Diana Haramboure

Diana Margarita Dean del Sol Haramboure was born March 9, 1937, in Matanzas, Cuba, and passed away on March 6, 2023, at the age of 85.  Her husband of 62 years, Alfredo Pedro Haramboure, recently passed away on January 24, 2023.  The two were inseparable in life and are now reunited in our heavenly kingdom. She is also predeceased by her parents Clara and Nilo Dean and her sister Carmen Dean.  She is survived by her children Diana Haramboure (Anne Simpson), Fred Haramboure (Lisa Haramboure), and Michele Sutcliffe (Geoff Sutcliffe), great grandchildren Rebecca Harp (Fredrick Harp), Alfredo Antonio Haramboure, Patrick Sutcliffe, and Angela Haramboure.  She is also survived by her sisters Maria Salam, Zenia Tapia, Adita Dean, Rebeca Dean, and Beatriz Dean and by her brother Nilo Dean (Julie Dean).

Diana was the eldest of her eight siblings.  Her “viva” was evidenced by her successful lobbying of her parents and of the school Sagrada Corazon de Jesus to be the first female student.  Alfredo was already a student at the school, a fact that undoubtedly was part of her motivation.  She attended college at the Escuela Normal para Maestras de Jardines de la Infancia and received her degree as a kindergarten teacher. She worked as a kindergarten teacher in Matanzas up until the time of her marriage to Alfredo.

When Cuba came under Communist rule, Diana remained in Cuba along with their infant daughter Diana while Alfredo escaped to Jamaica and eventually to the United States to obtain travel visas.  When they were finally able to leave Cuba in 1962, they had to leave all of their possessions behind.   Diana, using her creativity, was able to sneak out some of her jewelry.

Shortly after arriving to the US, Diana traveled with Alfredo and their daughter to temporarily live in France, Spain, and Costa Rica due to assignments with Alfredo’s engineering firm.  They returned to the US for their son Fred being born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1965 followed by Michele in Miami, Florida in 1966.  They settled in Lakeland, Florida in 1966 where they remained for the remainder of their lives.  In Lakeland, Diana worked at Maas Brothers as a mixologist for the department store’s trendy lunch spot, a census worker, a teacher’s aide, and then a Paraprofessional for ESOL at Jesse Keen Elementary School for close to 20 years.

Diana was energetic, witty, loved a party, and enjoyed traveling.  She could be counted on for telling an interesting story or interjecting a zinger into a conversation.  She always loved the beach, whether it was daily trips to the beach in Cuba with her sisters, weekend trips to Anna Maria Island with Alfredo and her children, or extended stays at their condo with Alfredo and Zenia and Eduardo Tapia.  She enjoyed international travel with her family and friends.

Diana had a flair for the arts and fashion.  As a young child, she would return home from the movie theatre and sketch out dresses worn by the actresses.  She would then have the dresses made by her father’s tailor, at a great cost unbeknownst to her father.  She had natural born talent in playing the piano and could pick out songs by ear.  She regularly played the organ and piano for masses at Resurrection Catholic Church.  Her love of fashion was also reflected in her own attire - a trend setter, very fashionable, and her outfit always completed with an ensemble of shoes, purse, jewelry and of course full makeup and stylish hair.  During their travels, she would purchase potteries, paintings, and other art pieces to decorate their home.

The family welcome visitors in the sanctuary at Resurrection Catholic Church from 10:30 to 11 am on March 30th.  The funeral mass will begin at 11 am, then an internment at Oak Hill Cemetery, and followed by a lunch reception at Eaglebrooke Country Club.  All are welcome.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Catholic Charities in her honor.  


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