David A. Robbins

David A. Robbins, who was known widely as a community fixture in the Town of Clinton,  died on June 5, 2026, at the Hunterdon Medical Center in Raritan Township, N.J.

Born Feb. 25, 1946, at Somerset Hospital in Somerville, he lived almost his entire life in the Leigh Street home his family bought in 1955. He was an ever-present bike-riding presence in town. Over the decades, he greeted customers and chewed the fat at his adopted Clinton barber shops. He might wrangle his way onto floats at town parades and years ago would regularly tear up the floor at local nightspots. His likeness appears on a historical mural on an alley off Main Street.

He earned local and regional fame and affection as “Dave the Rave,” a cape-wearing avid booster of sports and other activities at North Hunterdon (nee Regional) High School, from which he graduated in 1963. He was a faithful attendee for the football, basketball and other teams. 

In the late 1960s, he emerged as a personality at North sporting games. He would position himself with a large fishing net to catch extra point and field goal attempts at football games and urge on the crowd on the sidelines. Over the years, he gained fame for his over-the head basketball shots, usually making two or three a night, as well as entertaining with sneaker-tapping and cape-swirling dancing.

For his enthusiasm and devotion, in 2002 he was inducted as a contributor into the initial class of the North Hunterdon Athletic Hall of Fame.

He became known to the Hunterdon Special Olympics program, and joined its basketball, softball and golf teams, in particular. He won more than 80 medals at those events and track and field competitions.

In 2023 he was honored to be inducted in the N.J. Special Olympics Hall of Fame.

He was humbled by being featured in a March segment of “On the Road with Steve Hartman” on CBS national television that portrayed his zeal for his school and community, and their generous embrace of him.

Dave was a hard worker from the beginning. As a teenager, he started cooking and cleaning for the Clinton Deli, and spent the last 19 years of his career in the canteen and then laundry area at the Hunterdon Developmental Center.

In his leisure time, he enjoyed making potholders; he often gave them as gifts.

He was the son of Mildred and Carl Robbins. He is survived by sister Beverly Frascella and brother Gene, both of Clinton. He is predeceased by his brother-in-law, Dominick Frascella.

Arrangements are being handled by Scarponi-Bright Funeral Home, 26 Main St., Lebanon. The family will welcome visitors from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, June 10, and again from 10 to 11 a.m. Thursday, June 11, with funeral services to follow at 11 a.m. 

Burial will be at Rosemont Cemetery, 100 Kingwood-Stockton Road, Delaware Township.

Memorial donations may be made to Hunterdon Special Olympics, 213 County Road 513, Glen Gardner, NJ 08826 or the North Hunterdon High School Booster Club, 1445 Route 31, Annandale, NJ 08801.

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