Survivors include his wife of 49 years, Bonnie May (Brown) Silverman; daughters Janelle Brienzi (Kevin) of Cary, and Angela Silverman (Sarah) of Philadelphia, PA.; son, Scott Silverman of Cary, and grandchildren, Natalie Elrod, Valery Elrod, Isaac “Little I” Brienzi, Ayden Brienzi, and Kevin Brienzi Jr., all of Cary.
Also surviving are a sister Stacey (Barry) Gladstein of Voorhees, NJ; three nieces, Samantha and Amy (Chaz) Gladstein and Andi (Kathy) Brown; and one nephew Joshua Gladstein. Ira was predeceased by his brother, Scott Silverman of New York, NY, and by his parents, Alfred and Marlene (Zwicker) Silverman of Englishtown, NJ.
Ira grew up in the Bronx and Queens, New York, the oldest of three children. His father, Alfred, owned a business making jewelry displays, and his mother, initially a part-time model, focused on raising her family after her children were born.
From the time he was 4 years old, Ira had a passion for baseball, playing in youth leagues around New York. He was such an accomplished pitcher that he was once scouted by the New York Yankees. An arm injury brought his hopes of the major leagues to an end, but his love of the Yankees continued all his life.
He graduated from high school when he was 16 years old, and then attended the State University of New York (SUNY) in Brockport, NY. There he had the greatest fortune of his life when he met Bonnie Brown, who became his true love. They married on May 24, 1975. (It was one of Ira’s hopes to make it to his 50th anniversary.)
After college graduation, they moved to Cuba, NY (south of Buffalo) where Bonnie's family lived. Bonnie worked as a nurse, and Ira went back to school for a degree in medical technology, working in area hospital labs. All three of their children were born in western New York.
The family moved to Cary in 1996. Bonnie continued working as a nurse, and Ira continued to work in the laboratory as an equipment specialist at Biomerieux, where he spent many years. He ended his career as the supervisor of the microbiology lab at Duke Hospital.
Bonnie retired in 2015 and Ira a year later. They stayed close to home, and enjoyed a fun and satisfying life with their children and grandchildren. Ira and Bonnie also doted on two dogs, Dexter and Luigi, and a cat, Josie.
Ira lived a full and happy life after meeting Bonnie and having a family. He was a cherished husband, father, and grandfather who never lost his New York accent — or his unique perspective on life.
A visitation for friends will be held from 10 a.m. until noon on Monday, July 22, 2024 at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home, 200 S.E. Maynard Rd, Cary, followed immediately by a funeral service at the same location. Committal service will be held at 1 p.m. at Wake Memorial Park, 7002 Green Hope School Road in Cary.
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