William Silva

William Silva was born on August 13, 1944 in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. In his youth, he was raised in New York City with his parents, Juan & Petra, as well as his siblings. As a young man, he was blessed with two daughters, Tonya and Elene (Sissy); and eventually four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, in his later years.

In the early 1970s, William planted roots in the Doylestown/Chalfont area of Pennsylvania, where he resided until his passing on April 15, 2021.

During his life, William was closely connected to the local arts scene, and made a point of taking his daughters and grandchildren to museums and galleries. He was extremely fond of the Michener Art Museum and donated two original W. Smith pieces to them.

By trade, William was a hair stylist; he successfully owned and operated Silva Hairworks in Doylestown, for many years. However, his creativity and talent did not just apply to hair. He also enjoyed sketching, painting and held a great passion for woodwork. He loved woodworking so much that he turned his standard basement into a fully functional, extremely organized, and safe wood shop; complete with a ventilation system. His family believes this was one of the places he loved to be the most. William took great pride in the many pieces he made, which you may have seen throughout his home.

William loved the outdoors. He introduced his daughters to skiing, adventures on the back of his motorcycle, and plane rides in a single engine plane with him in the cockpit. He also was passionate about running, and participated in approximately 17 marathons throughout his life, including Boston, Philadelphia and New York.

William accomplished much in life, and the impact he had on his family is immense. His strong personality, creative spirit, belief in God, and love of country are just a small piece of the man he was; he will be missed and always in our hearts.

He is survived by his two daughters, Tonya (husband Nahum); Sissy (husband Enrique); grandchildren Robert (wife Alyssa), Christian, Cheyenne and Jeremy; great-grandchildren Lilah, Jackson and Lucas, as well as his siblings Dolores, Ampy (husband Peter), Richard (wife Nellie) and many beloved nieces and nephews.

Services are being planned for August, 2021 and will be held at Scanlin Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, anyone wishing to make a donation in William Silva's name can do so at:

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) at www.chop.edu/give

Or The Michener Art Museum at www.reservations.michenerartmuseum.org/MembershipAndDonations.aspx?TributeOnly=True.

Donations by check can be sent to:

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Foundation, P.O. Box 781352, Philadelphia, PA 19178-1352; or

James A. Michener Art Museum, P.O. Box 64585, Souderton, PA 18964
Please write in memory of William Silva on the memo line of the check.