Martin Harris Silver

If the measure of a man were based on the unadulterated pleasure he offered others, by the number of laughs he elicited, from the purity of his giving heart and by the love he felt for his family, Martin Harris Silver stood a giant among men. Martin was ubiquitous. His circle of friends grew instantly from the point of introduction. Martin’s gregarious nature and his endless stock of hilarious stories and unremitting commentary on every aspect of life drew people to him, from sports and politics to the price of turkey and mozzarella sandwiches at the new Central Market. No subject was sacred to Martin – every topic was game for mocking. He possessed the perfect degree of cynicism and sarcasm, which ironically contributed to Martin’s irresistible and infectious personality. Martin could make edgy, provocative statements and yet somehow always manage to escape offending others. Only Martin. Martin was allowed a wide berth by his friends and loved ones because he offered joy and his ever-present smile to every person he greeted. Martin didn’t seek the spotlight. Indeed, it was everyone else who rushed to shine the light on him. Martin was delight personified. He lifted everyone’s spirits around him because in addition to his humor, he was disarming and forgiving, self-deprecating and generous of spirit and unselfish with his time. Martin Silver was a unique, intelligent, magnanimous and sweet man, though he would vociferously protest those adjectives. Of course the more he rebuffed praise and affection, the more his friends wanted to lavish it on him. The one adjective he would embrace fully was that of devoted sports fan, particularly for his Texas Longhorns, though he would stay up late for Lakers games and root for USC when they weren’t doing battle with Texas. Martin’s life was a blessing; he was a loving caregiver, a loyal and rare friend and a prince. Martin Harris Silver was born on September 20, 1961 and passed away suddenly on August 31, 2012. He was the eldest and only son of Herbert and Temma Silver. Martin grew up in Calabasas, California, attended and received a Bachelor’s of Business Administration from his beloved University of Texas at Austin and earned his Doctorate of Jurisprudence from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Martin served as a Senior Attorney in the legal division of the FDIC, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation for more than 20 years. Chief among Martin’s passions were his beautiful bride of 26 years, Lisa Ginsberg Silver, and his two daughters, Megan Leah and Amelia (Mia) Reese. It was for these three women that Martin devoted his life. Lisa, Megan and Mia were his centerpiece, his touchstone, his motivation to live and to love. Martin’s primary goal in life was to help his girls fulfill their dreams. In addition to his wife and daughters, and parents, Martin is survived by his sisters, Beth (Jeff) Goldman and Brett (Cory) Watson and their children, Emerson and Ellis, and Ben and Avery. He is also survived by a large and loving family of brothers and sisters-in law, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews. The funeral will be at noon on Tuesday at Temple Emanu-El , Olan Sanctuary, Dallas, and burial will follow at Hillcrest Memorial Park. Pallbearers will be Steve Baron, Steve Rudner, Howard Rubin, Trevor Pearlman, Jeff Goldman and Cory Watson. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you consider a donation in Martin’s memory to The Hockaday School.