Marianna (aka "Marika") Haber was born in Budapest, Hungary in 1935. Her father (Ernest Militzer) was a Chemical Engineer and owned a perfume manufacturing company in Hungary. Ernest died in WWII when Marika was 9 years old. At the age of 13, Marika - along with her mother (Eva) and brother (George) - managed to emigrate from Hungary and settle in Rome, Italy

While in Italy, Marika finished her primary schooling and then went on to earn a certificate in teaching. She also pursued acting and had several roles in films produced by Carlo Ponti. In 1952, she appeared alongside Sophie Lauren in "La Tratta Delle Bianche". Almost immediately thereafter, she was signed for a lead role in another film, but her burgeoning acting career was tragically cut short when - at the age of 18 - she contracted Polio.

During her battle with Polio, Marika spent months in an Italian hospital and ended up with permanent neuromuscular damage in her legs. The doctors at the time predicted that she would never again be able to walk on her own. However, true to the resilient spirit that became one of her hallmarks, Marika eventually rehabilitated herself to the point where she could autonomously get around without the use of a wheelchair or cane.

In 1956, Marika and her mother boarded a ship in Italy and took the transcontinental journey to the United States. They settled in New York City where Marika found work with the Italian bank - Banco di Napoli. One evening, a few years later, Marika met Norman Haber at a party being hosted by a mutual friend. The two married in 1962, had a son and daughter (Marco and Tara), and remained together until Norman's death in 2007.

Over the course of her life, Marika earned a reputation for being a remarkably strong person. She faced great adversities with a courage, determination, sense of humor and grace that always elicited admiration from the people around her.

In addition to being a loving and devoted mother, Marika (in spite of her physical challenges) practiced yoga and went swimming nearly every day for many decades and all the way up to just a couple of weeks before she died. Marika also had a great interest in current affairs and would spend hours a day reading and listening to classical music.

Marika Haber died in Vero Beach, Florida on October 31, 2017. She was 82 and is survived by her son, daughter, son in law, and two grandsons.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to one of the following organizations:
Humane Society: www.humanesociety.org
The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis: www.themiamiproject.org
Florida Cancer Specialists Foundation: foundation.flcancer.com