Lester A. Carbone, 96, a longtime Red Bank resident, kindhearted soul and all-around great man, passed away peacefully at the New Jersey Firemen’s Home in Boonton July 3, 2026.
Lester was born Jan. 18, 1930, in Red Bank; his family later moved to Little Silver. He attended St. James Elementary School and Red Bank Catholic High School (Class of ’49), where he lettered in baseball, earned All-State honors, and played for the Red Bank Towners.
Lester entered the U.S. Air Force and served during the Korean War. He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Service Medal and, appropriately, the Good Conduct Medal.
Lester and the love of his life, Jane Dombroski, began dating shortly after high school, married in 1952, and settled in Red Bank to raise their family. Following his military service, Lester worked for General Motors and later for the U.S. Post Office in Red Bank and Shrewsbury, retiring in 1985. Throughout his life, he served as an usher at St. James Church, worked as a part-time electrician, and was a dedicated volunteer firefighter with Red Bank Union Hose Company No. 1 from 1953 to the present. He was a member of St. James Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus.
Lester enjoyed golf, the Yankees, international travel, and was a loving and devoted husband, especially during Jane’s illness.
There are many words that could describe a man of so few words, but Lester was best known for his familiar phrases, such as “behaving himself” and “staying out of trouble.” However, that was not always the case, particularly in high school, when he and his friends skipped school to join the New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade, only to be seen by the entire school on television marching with the Ancient Order of Hibernians. From then on, he was affectionately known as “O’Carbone.”
Lester also had a clear way of signaling when the evening had come to an end: by placing his hands on the table and saying, “Thanks for coming.”
Lester was predeceased by his parents, Charles and Mary Carbone of Little Silver; his beloved wife, Jane; his brother, Natale; and his oldest grandson, Mark Carbone. He is survived by his children: daughter Janet Kranis (Mike) of Shrewsbury; son Anthony Carbone (Phyllis) of Altus, Oklahoma; daughter Phyllis Clayton (RJ Bates) of Manchester; and daughter Claire Hackett (Paul) of Binghamton, New York. He is also survived by numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren; his brother Charles (Patty) of Colorado Springs, Colorado; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Visitation will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. July 12 at Thompson Memorial Home, 310 Broad St., Red Bank. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, July 13, at St. James Catholic Church, 94 Broad St., Red Bank. Burial will follow at Mount Olivet Cemetery, Middletown.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to either Red Bank Union Hose Company No. 1, 161 Shrewsbury Ave., Red Bank, NJ 07701 or New Jersey Fireman’s Home, 565 Lathrop Ave., Boonton, NJ 07005.
The article originally appeared in the July 2 – 8, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
