Franklyn Marshall Silva
January 12, 1918- January 3, 2017
Franklyn Marshall Silva passed away quietly the evening of January 3, 2017, just 9 days before his 99th birthday on January 12th.
Born in 1918 and raised in Berkeley he was third generation Californian on his mother’s side. Preceded in death by parents Frank E. and Anne H. (Menges) Silva; sisters Marjorie Ann Silva and Eleanor Louise Nolan; and son Don A. Silva.
After attending Berkeley High School, he went to California Business College, and worked at his father’s factory, National Upholstering Company. He learned all aspects of manufacturing and eventually became sole owner. Later the company expanded into Interior Design Showrooms across the country and became a very well known supplier of quality furniture to the Design Trade. Franklyn served in World War II in the Philippines.
Franklyn had many interests, such as Astronomy. He enjoyed photographing the sky through his telescope taking good photos of Galactic Clusters, Planets, Comet Hale-Bopp, and several Solar Eclipses. He took a college course in Astronomy and scored 3rd highest in the class.
When interested in something he researched as much as he could about that topic so that he could enjoy it even more. He liked sharing his favorite quote: “Science is the father of knowledge, but opinion breeds ignorance.” - Hippocrates (400-357 B.C.)
Railroad history, and especially steam engines, was his passion. Together with his wife, he went on many steam train trips in Northern California and out of state. He collected model steam engines of all sizes even spotting and shipping home a beautiful model engine in the window of an Dutch antique shop in 1968.
He loved driving through CA and Nevada desserts to photograph wild flowers, search for early Indian locations to photograph, and to rock hound. That led to an interest in gems, minerals and meteorites. He built a beautiful collection of those things he enjoyed seeing every day.
Frank’s father gave him a rifle when he was 9 to shoot when visiting relatives in Livermore Valley ranches. He became a very good shot and enjoyed target shooting the rest of his life. He did well in competition scoring a 5 shot group at 200 yds that measured ½”.
He was an avid reader, but not of fiction. He found the lives of people more interesting than a novel. He had a book collection of famous big game hunters in Africa, men that lived their lives during the 1800’s and early 1900’s.
Frank was the family historian. He assembled the cherished collection of items belonging to his mother and grandmother that dated back to the 1850’s. The collection amounted to three very large albums beautifully detailed and chronologically laid out. He donated them to the East Contra Costa Historical Society since most of his mother’s original family lived out in that area.
Surviving Frank is his second wife Jamie, they married in 1960 and moved to Sausalito 2 yrs later. They enjoyed traveling and visited 15 countries and trips across the U.S. His daughter Valerie Silva of Corning and son Marshall Silva of Santa Rosa. Grandchildren Gitane Royce and husband, Dave Tricamo, of San Francisco; Sarah Royce and Jesse Silva-Royce of MA; and Alesha Ezrilov (Adam) and Christine Beinke (Matt) of Danville. Great Granddaughter Coco Tricamo and Great Grandsons Chaisson & Wyatt Ezrilov and Barron & Harrison Beinke.
Friends and family will soon be notified about a Remembrance Gathering to celebrate Frank’s life in February.
Frank’s family sends many thanks to Hospice By the Bay for the wonderful and caring services provided to him. Special thanks to his primary nurse Richard Sheehy, RN, and his Home Health Aid Jose Benitez.
Also, many thanks for the years of care by his Primary Care Physician Catherine Clark-Sayles, M.D. and Jerald A. Young, M.D., FACC.
Please consider donations in Frank’s name to Hospice by the Bay, 17 East Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Larkspur, CA 94939.