Lasting Memories

Theresa May Silva
Aug. 1, 1935-Dec. 13, 2016
Menlo Park, California

Theresa May (Tessie) Silva, born August 1,1935, was called to the Lord Tuesday, Dec 13th, 2016 embraced by her family at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara.

Theresa was born in San Diego, CA, to Mariel Pemberton O’Malley and Tommy O’Malley though she was raised by relatives, Leon and Ruth Hubbard.

She began her training as a nurse at Mercy Hospital in San Diego. She later entered the first nursing class at Lone Mountain, University of San Francisco, where she met her future husband William Silva.

They married in 1957 and started their family. While her husband worked she stayed home from nursing to raise 7 children in Menlo Park, California.

She was a woman of strong faith, active in the Nativity Parish and School, Sacred Heart, Bellarmine, USF communities while in the Bay Area.

While caring for her children, she went back to school to attain her master's degree in nursing.

She worked at General Hospital and later Stanford ER. After her husband had passed away and the first round of grandchildren were born, she moved to Carlsbad, California, where she has many friends.

In her time there she found joy working at the Four Seasons and with Health Works, along with volunteering with the Police Department. In addition, being the woman of faith she was, she had great stories of the community she found at St. Patrick’s Church. In 2015, she moved to Santa Barbara, where she quickly built a great community of friends through the Saint Raphael’s Parish and volunteering with the downtown organization.

She is survived by her three daughters, Ann Silva (Tony), Aileen McDonald (Bill), Judy Silva; and her four sons Bill, Michael, and Mark (Darci), Tom (Charlene), along with her 11 grandchildren; William, Leland, Max, Oliveya, Derek, Sierra, Bella Rose, Cole, Bodhi, Christian Joseph and Ashlyn.

She loved being a grandmother and supported her grandchildren in so many ways from showing up to their athletic events, baking cookies or just giving advice. She was a brilliant, organized woman and loved to hear of their academic or personal accomplishments.

She is a dearly loved granny, and mother, and a friend to so many. She will be dearly missed. One of her many passions was being actively involved in the communities she resided in; from volunteer police work to greeting visitors at the pier, she was always proud to help and wear the badge she earned. Wherever a helpful hand was needed Theresa could be counted on to be there with a smile and some burnt toast.