Obituary of Francisco Silva

Francisco B. Silva (Mestre Chico) - 84 formerly of the Azores, passed away on Saturday, June 20, 2009 as a result of complications during a brief hospitalization at Salem Hospital. Born in Terceira, Azores to Amelia and Pedro Silva. As a young man, Francisco was drafted into the Portuguese Armed Forces where he also served as part-time barber. Upon his return home, he married and studied nautical navigation and went on to become a licensed master mariner and ultimately Shipmaster / Captain of a commercial tuna boat, where he became known as "Mestre Chico" His relentless drive, fortitude and extremely resilient nature earned him a formidable reputation throughout the fishing community. He was highly respected by all who knew him. In 1966, Francisco immigrated to the United States with his wife and six children. Settling in Peabody, MA, Francisco and his wife immediately enrolled in night school. Shortly thereafter, they and their children proudly earned Naturalization status in the U.S. Francisco worked at John Flynn Tannery Co. in Salem for many years. Once retired, Francisco enjoyed traveling to the Azores where he spent much of his time working long hours cultivating grapevines, many organic fruits and vegetables, and of course fishing. He took great pride in his personal production of various red and white wines throughout the years. Francisco's passion in life has always been the sea, from the time he was a young boy of four and five, when he learned to fish and farm to help his parents provide for their growing family. He was a great cook and enjoyed playing cards with friends and showcasing his card trick abilities. He was a member of Our Lady of Fatima Church, where he was instrumental and involved in fundraising efforts that led to the construction of the new church that was built on Walsh Avenue in Peabody. He was a member of the C.L.C. Portuguese Club on Collins Street, Peabody and the Portuguese American War Veterans club on Tremont Street where he also served as bartender for some years. He is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 62 years, Maria Angela of Peabody; their 6 children, Francisco of Reading, Jose of Peabody, Dolores of Florida, Tony of Salem, Avelino of Peabody, and Maria Klussmann of Beverly and their spouses; Eighteen grandchildren, Lydia, Stephanie, Francisco, Joey, Paul, Max, Sofia, Christina, George, Anthony, James, Nick, Angelo, Katelyn, Christie, Rob, Eric, Desiree; and 6 great-grandchildren. In addition, he is survived by 5 sisters and many nephews and nieces. He is predeceased by his grandson Tommy James, his parents, 3 brothers and 2 sisters. A private family service was held on Wednesday morning. Expressions of sympathy may be made in Francisco's memory to the Jimmy Fund, 10 Brookline Place West 6th Floor, Brookline, MA 02445-7226.