Jonari Peter Buenaventura

Beloved son, brother, and uncle, Jonari Buenaventura, peacefully succumbed to his illness on Sunday, July 12, 2026. Jonari was the youngest and only son of Narciso and Maribeth Buenaventura, born on the 15th of November 1994 in Los Angeles, California. He attended Cleveland High School followed by California State University, Northridge. During his last year of college, Jonari wanted a dog so he found a female boxer whom he named Boxie. She was the sweetest just like Jonari. After working at Labcorp as a lab technician, he pursued a CLS internship program at California State University, Channel Islands in August 2021. In the midst of the program, he was diagnosed with Stage 4 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) in July 2022. He stepped away from the program but returned once his health stabilized. He eventually became a licensed California Clinical Laboratory Scientist in December 2023, despite his health challenges. His first CLS position was at Ellison Medical Institute followed by Quest Diagnostics in West Hills, California.

Jonari was always smiling and laughing. His presence always brightened the room. No one would have known that he was battling cancer unless he shared the news. He was very clean and organized; those around him always knew that he was a tad bit OCD. He also became an avid runner and trained for the Los Angeles Marathon which he raced on March 17, 2024, finishing in 04:31:58. He loved traveling; some of his favorite places were the Philippines, South Africa and Japan. He also loved food, ranging from home cooked meals to fancy restaurants, and visited the trendiest coffee shops. In addition, Jonari loved shopping; he always was well-dressed, where family and friends often asked for his fashion opinion. As a true LA native, he was a proud Los Angeles Lakers fan but an even bigger Kobe Bryant fan. He loved his music and always had his playlist ready for every car ride. Most importantly, Jonari was surrounded by amazing friends. He had a charming personality and easily got along with others that many people loved being around him.

He is survived by his father, Narciso Buenaventura, mother, Maribeth Buenaventura, sister, Danica Buenaventura, sister, Katrina Roberts (husband, Sheldon Roberts), and two nephews, Henley Roberts and Landon Roberts.

Arrangements are under the care of Forest Lawn, Glendale, CA.