EILEEN M SILVER

Eileen Mary Sutherland Silver (63) died on October 16th after a harrowing fight with cancer with her beloved husband by her side.

Eileen was born September 7, 1960 in Geneva, IL. She was the youngest child of Mary Brennan and Norman Sutherland. Eileen was preceded in death by her parents. Eileen is survived by her husband, Michael Silver, of 39 years, her children: Cassidy (Amy) Silver of Geneva, Brennan (Shannon) Silver of Batavia, Kelsey and Dylan Silver of DeKalb, and Emily (Christopher) Larsen of North Aurora; six adored grandchildren: Theo, Milo, Lily, Colin, Wyatt, and Myles; four siblings: Kathy (John) Van of Montana, Cheryl (Richard) Sutherland of Chicago, Bonnie (Ed) Baer of Batavia, Norman (Terry) Sutherland of Batavia.

Eileen attended Geneva High School where she was involved in student council. She then went  on to the University of Iowa where she developed a wide variety of interests in political science, history, and women’s studies. These interests informed her activism later in life. She graduated from Northern Illinois University.

In her young adulthood, she attended numerous Grateful Dead shows and began to follow them around the country. Her wanderlust eventually led her to San Francisco where she met and married her soulmate and the love of her life, Michael Silver. After traveling around the United States, she made her way to Mexico, and in later years to Europe, then Costa Rica with her daughter. In her later years, her favorite travel destination was Maine.

Eileen was an educator who taught at the Kishwaukee Education Consortium for 22 years. Eileen loved animals and nature. She was an avid gardener and a creative craftsman producing unique thematic chimes which she and her husband sold at local craft fairs as Charming Chimes.

Eileen was an avid reader and researcher. She became a certified genealogist through Boston University. She dedicated the later part of her life to tracing her family’s ancestry. She was working on a book when her life was cut short. Through her research, Eileen became a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Mayflower Society.

Family was important to Eileen, and she enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren. Eileen was an accomplished cook and enjoyed hosting special dinners and celebrations with family and friends at her warm and welcoming home.

She will be deeply missed by all who knew her well.

A small private family celebration of life will be held in her honor.

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