Silvana Haugen

Silvana Haugen (21 January 1945 – 24 October 2015), born Silvana Maria Agnese Dibennardo, was the daughter of Vincenzo Dibennardo (b. 1900) and Giuseppa Napoli (Ursino) (b. 1914) of Catania, Sicily. WWII drove her parents to flee Sicily for Mandello del Lario, a small town on Lake Como in the Province of Lecco where she was born before the war's end. Her father worked for the Banco di Sicilia in Milano while they lived in Mandello del Lario, and was later transferred to Torino for 7 years, Catania 3 years, and Rome 5 years. She remembered her youth in different cities of Italy with much fondness, and had a great love for all her Italian family and friends.

Silvana married Roger Emil Haugen on the 6th of September in 1962, and left Rome for New York City on 21 December 1962. She graduated from Wilfred Beauty Academy in New York City in 1964 and worked as a beautician at Saks Fifth Avenue, and later in retail at Lord and Taylor. After moving to Englewood Cliffs, N.J., she had her first daughter in 1964 and became a homemaker. Her second daughter was born in Englewood Cliffs in 1967, and her son in Oslo, Norway, in 1969. She traveled all over the world with her husband, and lived with him and her children in Italy, Germany, Spain, and U.S.A while also spending considerable time in Norway; but she was always so proud to be a naturalized American citizen, and loved living in and calling U.S.A home. During her later years, she lived both in Arizona and Spain.

Silvana spoke several languages and was self-educated in many topics she enjoyed, like history, travel, and science. She was a big reader and liked to fill notebooks with quotes she wanted to remember. She also was a wonderful writer, and during her life wrote and rewrote several volumes of autobiographical stories in the form of a novel. Family history was one of her favorite topics of conversation and study, and she loved to reminisce about her beloved mother, father, and grandparents. She also loved movies, especially anything with Steve McQueen or Tom Hanks—her favorite actors.

Silvana was preceded in death by her parents (mentioned earlier), both buried at the Cemetery of Catania in Sicily; her daughter Ingrid Sonia Haugen, born in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., and also buried in the Cemetery of Catania; her brother Armando Dibennardo (Gina Amore) buried in S. Agata Li Battiati, Sicily; and half-brother Carmelo Dibennardo (Maria Carbone) buried in Velletri, Italy, as well as half-sister Anna Dibennardo, buried in Pavia, Italy.

She is survived by her husband, Roger Emil Haugen of Fountain Hills, AZ; her daughter Astrid Christine Haugen (John Stranzl) of Holly Springs, N.C.; her son, Kevin Thomas Haugen, of Wake Forest, N.C.; two grandchildren, Kent Haugen Strano and Angela Marie Haugen (Michael Young); and one great-grandson, Brayden Young. In Italy, she is survived by her sisters, Eva Dibennardo (Giovanni Amore) and Lilliana Dibennardo (Alfredo Pizzichetti—no longer living), and a brother, Marcello Dibennardo (Floriana La Rosa). Her nieces and nephews, Gina, Daniele, and Eugenio Dibennardo; Saverio and Patrizia Amore; Enrico Dibennardo; Daniela, Deborah, and Natasha Pizzichetti; Ugo and Romina Dibennardo, were always in her heart. Silvana always thought of her husband's family in Norway, too. She really made time to spend it with family and friends, and always went the extra mile to help her loved ones with great generosity. Silvana was also famous among her family for her wonderful, long letters and regular phone calls.

Silvana was a beautiful woman inside and out, and she would love it if we said she never looked her age because she actually did not. Even at 70 years of age, she passed for a woman in her fifties. She will live on in our memories forever as the beautiful, loving woman she was to all.

Your figurative heart was so strong; your actual heart did its best. Until we meet again...

Flowers are welcome at Apex Funeral Home at 550 W. Williams St., Apex, N.C. 27502, or memorial contributions may be sent to the American Heart Association. A private funeral will be held at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Apex, N.C. Internment will be at Raleigh Memorial Park Mausoleum in Raleigh, N.C.