Silvana Presta, 54, of Kenosha, passed away on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, at home surrounded by her loving family after a very courageous battle with cancer.
Born on February 28, 1969, in Kenosha, she was the daughter of Aldo and Gloria (DeBartolo) Presta. She attended Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic School, Bullen Junior High School and graduated from Bradford High School in 1987. She graduated from North Central College in Naperville, IL, with a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in International Business and Spanish. During college, she studied a semester abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina at the Universidad de la Empresa. At North Central College, she was awarded the Carleen Verstraete Outstanding Resident Student Award. She earned a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wisconsin – Parkside.
Silvana was currently a Human Resources Manager at Kem Krest in Pleasant Prairie. Silvana worked as a Human Resources professional for 30 years at various companies which included Supervalu, Brunswick, Ace Worldwide and Lake Forest College. She received a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification from the Human Resources Certification Institute and a SHRM-CP certification from the Society for Human Resources Management.
Silvana was a member of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church and was currently the chairperson of the Pastoral Council and a member of the Ladies Society.
Silvana loved to garden, a hobby she picked up from her father and maternal grandfather. She was a great baker who loved to attend music concerts, dance, travel and enjoyed ceramics. Silvana was devoted to her family and was a loving caregiver to her maternal grandmother and her mother. From a young age, Silvana was her father’s helper. She always helped her dad with his carpenter jobs. Silvana was the best sister anyone could ask for and she was a loving aunt to James. Silvana cherished her aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.
Silvana is survived by her mother, Gloria Presta; her sisters: Lisa (Dane) Manker, Claudia Presta and Diane Presta and her nephew and godson, James Bender. Silvana is also survived by her aunts and uncles: Gino and Connie DeBartolo, Domenico and Ersilia Casalena, Orlando Bartello, Melina Presta-Ruffolo of Argentina, Maria Presta of England and Rita Presta of Italy. She is also survived by her godmother, Delfina Volpendesta and many dear cousins and friends.
Silvana was preceded in death by her father, Aldo Presta; her grandparents: Francesco and Assuntina DeBartolo and Pasquale and Virginia Presta; her brother-in-law, Brian Bender and aunts and uncles: Francesco Presta, Elio Presta, Ignazio Ruffolo, Domenico and Carmela Ruffolo, Ignazio and Ada DeBartolo and Emma Bartello.
Thank you to the nurses and staff on the 3200 wing of Froedtert South for taking such good care of Silvana.
Thank you to Father Campbell, Father McDermott, and our entire Mt. Carmel family for all your prayers and support. You give us strength especially on the days when we have none.
Thank you to Hospice Alliance and Home Helpers for your services which allowed us to bring Silvana home after spending more than three months in the hospital.
A very special thank you to Dr Janet Chua for taking such good care of Silvana, for all your guidance and support but most of all for never giving up on Silvana. We will be forever grateful.
Visitation will be held on Friday, March 24, 2023, at Proko Funeral Home from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m, concluding with the Rosary recited in Italian and the Divine Mercy Chaplet in English for Silvana. Prayers will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 25, 2023, at the funeral home, followed by Mass of Christian Burial at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church, 1919 54th Street, Kenosha, WI at 11:00 a.m. Committal prayers will follow in All Saints Mausoleum, Pleasant Prairie, WI.
