- Date Of Birth: July 18, 1955
- Date Of Death: May 29, 2022
- State: Indiana
Rebecca âBeckyâ Ann Di Fabio, 66, our beloved mother, sister, aunt, grandma and best friend passed away unexpectedly Sunday, May 29th at her home. Born July 18th, 1955, at Home Hospital in Lafayette, IN to the late William âBillâ and Ruth (Vanderwielen) Vanderveen, Becky was a lifelong resident of Lafayette. A proud Broncho (H is for heart), Becky graduated from Lafayette Jefferson High School in 1973.
After graduating from the school of dental assisting at Ivy Tech, Becky worked at the same dental office her entire career which started with Dr. Pfleeger, subsequent partners Drs. Murray and Mazur which became Allure Dental. Becky worked for this office for over 33 years, serving in multiple capacities including dental assistant, office manager, and office mascot. Patients were drawn to Becky for her bubbly personality. Her boys spent many hours of their childhood waiting patiently in department stores as she talked with people whom they thought were complete strangers. The complete strangers always ended up being patients.
Becky retired from Allure Dental in 2013 to take on the most important job of her career, full-time caregiver to her husband, Philip âFlipâ Di Fabio when he was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimerâs. Our Mom was a selfless caregiver to our Dad and handled this difficult situation with grace and dignity. She was awarded the inaugural KLD Alzheimerâs Caregiver of the Year award last year, one of her proudest accomplishments.
Becky married Flip Di Fabio on July 23rd, 1983, on the hottest day of the year. The church was without modern air conditioning and was so hot the varnish from the pews was sticking onto everyoneâs clothes. They were married for over 34 years until Flipâs untimely death in 2018.
Becky, known as âQueen Beeâ, was her sonsâ biggest cheerleader and never missed a sporting event. Becky lived for her weekly dinners with Anthony and her trips to Indy to see her grandson, Finn. She made a lasting impression on everyone she met and was a light to all her friends, especially her Bunco girls. Her smile lit up any room she entered, and her joyous laugh drew you into the fun. To know her was to love her. Her absence will leave a lasting void for her family and friends.
Becky is survived by her sons: Anthony (Dru) Di Fabio from Lafayette, IN and Philip (Julianne) Di Fabio from Indianapolis, IN., a grandson, Philip Finn Di Fabio, a future grand baby due in July, and her beloved black lab, Jaxx. She is survived by her two brothers Tim (Linda) Vanderveen of Poway, CA, and Pete Vanderveen of Lafayette, IN. In addition, she is survived by sister-in-law Lisa (Jim) Lahrman of Lafayette, IN and six brothers-in-law: Robert âMurphâ (Carole) Di Fabio of Lafayette, IN, William âWillieâ (Susan) Di Fabio of Glen Ellyn, IL, Mark (Barbara) Di Fabio of Muncie, IN, Peter (Laura) Di Fabio of Lexington, KY, Vincent âVinnieâ (Janni) Di Fabio of Seattle, WA and Christopher âChrisâ Di Fabio of Lafayette, IN. Also surviving are many nieces and nephews.
