July 17, 1926 – April 21, 2016
at the age of 89 years
Silva was born in 1926 in Amsterdam, Holland and as she grew up she assisted her father in his retail store in the city.
During WW2 Silva met her future husband Ben on the tennis court and they seemed to make a real match. Before long the question came up what to do next, until Ben was offered a job in New Zealand in an administrative position. What both had gone through during the War, a move to New Zealand seemed like a step in the right direction. She followed her future husband shortly after his departure and upon arrival decided to marry him on the spot, November 1952. Their stay in New Zealand did not satisfy them and they returned to Holland.
Silva’s sister, Constance, and her husband had immigrated from Holland to Canada and lived in Toronto, Ontario. At Constance’s request, Silva and Ben moved to Toronto in 1958. Finding work in that ere was not easy but Silva was fortunate and joined Sears Canada as a sales person. Ben began his studies in the accounting world but both felt unsettled in the large city of Toronto. After looking at a map of Canada they decided to move and in 1965 Calgary, Alberta was the next stop. Silva was able to transfer with Sears to their Calgary store.
Both Silva and Ben loved animals, in particular horses. Silva felt much more at home in Calgary and shortly after their arrival they began looking for an acreage on the outskirts of town. Silva got her first horse on the farm and soon thereafter she was the proud owner of five. Horse parades were her favorite as you can see in the card. Another love was Siberian dogs and with their countryside dream home, completed in 1973, she was in the perfect lifestyle she wanted.
1987 was a year of transition for both Silva and Ben. Her job of 30 years with Sears and Ben’s job in Calgary came to an end. Lifestyle had been very fast and it was time to slow down. The farm was sold and in 1989 they moved to a small acreage in Cranbrook, BC along with two horses.
The next move was another down size to Enderby, BC. The home in town had no place for Silva’s two horses so they were boarded in Armstrong, on a 15 minute drive away. Both of these have died naturally.
Silva and Ben had a short stay in Vernon, BC and a final move to Salmon Arm, BC, in 2013.
Silva passed away peacefully on April 21, 2016 at the age of 89 in Salmon Arm.
Our deepest condolences to Ben as he moves on without Silva at his side.
Silva will always be in our memory, as we got to know her and Ben when we moved here to Enderby in 2003. We have celebrated birthdays and anniversaries with them and at times with their friends as well. It was a pleasure to know Silva and we enjoyed her stories of her early years with Ben especially those which were spent riding her horse in the Calgary Stampede. As the years passed she had more difficulty with her health but would always be found with Ben at her side. We will miss Silva as we continue to enjoy Ben’s company. When ever I think of Silva I will think of a very smartly dressed lady with a beautiful smile.
Betty and Frank Lucianovich