Dena F Lowenbach

Dena F. Lowenbach of South Orange, NJ, passed away on April 13, 2025. For the last thirty-five years of her life, she was actively involved as a volunteer in Newark, NJ. She was the first volunteer at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, where she created a three hundred member volunteer corps, served as the Director of Volunteers and assisted in fund-raising activities. The Volunteer of the Year Award at NJPAC is named in her honor. In 2003, while still working at NJPAC, she and Pat Kettening, a Professor of Business and the Arts at the Rutgers Graduate School of Business, started GlassRoots, which is located on Bleeker Street in Newark. GlassRoots teaches young people, starting at 10 years of age, how to make objects out of glass, as well as basic business skills. Dena's knowledge of contemporary art glass, acquired through many years of collecting, was an essential source of information in the growth of the organization. She continued as an active member of the Board of GlassRoots until she passed away.

Before becoming a full-time volunteer, Dena worked as the librarian for the NJ Commission for the Blind and as a residential realtor. But it was in her service to the NJPAC and GlassRoots that she found her greatest satisfaction.

Dena was raised in Elizabeth, NJ, but spent a lot of time in Newark. She attended the school of the Garden State Ballet for many years. That training led to her being active in the dance program at her alma mater, Smith College. She would explain with a big grin that she was the second-best dancer at Smith. The best was her classmate who commuted to New York City several times a week to dance at the Copacabana, a famous nightclub. Dena would comment that at least she was the best amateur dancer at Smith.

Those who life she touched have been remarkably consistent in their description of Dena: intelligent, elegant, loving, caring, smiling and genuinely concerned for others.

Dena is survived by Ralph Lowenbach, her husband of 62 years; her daughter Julie Greimel; her brother Stewart A. Fern and her sister Vicki Schober.

Contributions in Dena's memory may be made to GlassRoots, 10 Bleeker Street, Newark, NJ 07102, https://glassroots.org/.