Jonathan D. Raben, 69 of Providence, Rhode Island passed away on June 7, 2019. He was the son of the late Maurice and Margaret Raben and the brother of the late Stephen Raben. Born in New York City, Jon received a BA from Temple University, attended graduate school for geology at Boston University and received a Graduate Gemologist (GG) degree in 1996 from the Gemological Institute of America. Jon was a truly Renaissance man with a passion for gemology, the arts, music and cultural diversity. With several published works on Rhode Island and Massachusetts geology, Jon taught senior level geology courses involving the mineralogy of gemstones at the University of Rhode Island. As a percussionist and songwriter, Jon had performed with a number of musicians over the years. He was an avid collector with a vast knowledge and expertise of many things. His interests in music, film and cultural diversity inspired the project documenting the evolution of Italian American culture in Rhode Island's "Little Italy," Federal Hill. Initiated in 2000, this documentary featured many notable Rhode Islanders of Italian-American descent and their memories of the neighborhood, which is one of the state's major tourist destinations. Italian Americans and Federal Hill was completed in 2006 and its premier sold out over several days at the Columbus Theatre. Many people dream of creating a documentary film but few make it happen. Jon took a dream and made it into a reality. He had many other projects started in his portfolio, including extensive interviews with Governor Bruce Sundlun. A portion of those interviews were featured in the World War II documentary "Above and Beyond" by filmmaker Tim Gray. Jon was also a longtime supporter of The Samaritans of Rhode Island and will be remembered for his more than 20 years of volunteer work raising awareness of suicide prevention education. Among those who will miss his kindness, generosity and dedication are his dear friends and the Votolato family, most especially Hera. Those that knew him best, know that Jon was a man that loved life and root beer popsicles. His friends are invited to a reception to celebrate and remember Jon on Sunday, June 23 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Italo-American Club, 477 Broadway, Providence, Rhode Island. No flowers, please. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jon's name to: The Samaritans of RI, P. O. Box 9086, Providence, RI 02940 or online at samaritansri.org