Obituary of Denise A. Bubar

Denise A. Bubar, retired Animal Control Officer for the Town of Burlington, passed away at her home on Thursday, September 28, 2023.  She was 75 years old.  Denise was born in Boston and grew up in Arlington.  She attended St. Agnes Elementary School and graduated from Arlington High School.  She worked at Arlington Savings Bank, which became Cambridge Savings Bank for many years.  At the bank she handled SBLI Insurance for the bank.  Denise decided that she wanted to change her career and do something that felt more rewarding for her.  So, she applied to be the Animal Control Officer for the Town of Burlington when she was 32 years old.  She successfully landed her dream job.  She loved working with animals, being outdoors, had great compassion, and consideration for the residents.  She helped reunite lost pets with the owners, investigated neglected animals, mediated issues between neighbors, and dealt with wild animals that were acting unnaturally or were safety issues.  She held the position for 18 years and loved every minute of her service to the residents of Burlington.  In her retirement years, she had a small dog walking business that kept her busy.

Denise was a woman who embraced life, loved being active, and had a passion for traveling.  She played women’s softball for years.  She was a candlepin bowler and currently a member of a bowling league at the Woburn Bowladrome.  She shared the love of running with her husband, Steve.  He would run the longer races like marathons and Denise ran half marathons and 10K.  Denise would be the one who often came home with a trophy or prize for being in the top three of her age brackets.  Her running career ended when she was hit by a car while training.  Denise’s biggest love was that of travel.  She traveled extensively.  It started when she was in her early 20’s going to Las Vegas, Hawaii, and Canada.  Then the trips became more vibrant.  She visited most of the islands in the Caribbean, traveled to Portugal and Spain on her honeymoon, and has visited all of Western Europe at some point in her life.  She appreciated museums and being a tourist but loved the activities and experiences of visiting other countries.  Like sail boating in the Greek Islands, salmon fishing in Alaska, and rafting and Hot air ballooning in Australia.  She was a people person, gregarious, and easily made friends.  She made others feel welcome and loved listening to their stories.  She was simply the fun person others gravitated to. 

Denise had a wonderful relationship with her husband Steve.  They met at the Rathskeller in Kenmore Square and have been together ever since.  They married in 1973 and settled in Burlington in the early 80’s.  They shared the same interests and supported each other in every facet of their lives.  When Steve decided to retire at 50, Denise said “If you think you’re going to retire and I am going to keep working, You’re out of your mind”!  They have spent the last 25 years adding to and eliminating their bucket list items.  She had no regrets, embraced life, and was loved by all. 

Denise was the beloved wife of 50 years of Stephen Bubar.  She was the loving sister of Joan Vollmer of Marlton, NJ & her late husband William, Suzanne Carney & her husband Larry of Melrose, the late David LeBlanc & his surviving wife Ellen of Nashua, NH, and late Philip LeBlanc & his late wife Judy.  She was also survived by nieces, nephews, and many friends.

Visiting hours will be held at the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home on Thursday, October 5 from 5-7 p.m.  Memorials in Denise’s name may be made to Tunnels to Towers Foundation, www.t2t.org, 2361 Hylan Boulevard, Staten Island, NY  10306.  For obituary online guestbook & video tribute see www.sullivanfuneralhome.net