Obituary of Bridget Ann Ribar
Bridget Ann Ribar, nee Lynch, passed away on January 30, 2023 at 66 years old, after bravely facing cancer. She was a devoted mother, a talented artist, and a loving friend. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her.
Bridget was born on March 9, 1956 in Bourne, MA. Brought up on the beaches of Cape Cod, she also lived in Boston and southern California before ultimately settling in the New York tri-state area, where she raised her two children.
Bridget had an enormously creative spirit and was an ardent supporter of the arts. She collected pottery, dabbled in painting, and loved poetry, but her biggest passion was for the art of photography. She spent the last several years of her life joyfully immersed in the community at Bergen County Camera, where she cultivated the skills that resulted in the beautiful body of work she leaves behind. Her favorite subject was the natural world, with a particular emphasis on dreamy florals and birds in their natural habitats.
It was very important to Bridget that her daughters had the means to explore their creative sides, too. When they were young, she filled the house with arts and crafts, exposed them to great books, and encouraged their desires to sing, dance, and act. After they entered Park Ridge High School, she co-founded a parents' group in support of the performing arts, which facilitated high-quality theatrical productions for students in her daughters' classes and beyond.
If you knew her, you are welcome and encouraged to leave memories and photos here on the Norman Dean website. Bridget made monthly donations to the Bergen-Ramapo Animal Refuge (https://rbari.org) and to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey (https://cfbnj.org); if you are moved to make a donation in her memory, those two organizations do wonderful local work.
Bridget is survived by her two daughters, Lindsay and Megan, as well as her siblings Erin Van de Stadt and Trevor Peterson, and their respective families. In lieu of a public funeral service, Bridget’s loved ones are holding a series of private memorials in places that she loved.
