Mr. Edward Ruben Silva

Edward R. Silva passed away peacefully at the age of 100, on Tuesday, January 6, 2015. He was born in Hanford, CA to Isabel Luis of Traver, CA and Joseph Rodriguez Silva, originally from the Azores Islands. Ed grew up on the family ranch with his older brother and sister, Joseph and Helen, and his baby sister, Jesse. Ed married Mary Lou Casmimiro in June of 1936. They had one daughter, Maureen Silva Stenland. Ed was a farmer for the most part of his life working his family's ranch and also worked as a foreman for other farms. In the 1940's, Ed was a speed boat pilot and competed in races all over the country. He won many trophies including the George H. Townsend Trophy in Long Beach, CA; and was national champion in 1946. In September 1967, Ed married Elizabeth Diel. They were married for 33 years and enjoyed travelling. One of Ed's favorite pastimes was fishing. He and Elizabeth took their RV on numerous fishing trips to Mexico and Canada along with his step-son and daughter-in-law, Tom and Beverly Diel. He worked as a mechanic for Diel Bros. in his later years. After retiring he enjoyed working in his garden and going fishing every chance he could. Ed was preceded in death by his first wife, Mary Lou; second wife, Elizabeth Diel; and step-son, Thomas Diel. He is survived by his daughter, Maureen Silva Stenland; son-in-law, Roy Stenland; step-daughter-in-law, Beverly Diel; step-granddaughter, Cheryl "Cheri" Diel. Visitation will be held at Whitehurst, Sullivan, Burns & Blair Funeral Home on Friday, January 16, 2015, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. followed by a Funeral Service at 3:00 p.m. Remembrances may be made in Ed's name to your favorite charity.