Eleanor Silva, 88, died Wednesday August 12, 2009 at her home. She was born in New Bedford, MA to the late Caroline Niemic on April 25, 1921. Eleanor and her husband were 30 year residents of Hampstead and prior to that lived all over the United States. She studied to be a Dental Hygienist in Washington D.C. at Columbia where she met her husband at George Washington University Medical School. She married the love of her life in 1944, Dr. Jose Luis Silva at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Washington D.C. She was a devout Catholic all her life, she prayed daily to St. Cyril and was a member of Holy Cross Catholic Church in East Derry. Eleanor loved to play scrabble, pray the rosary and taking trips to Jupiter, FL with her husband.
Beside her husband of 64 years, Mrs. Silva leaves her loving sons, John F. Silva of Methuen, MA, Andrew J. Silva of Hampstead, NH, and Christopher E. Silva of Carlisle, PA. Eleanor also leaves her three cherished grandchildren, Amanda, Janet Rose and Joseph James.
There are no calling hours at the request of the family. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at 11a.m. Monday, August 17, 2009 at the Holy Cross Church, 187 Hampstead Rd, Derry. The burial followed in the West Hampstead Cemetery in Hampstead. Donations in memory of Mrs. Silva may be directed to the Holy Cross Church. The Peabody Funeral Homes and Crematorium is handling the arrangements for the family.