Laura DiSilverio Obituary

DiSilverio
Laura Ann
(Hankins) DiSilverio
September 18, 1962
June 14, 2024

A beloved wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt and friend, Laura Ann DiSilverio, died on June 14th, 2024. She was 61 years old. She was surrounded by her loving family and died peacefully, after a near six-year battle with ocular melanoma. A beautiful woman of deep faith and exceptional grace, she excelled in many endeavors in her life.
Born in Valdosta, Georgia to her parents Don and Joan Hankins, on September 18, 1962, Laura grew up in an Air Force family where her father served as a fighter and instructor pilot for many years. As a child she lived in locales ranging from South Texas and Washington state to Oklahoma and the Philippines. She graduated from High School in Enid, OK and went on to attend Trinity University in San Antonio, TX where she majored in English, graduating in 1983. She was commissioned out of USAF Officer Training School in 1984
She served 20 years in the United States Air Force as an intelligence officer. She was a squadron commander, a deputy group commander and the military assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force. She served as an assistant professor in the English Department at the US Air Force Academy and as the Chief of Intelligence at Fighter Squadron in Kunsan AB in Korea. At the time of her selection, (three years ahead of her peers) she was one of the youngest officers in the Air Force selected for promotion to full colonel. She declined the promotion to retire, raise her children and write her books. Her military decorations included the Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal. She also received the National Reconnaissance Office's Silver Medal for outstanding contributions to the national defense. She earned master's degrees from the University of Pennsylvania in 1990 and the Air War College in 2000.
A splendid spouse, a wonderful mother to her daughters, Lily and Ellen and an accomplished, award-winning author of 21 published novels, Laura lived the life she wanted to have. She wrote across several genres including mystery, suspense, and youth dystopian fiction. Her novel, The Reckoning Stones won the 2016 Colorado Book Award for Mystery writing. She devoted countless hours to teaching novice authors the writing craft and served as Secretary and President of Sisters in Crime, a national organization dedicated to promoting and advocating for women crime writers.
Always active in her church community, Laura devoted considerable time and effort to advancing the goals of her St. Michael's parish and served on both the Vestry and as Senior Warden.
Many people have commented on her steadfast commitment to her friends and her extraordinary forbearance and equanimity during the cancer journey. She loved her God, her family and her friends. The world is a lesser place without her presence. She was greatly loved and will be deeply missed.
She is survived by her husband of 31 years, Thomas, her daughters, Lily and Ellen, her mother Joan Hankins, and her brothers John and James Hankins.
A Memorial Service and celebration of her life will be held at St. Michael's Episcopal Church (7400 Tudor Road, Colorado Springs, CO) on Saturday 17 August at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Michael's Episcopal Church.