Celia Marie Hansen

Celia Marie (Fatibeno) Hansen - daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, author, world traveler and dedicated yoga instructor - passed away Friday, Feb. 6, 2026 of natural causes. She was 96.

Celia was born Jan. 20, 1930, in Cleveland, Ohio, during the Great Depression. She was the eldest of three daughters born to Mary and Pasquale “Pat” Fatibeno, who left his native Italy as a teenager to live in America. He eventually settled in the Cleveland area, courted and married Mary, and worked as a stone mason. Mary also worked, but focused more of her attention on her daughters.

Celia excelled as a student. She ultimately earned a master’s degree in romance languages at what is now known as Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

While at Case, Celia met Alf Hansen, a native Norwegian who came to Case to study engineering. They married after graduation and moved to Norway, so that Alf could complete two years of required military service. While there, Celia worked as a language teacher and office assistant for the U.S. military.

Celia delivered their first child, daughter Marisa, in February 1958. Celia and Alf soon moved back to the Cleveland area. Celia delivered a son, Eric, in October 1960, and another daughter, Carina, in October 1964. By that time, the family had moved to Columbus, where Alf worked as an engineer for the Ohio Department of Transportation.

Alf and Celia settled in north Columbus in the mid-1960s, and Alf became active in neighborhood civic groups. Celia loved cooking and taking care of the family. They often traveled to the southeast coast of the U.S., and occasionally to Europe as the children grew. One European trip included taking Celia’s parents by car to a remote village in Italy to reunite Celia’s father with his brother. They had not seen each other in 56 years.

In the 1970s, Celia started the Institute of Yoga and Esoteric Sciences. That was part of her decades-long exploration of yoga, mind-body connection, nutrition and supplements. This work would lead her to co-write several scholarly books on those topics and to teach yoga at her home and elsewhere. She continued to teach yoga until the night before she passed.

Alf died at home in 1999 at age 67. Celia continued to live in and work from their home, which she shared with her daughter, Carina.

Celia’s advancing age did not deter her from learning more about yoga and how the mind and body works. She regularly traveled to events on those topics in the U.S. She took several trips to India, one of which was with her daughters for a month-long yoga retreat, and one when she was 90.

Celia’s sister, Linda (Fatibeno) Koplin, preceded her in death. Survivors include daughter Marisa Dillon and her husband Jim Dillon; daughter Carina Hansen; son Eric Hansen; sister Dona Singerman; brother-in-law Bill Koplin; grandson Jamie Dillon and partner Zoe Soslow; grandson Zachary Dillon and wife Michelle; grandson Antonio Hansen and wife Bree; grandson Blake Hansen; great-grandchildren Jackson and Leo (Zachary and Michelle), Ayden, Liam, Reid, Maurizio, Blair, and Gemma (Antonio and Bree); and Omari and Blythe (Blake); nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in memory of Celia to the Himalayan Institute or to Ligmincha International. Links to both are located below on this webpage.