Robert Silva, 83

November 15, 2019

On November 15, 2019, Robert Frederick Silva (Bob) took his last breath on earth, surrounded by the love of his grandson Rich and granddaughter-in-law Carolyn. He was a devout follower of Jesus Christ and a dedicated husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather. His faith and family meant everything to him.

Bob was born in Staten Island, New York to Austin and Rosanna (nee Ryan) Silva on February 12, 1936. He was a graduate of Curtis High School where he was a participant in the cooperative education program, clerking for the First National Bank in New York City all four years. He was a graduate of the New York State Ranger School – SUNY – College of Forestry in Wanakena, NY. After graduation, he worked for Eastern Pulpwood as a scaler and cruiser in the woods of Maine prior to becoming a surveyor in New York City. Bob was employed by Procter and Gamble Manufacturing Company for 36 years, retiring as a logistics technician. He was the president of the Port Ivory Federal Credit Union. After retirement, Bob earned his Florida Realtor license. He enjoyed volunteering for V.O.I.C.E. (Volunteer Observer Impacting Community Effort) in the Lee and Lake County Sheriff’s Department, where he assisted law enforcement in providing a higher level of service to the community. He was a member of the resident health council in Willow Valley.

Bob was married to his high school sweetheart, Edna (nee Thorsen) for 63 years. They had two children and were foster parents to five. Bob took on the role of Dad for his grandchildren and was extremely proud of their accomplishments and the productive adults they have become. He was very involved in church work and was the captain of the Christian Service Brigade, guiding many young boys to become Christian men. He loved to travel, go on cruises, walk the beach and visit Disney World. Bob was the consummate outlet shopper who could not resist a good deal. He enjoyed watching sports, the history channel and quiz game shows where he astonished everyone with his wealth of knowledge. Bob was an avid reader and a lover of music, especially marching bands and southern gospel. He was a DIYer who could fix or construct anything. Generous to a fault, he was the first to offer a helping hand and go the extra mile. He was the go-to guy for great advice on any subject. He was an impressive conversationalist, always having something interesting to talk about. He had a special place in his heart for all animals, especially his dog Pepper. Bob was extremely interested in his ancestry and spent many hours on the computer researching his heritage. He was a fighter (we called him the man with nine lives), overcoming several critical illnesses and was a two-time cancer survivor. He was known as the “gypsy’ of the family, taking up residence in the states of New York, Maine, New Jersey, Ohio and Florida before finally settling in Pennsylvania in 2007, where he resided in Willow Valley.

In addition to Edna, Bob is survived by a daughter, Elaine Coursey, son Robert Silva Jr. (Vilmary), grandchildren Richard Coursey (Carolyn), Christopher Coursey (Stephenie), Kelly Pfeiffer (Seth) and great-grandchildren Seth, Bradley, Hannah, Malia, Ashley, Richie and Gabriel.

Bob was a stellar example, emphasizing the need for strong faith, hard work and integrity. He will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him. The world’s loss is heaven’s gain.

As Bob requested, a service will be held at a later date for family and friends on Fort Myers Beach, Florida to scatter his ashes and memorialize his life.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his honor to:
Grace Community Church
14244 Johns Lake Road
Clermont, Florida 34711
IN MEMO: In memory of Bob Silva