Assunta “Titti” Dierna Klippel, 78, of Tarpon Springs, Florida and North Haven, CT passed away peacefully on Monday, April 18, 2022, at BayCare Alliant Hospital, Dunedin, FL with her beloved husband of 52 years, George William Klippel by her side. Titti was born in Asmara, Eritrea, East Africa, on June, 16, 1943, and was the daughter of Antonio and Rosa Giavalisco Dierna. As Italian citizens, the Dierna family emigrated to Rome, Italy, where Titti utilized her many language skills while employed at Control Data Corp. Titti and George’s paths crossed in 1968, in Asmara, where George was stationed in the United States Army at the ASA Signal Intelligence Facility, Kagnew Station. After a glorious wedding in 1970 at Santa Maria in Aracoeli Church, Rome, Italy, Titti and George, settled in George’s hometown, Woodstock, New York, and subsequently moved to Connecticut where Titti was employed for many years at Heartland Drug, Newington, CT, and later at Fashion Bug, Meriden, CT. Titti was an active member in the Asmarini Club, a large group of Italian citizens who grew up in Asmara, and subsequently emigrated to Italy during Eritrea’s war of independence from the Haile Selassie regime of Ethiopia. Titti and George attended many of the Asmarini Club’s annual reunions in Riccione, Italy. Titti, the beloved mother of Cristina Tancreti and her husband, Christopher, and loving grandmother of Georgia Grace and Jackson Manuel Tancreti of North Haven, CT, the beloved sister of Salvatore Dierna and his wife Mirella of Rome, Italy, the beloved cousin of the dear Giavalisco family of Italy and Germany, and the dear Dierna family of Sicily, Italy, may she rest in peace in God’s embrace with all those who went before her. Titti was exceptionally proud of her daughter, Cristina’s many academic and career accomplishments within the field of Occupational Therapy and loved to be with her grandkids, Georgia and Jackson: they will miss their “Nunu” dearly.
Private funeral services have been entrusted to the Havens Family, North Haven Funeral Home, 36 Washington Avenue, North Haven, and Titti will be buried next to her mother, Rosa (Nonna Rosa) at St John’s Cemetery, Wallingford, CT. Friends and family will join together in a Celebration of Life event to be held at a later date.