Surrounded by her loving family, Barbara Silk Magaddino, a resident of Santa Ana, passed away peacefully at home on January 20, 2012. She was 62 years old and died after a five year battle with colon cancer, fought with courage, grace and faith.
Barbara was born on February 22, 1949 to Edmund and Sarah Silk in New York City. Soon after her birth, the family moved to Illinois and later settled in Lynchburg, Virginia. Barbara attended parochial schools in Lynchburg and graduated from Virginia Tech in 1971. It was at Virginia Tech that she met her future husband Joe and they were married in 1972. In 1973, they relocated to California when Joe joined the faculty at California State University, Long Beach. They moved to Santa Ana in 1977 and have four children.
Barbara was employed by the City of Orange as a risk management analyst, retiring in 2009. Barbara took pride in the quality of her work and enjoyed working with the city’s staff, third party administrators as well as residents of Orange. Many of these relationships developed into lasting friendships.
Barbara will be remembered as a loving wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, and friend. She is survived by her husband of 39 years, Joseph, their children: Peter (Nicole) of Belmont, CA, Katharine (Christopher) Reese of Fullerton, CA, Sarah (Andrew) Kuhlman of Santa Ana, CA, and Michael of Pleasant Hill, CA; her sister, Joan Tichacek of Lynchburg, VA; her brother, Richard Silk of Forest, VA; granddaughter Reagan Reese, nieces, a nephew as well as many cherished friends.
Barbara and her family greatly appreciated the care she received from her physicians Drs. Huang, Openshaw, and Wagman and their respective staff. The family acknowledges the loving care that she received from the nurses and staff of Hospice Care of the West.
Barbara was a former model in the Circle of Life program sponsored by the Saint Joseph’s Hospital Foundation. She enjoyed the experience, most especially meeting other models who were cancer survivors. The family asks that in lieu of flowers contributions be made to the St. Joseph's Hospital Foundation, the Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Cancer, http://www.sjo.org/
The Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 12:10 PM Thursday, January 26, 2012 at Holy Family Cathedral, Orange. Interment will follow in Santa Ana Cemetery.