Paula A. (Humes) Ciliberti

It is with great sadness that we share the news that after a courageous battle with cancer, Paula Ciliberti peacefully passed away surrounded by her three daughters on Monday, September 26th, 2022. 

Paula Humes Ciliberti of Murrysville was born November 14, 1945, in Youngstown, OH, daughter of the late Paul Humes and Edna Mullen Humes.  Paula’s husband, David Ciliberti, preceded her in death.  Paula is survived by her daughters Megan Whiteford (John), Sharon Steinfurth (Adam), and Caroline Ciliberti (Jim Podroskey) as well as 6 grandchildren:  Emily, Ben, and Jack Whiteford; Ryan and Kate Steinfurth; and Anna Podroskey.  

Paula graduated from Mount Mercy College in 1968 and as a post-graduate attended the University of Pittsburgh, where she earned permanent certification as a school speech therapist.  She was a Speech Therapist for the Pittsburgh Public schools for the next 5 years.  She met David Ciliberti, the love of her life, while she was at Mount Mercy and David was at Carnegie Mellon.  They married in 1970 and in 1974 moved to Murrysville where they raised three daughters.  When Dave died suddenly in 1988 at the age of 41, Paula became the sole provider of her family.  With 3 young daughters to support, Paula accepted a position working for Project Star, a Special Needs Adoption Agency, and then with an Advocacy program in Murrysville for people with disabilities.  Knowing she would need to acquire more skills to better her career opportunities and provide for her family, she began pursuing a Master’s Degree in Human Resource Management.  At age 50, she earned that degree from St. Francis University. In 1997, Paula transitioned to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh where she held various positions including Coordinator of the Autism Center, Assistant to the Director of the Child Development Unit, Coordinator of the Fragile X Center, and Coordinator of a Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program that focused on providing graduate training to the next generation of clinical, research, and community leaders.  

Paula enjoyed traveling to England, Ireland, and Italy, but her “Happy Place” was at the family cottage in Henderson Harbor, NY. Paula loved watching her family grow and make memories there.  She particularly enjoyed reading the annual entries in the Cottage Family Log, a family treasure dating back nearly 70 years, that captured reminiscences, provided answers to questions, and documented visitors to this little slice of heaven. Paula, always an avid reader, loved books and was particularly fond of historical fiction and mysteries. The Mother-Daughter Book Club she started with her daughter in 1997 still continues to meet after nearly three decades. 

Since retiring in 2015, Paula joined OSHER at Carnegie Mellon University and every semester took advantage of courses offered.  One semester she took a class titled Astrophysics and the Universe with her dear friend Liz Dillon.  They recently giggled and thought “What were we thinking?” when reminiscing about being 70 plus years old and taking an astrophysics class. They wondered if their husbands (both CMU grads) were giggling up in heaven with them too when the first class was a review of calculus (accompanied by a 43-page handout!).  But she stayed the course with her friend, and she came away awed and humbled by the brilliance and passion of the instructor.  And Paula loved shopping almost as much as learning …Finding the ideal gift brought her GREAT joy.  She always had a cache on hand of perfect gifts, for her loved ones, stored in her “wondrous basement,” a description lovingly coined by her adoring and curious grandchildren.  

Paula always said “it takes a village”; and she certainly loved her village: Family and friends; her Verner Drive family; the Murrysville community; Henderson Harbor; and Children’s Hospital. She felt that a life well lived was measured by the relationships you nurtured in your personal, professional, and community life. But the highlight of Paula’s life was her relationship with her daughters, her sons-in-law, and her GRANDS!  

Paula will be missed dearly by her surviving family, her children and their spouses, grandchildren, siblings, in-laws, nieces, and nephews, and her many, many friends. Visitation will be from 9 to 10 a.m. Saturday, October 1, 2022, at Hart Funeral Home, Murrysville.  A Mass will follow at 10:30 a.m. at Mother of Sorrows Church in Murrysville.  Paula will be laid to rest next to David in Twin Valley Cemetery, Delmont, PA.  

In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made in her name to the Murrysville Community Library, CORE or the American Cancer Society.  

Our family expresses our gratitude to the many friends and family who showered our mother with cards, texts, calls, and emails.  In her final days, she felt the love of all who knew her, and we were awed to witness the impact she had on the people around her.  We are also grateful for the many incredible doctors and nurses who fought beside us in this battle. www.hartfuneralhomeinc.com 

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