (Kee) Keeler,  in 1947 and had two sons, Noel and David, residing in Centerville, Ohio, a suburb of Dayton. Following Dan’s retirement, the couple moved to Gainesville, Florida. He and Kee traveled abroad extensively, while also adopting a snowbird lifestyle, heading north during the summer to their lakeside cottage in northern Michigan. Kee passed away in 2003.

During his time at Brookdale, Dan became a fixture in the community, participating in numerous activities while establishing lasting friendships with fellow residents.

Dan lived his life with compassion and integrity, always choosing to focus on the positive while inspiring others to do the same. He loved a good joke – and maybe an occasional bad one – and his subtle wit was always on the money. He remains a role model, and will be deeply missed.

He was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Carmen Peck, and his second wife, Lila Banks. He is survived by his sons, Noel (Carolyn) and David (Candice); a step-daughter, Cynthia Snodgrass; two grandchildren, Nicholas (Kerri) Barbulesco and Sarah (Jessica) Barbulesco-Lamb; and four great-grandchildren, Lucas, Aria, Avia and Kailani; as well as Carmen’s extended family.

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