James William Silva

FORESTDALE — James William Silva, 59, of Forestdale, died at home on Wednesday, September 22, 2010, with his wife and sons beside him after a long illness. Born in Somerville, Massachusetts, James grew up as a child in Cambridge and Waltham. He lived with his parents and brothers at the former Boy Scout camp, Camp Ted, where they were caretakers.

He was the son of the late Francis G. Silva and Helen M. (Bennett) Silva, and is survived by his wife Charlotte; two sons, Nicholas and his wife Christine of Sandwich, Michael and his wife Cheri of Manchester, Connecticut; two grandchildren, Jessica and Brett Silva; two step-grandchildren, Jason and Nathan Crowell; four brothers, Ernest and his wife Betsey of Sandwich, Ronald and his wife Patricia of Clearwater, Florida, Stephen and his wife Diane of East Sandwich, and David and his wife Holly of Marstons Mills; a brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Lee and Sheila Adams of Falmouth, along with several other nieces and nephews.

He began his love of carpentry at the vocational school in Waltham. Moving to Sandwich in 1967, he attended and graduated from Barnstable High Vocational School in 1969. He worked for the Carpenter's Union for several years before becoming self-employed, creating Silva Construction and building many houses working in all phases of construction.

He developed a growing interest in fire service and in 1974 became a member of the Sandwich Call Fire Department, where he became an EMT and worked dispatch over summer weekends. Hired full time in 1983, he went on to become a paramedic. Finishing his long career on the Sandwich Fire Department in 2005, he served as the first EMS officer in the Sandwich area. After retirement, he took over as Emergency Management Director for the Town of Sandwich. Other accomplishments include Paramedic of the Year for the Cape and Islands and Volunteer of the Year for the town of Sandwich 2009.

He was a very meticulous person and was always available to lend a hand and loved to help others.

Also significant was his work for BMX. His sons got him involved to become a designer, builder and director of Cape Cod BMX for 16 years in both the Sandwich and Otis AFB locations, which is still active today.

An avid Harley Davidson rider, he attended Bike Week in Daytona, Florida, showcasing his love of motorcycles. After many years of owning property in Maine with his brothers, he enjoyed snowmobiling and family vacations.

Visiting hours will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, September 26, 2010 in the Nickerson-Bourne Funeral Home, 154 Route 6A in Sandwich. Funeral services in the funeral home will begin at 10 a.m. on Monday. Burial will follow in the Sandwich Town Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Hospice & Palliative Care of Cape Cod, 765 Attucks Lane, Hyannis, MA 02601 or Sandwich Fire Department Union Local 2196, Route 6A, Sandwich, MA 02563.



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