Obituary of David Silver

K. David Silver died Saturday morning at the age of 93, surrounded by the family that adored him. Born to Herman and Rosa Silver on August 16, 1918, he grew up in Durham, NC as the youngest of eight children and the last living member of his generation of the Silvers, a family that has resided in North Carolina since 1889. He raised his family in Scarsdale NY before moving to Greensboro in 1979. He was a loving husband to his beloved wife René Silver, of blessed memory, a wonderful father of two children, the proudest grandfather of seven grandchildren, and a favorite uncle to many nieces and nephews of multiple generations. He graduated from UNC Chapel Hill with a degree in management and maintained his loyalty to the Tar Heels throughout his life. He was a gifted athlete who was a North Carolina state champion wrestler in high school and a tennis player and cheerleader at Carolina. When he no longer actively participated in sports, he was the consummate fan and armchair coach, with an uncanny knack for calling the plays before they occurred. Another of his primary passions was tending to his garden, although much to his chagrin, squirrels were often the beneficiaries of the fabulous tomatoes he grew. His entire professional career was in textiles and he stayed proudly loyal to Burlington Industries, starting in a mill, and working his way up to the executive floors of the New York corporate office, maintaining his southern charm and accent throughout his tenure in the city. After his retirement from Burlington in the mid-80s, he founded Peda Industries and worked as an entrepreneurial textile jobber the remainder of his life, continuing to derive much joy from the art of the deal. He is preceded in death by his beloved wife René, his parents Herman and Rosa, his brothers, Jack and Louis, and sisters, Jean Greene, Ceil Redstone, Peggy Huffman, Sadie Goodman, and Pat Silver. His children, Andrea Hershatter and Jed Silver, his children-in-law Bruce Hershatter and Mollisa Silver, and his grandchildren Danielle, Jessica, Justin, Ross, Jake, Matthew and Alex survive him. Funeral services will be held Tuesday, May 22 at 10:00 a.m. at Beth David Synagogue in Greensboro with Rabbi Eliezer Havivi officiating. The burial will follow in the Durham Hebrew Cemetery. Lambeth-Troxler Funeral Service is assisting the Silver family. The obituary and on-line condolences may be viewed at www.lambethtroxlerfuneralhome.com