Obituary of Barbara Florio
Barbara Florio took her last breath on July 9, 2025. She was born on January 28, 1943, in Newark, NJ, the only child of Dominica and Frank Pallante. Born with the gift of gab, it is not unlikely that she struck up a conversation with the doctor in the room shortly after making her grand entrance into the world. She was a smart child who excelled in school, made friends easily, and loved to play the piano. She developed a love of birds opening up her childhood home to a variety of feathered pets.
Barbara was the first in her family to graduate from college, earning a bachelor's degree in education from Newark State College (currently Kean University). Not long after graduating, she began her career as a third-grade teacher in Cedar Grove, NJ.
At a nightclub in West Orange in the mid 1960's, she met James Florio. A handsome, former navy sailor, James captured her heart and she fell in love with both him and the large, always entertaining, Florio family and the two later married in 1968.
When it came time to start a family, Barbara stepped away from teaching to be a stay-at-home mom to their three daughters, Jamie, Stephanie, and Barbara. She put her outgoing personality to good use selling real estate and hosting 1980's wicker parties to help supplement the family's income.
Determined to help fund her daughters’ college educations, Barbara returned to the classroom in the mid 1980's, finding a home at Grant School in South Plainfield, teaching 6th grade social studies (which alone should guarantee her a spot in heaven). She adored her students and fellow teachers and impacted countless young lives throughout her career.
Barbara was thrilled to become a grandmother in 2004, first to a granddaughter, Sofia, followed by a grandson (she finally got a boy) James, in 2007.
After retiring she and Jim moved to Waretown, NJ, where they have lived since. Together they enjoyed several cruises and traveled to Hawaii and Europe. She continued to make friends wherever she went and was truly loved by all who knew her.
While she battled several health issues during the last years of her life, Barbara never lost that outgoing opinionated personality that was so loved by those around her. She knew when it was time to gracefully move on to the next world where she is most certainly still caring for animals and reuniting with all of those who have gone before her.
She is survived and missed by her husband, James E. Florio; daughters Jamie (Brian) Drake, Stephanie (Chris) Forton, and Barbara (Dan) Burke; grandchildren Sofia Dominica and James Phillip; and her dog, Teddy, along with a host of extended relatives and friends.
At the request of the Florio family, services will be held privately, with a celebration of life being held on a later date, to be announced by the family.
