Bonnie J. Diana

Bonnie J. Diana passed away peacefully on Friday, September 11, 2026, while receiving hospice care after a courageous two-and-a-half-year battle with melanoma.  She was 76.

Bonnie was diagnosed in March 2024, beginning a difficult journey marked by the tremendous resilience, strength, and stubborn determination that defined her whole life.  Though she faced countless challenges and complications from treatment, through it all, she never stopped being who she always was: a woman who loved fiercely, gave endlessly, and looked for the best in everyone and everything.

Born Bonnie Jean Cloidt on February 5, 1950 in Englewood, NJ, Bonnie was the daughter of Charles and Edith Cloidt and one of four children.

Bonnie had a gift for connecting with people and for making them feel seen and loved.  Anyone who spent time in her orbit knew what that meant in practice—a batch of cookies showing up unannounced, a card that arrived at exactly the right moment, an empathetic smile that convinced you all would be well, not just a passing offer to help, but meaningful follow-through, a wholehearted hug that lasted a beat longer than you expected. She is survived by her husband, Michael, and her daughter, Jennifer Diana (husband, Carl Cambria); her sisters, Carole Varoscak (husband, John) and Laurie Ahimovic (husband, John); her sister-in-law, Janice Cloidt; her nieces Laura Varoscak-DeInnocentiis (children, Henry and Charlie), Katie Williams (husband, Dave, and their children, Emma, Collin, and Quinn), Lindsey Cook, and Megan Cloidt (husband, George Segarra, and their soon-to-be son, Owen Segarra). She was preceded in death by her parents and brother, Jeffrey Cloidt.

Bonnie built a full life for herself and her family in Warren County, NJ, working for years at Rossi car dealership in Washington, then in the Admissions Office at Centenary College in Hackettstown, and, for decades on weekends, happily serving customers at Bryan’s Luncheonette in Succasunna (a job she ultimately kept less for the paycheck and more for the people).

But nothing came close to being “Grandmama” to her two grandsons, Carmichael and Charles George Cambria, who were the absolute joys of her life. From the moment they were born, Bonnie spent every spare second she had with them. In 2019, she moved into her daughter's Basking Ridge home to care for her grandsons during the week and gave herself over completely to every ordinary moment of their childhood. She rose before school to make breakfast, volunteered at their schools, spent hours sitting on bleachers (or in a barn or at the pool) cheering them on, learned the newest fads, listened to the craziest music, and did countless loads of laundry—all with boundless energy and the biggest smile. She treasured watching them grow and left on them an indelible impression of what it means to be a good person and how to “show up” for others.

She loved the beach and collecting seashells, a hobby passed down from her father, who began collecting shells while stationed abroad during World War II. She was a gifted baker, famous for her chocolate chip cookies and her "Death by Chocolate," and for the fact that there was always something baking for someone. She loved shopping for anything, decorating her dollhouse, and a good house project. She also loved her Jeep Wrangler. In these later years, Bonnie could be seen grinning ear to ear as she “ducked” fellow Wrangler owners and saluted drivers with the Wrangler Wave. But most of all, she loved being surrounded by her family and the many friends she considered family.

Bonnie leaves behind a legacy for those who will also carry forward the many gifts she gave them: her generosity, strength, humor, love of life’s little pleasures, and the countless memories she created along the way. She also leaves a standing example of how to love people well. Her family asks that you remember Bonnie not for the illness she fought, but for the life she lived and the love she gave so freely.

Those wishing to honor Bonnie can consider making a donation in her memory to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where Bonnie received care for more than two years. Online donations: https://give.mskcc.org/site/TR?px=6061257&pg=personal&fr_id=4503