Obituary of Zilda Conceicao (Silva) Silva

Zilda Conceicao (Veiga) Silva PEABODY-- Zilda Conceicao (Silva) Silva, 85, beloved wife of the late Joseph Silva, died peacefully Monday October 21, 2013 at the Genesis Health Center in Wakefield, following a lengthy illness. Born in Luz, Graciosa, Azores, Portugal, a tiny island where began her love of fish and fishing, she was the daughter of the late Joao Antonio Silva, Maria Apresentacao (Veiga) Silva. She married the only man she ever loved in 1944, and in 1950 they moved to Peabody. This was close enough to the ocean for her to continue fishing for mackerel with a bamboo pole, or flounder and cod with a drop line. Even though she would proudly tell of lights she worked on being used on Apollo 11, fishing reels were too much technology for her. She worked at Sylvania for nearly 30 years, and was a member of their Quarter Century Club. She was deeply devoted to Our Lady of Fatima, the person and the church, and worked tirelessly to help take it from a Mission on a basketball court to the beautiful church it is today. Her other obsession was stamping out hunger in her kitchen. If you entered, you were eating--, and still you might be chased to the car with food "to go". She is survived by a son, Joseph A. & his wife Susan Silva of Topsfield; two grandchildren, David and Stephen Silva of Topsfield, and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death, besides her husband and parents, by a granddaughter Catherine Elizabeth and a brother Horacio Silva. Relatives and friends are kindly invited to gather on Saturday October 26, 2013 at 8 AM from the Conway, Cahill-Brodeur Funeral Home, 82 Lynn St., Peabody, followed by a Funeral Mass at 9 AM in Our Lady of Fatima Church, Peabody. A visitation will be held on Friday from 4 – 7 P.M. in the funeral home. Burial in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Salem.