Obituary: William Barton Silvis

William Barton Silvis
formerly of Chicago, IL., Plymouth, MI., Sun City West, AZ. and Chelsea, MI.

Age 95, died Monday, Oct. 29, 2012 at Chelsea Retirement Community. He was born Sept. 24, 1917 in St. Paul, Minn., the son of Louie William and Pearl Emoline (Barton) Silvis.

William retired after 42 years from Associated Spring, a division of Barnes Group in Plymouth. He graduated from the University of Detroit in 1975 with a degree in Business Administration. He served as a city commissioner of Plymouth and was a member of the Kiwanis Club.

He loved baseball and enjoyed serving as an umpire with the Suburban Umpire Association. William was an active member of the First Presbyterian Church of Plymouth and Desert Palms Presbyterian Church of Sun City West, AZ.

Amateur radio was an important hobby, his call signs were K8YNV and N7ERQ.

On Nov. 20, 1941, he married Mary Elizabeth Martin in Chicago, IL., and she survives. Other survivors include two daughters, Marjorie Lynch of Plymouth, Janet (Richard) Weaver of Dexter; one son, William (Barbara) Silvis of Ann Arbor; six grandchildren, Rebecca (Timothy) Gilbert of Nashville, TN., William Charles (Lauren) Silvis of Bethesda, MD., Benjamin (Kari) Weaver of Rochester Hills, MI., Edward Lynch of Detroit, Richard Weaver of East Lansing and Elizabeth Lynch of Wixom; five great-grandchildren, Katherine, Abigail and Andrew Gilbert, Samuel Silvis, and Holden Weaver, and two brothers, John Silvis of Foxboro, MA. and Ralph (Dorothy) Silvis of Sardinia, OH.

William was preceded in death by his parents and step-mother Eulalia Silvis, two sisters, Louisa Carr and Gretchen Hart; and two brothers George and Wirton Silvis.

A memorial service will be held Thursday, Nov. 8 at 1 p.m. at Chelsea Retirement Community with Rev. Cathi King officiating. The family will receive friends from noon to 1 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to Chelsea Retirement Community or Alzheimer's Association. Arrangements by Cole Funeral Chapel.