Irving Silverman of Dedham, Mass., formerly of Roslyn, NY, Tucson, Ariz., and Bernard, Maine, passed away on August 5, 2023, at the age of 103.
Irving was the beloved husband of the late Henrietta and the late Nancy, devoted father of Ellen Siegel and her husband Donald, Bill Silverman and his wife Sherry, Suzy Weisman and her husband Jerry, and Peggy Friedland, cherished grandfather of Jolie, Deborah, David, Erica, Daniel and Johana, loving great-grandfather to Catie, Andy, Henry, Annie, Eli, Ali and Lilly, and dear uncle of Barbara, Marilyn, Sharon, Lee, Martin, Bill and Henry.
A chapel service will be held at 1:00 PM on Tuesday, August 8 at Sharon Memorial Park, 40 Dedham Street, Sharon, Mass. The service will be livestreamed with livestream info available at www.levinechapels.com.
The family will observe shiva on Tuesday August 8 from 7-9 pm at the home of his daughter Ellen and on Wednesday August 9 at NewBridge.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Irving’s memory may be made to NewBridge on the Charles, Combined Jewish Philanthropies, Baruch College, or the Perkins School for the Blind.
Irving was a pillar of every community he was ever involved in or organization he led, a larger-than-life presence. In his professional life, he was Business Manager of the National Knitwear Association, publishing its weekly trade journal and running events; after he retired, he organized the Kosher Food and Jewish Life Expo. He was President of United Synagogue’s New York Metropolitan Region, organized voter registration drives in New York, and worked tirelessly to help Russian Jews emigrate to the US. He held weekly Torah study sessions in his lighthouse in Maine where he also officiated 37 weddings. Always most important to him was his extended family.
He was most enthusiastic about Life, with a capital L. He wanted to live long and did, sharing happy times with seven great grandchildren. Among his many and varied interests: collecting antique wooden printers’ type, lighthouses, giraffes and writing: he published two books, including Aging Wisely . . . Wisdom of Our Elders.
