Doris E. Silk

The world has lost a unique and adventurous woman. Doris Silk (Kaplan) was a force to be reckoned with from the day she was born. Known as the "Duchess" by her family and childhood friends, Doris always had a flair and a flavor for the finer things.Born in Newburgh, NY to the late Morris and Sallie Kaplan, Doris began a tradition early on that would come to define her as the friend you would have for life. She attended Boston University and New York University. She married her husband of nearly 60 years, Mark Silk, M.D., and was by his side throughout his medical training, which took them to New York City, where she worked at ABC Television, as well as Boston, Baltimore, London, St. Louis and eventually Hartford where Mark established his medical practice. Her peripatetic existence would take her around the globe to remote places that few would be brave enough to visit such as Syria and Burma. Doris was also part of the first group of Americans, including Senator John Glenn, to visit mainland China after the normalization of relations. Along with the souvenirs she collected along the way, she always brought back a treasure trove of amazing and humorous stories. Some of her favorite travel memories were strolling department stores in Tokyo and dancing by Banderas Bay while watching the sunsets with her family in Puerto Vallarta. She was a loving and proud mother to Stacy Rome (husband David), and granddaughters, Isabelle and Rachel (husband Carl, great-granddaughter Gwendolyn), Courtney Silk (husband Bill Walter), and Kelly Silk (husband Damon Saltzburg) and granddaughter, Ashlyn. Doris is also survived by her sisters, Adele Becker and Lenore Leon, as well as her nieces. To Isabelle and Ashlyn, who were the lights of her life, she was affectionately known as "Shorty," "Graham Cracker" and "Grandma Hartford."Doris forged a long and successful career in the television and video industry. She was the Founder of Media Inc. She was also involved in the inception of West Hartford Community Television, served as the Vice President of the International Television and Video Association/Connecticut Chapter, was a Corporator of Renbrook School and served on the Board of the Hartford Ballet. Doris' sense of humor and adventurous spirit will be forever missed by her family, her friends and everyone who had the opportunity to know her. A celebration of her life will be held on Sunday, September 15, 2019 at 1:00 pm at Avon Old Farms Hotel, 279 Avon Mountain Road, Avon, Connecticut. For more information and to RSVP, please email: dorissilkcelebration@gmail.com by August 15, 2019. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Doris' name to fund pancreatic cancer research at Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 10 Brookline Place West- 6th Floor, Brookline, MA 02445. Donations may also be made online at www.danafarber.org or by calling 617-632-2903. The family wishes to express their gratitude to Dr. and Mrs. Bimalin Lahiri, Annie Audette and the staff at Seabury Larus Unit, Sonia Fernandes, as well as Lee, Andrea and Lauren at the Smilow Cancer Center at St. Francis Hospital.