Joseph Anthony Silva

Joseph Anthony Silva March 18, 1935- January 15, 2024 Joseph “Joe” Silva, 88, passed away peacefully at his home with his family surrounding him. Joe was born in Santa Barbara in 1935 to Joseph Silva and Ida Bettencourt. His childhood was filled with many trips back and forth to San Luis Obispo to visit his grandparents, where Joe and his sisters, Marlene and Ernestine, would explore the family's property. Silva also greatly enjoyed exploring the streets of downtown Santa Barbara. His early years of adventuring marked the beginning of a lifetime of traveling the open roads. At the young age of 14, Joe met the love of his life, Shirley, at La Cumbre Junior High School, and he never let her go. These two lovebirds later attended Santa Barbara High School together, where they both had fond memories of football games and cruising up and down State Street , meeting at the Blue Onion and listening to their favorite music with friends. Joe and Shirley were married at the Santa Barbara Mission in 1955. In 1956, they welcomed their daughter, Toni, and in 1959, their son, Steven. Joe greatly enjoyed taking his family camping, fishing, and boating and showing them the beauty of the Western United States. His joy for driving around California was soon passed on to his daughter and son, who have embarked on many of their own adventures with their children. Joe had a memory like no other, especially when it came to driving. He could just about tell you how to get anywhere in California by memory. This knowledge was definitely credited to his biggest passion, collecting classic cars and restoring them. He owned a '34 Chevy 3 window coupe, a '50 Mercury coupe, and a '33 Ford coupe. He was a member of the Santa Barbara Igniters Car Club, the Santa Barbara Oldies with Goodies Car Club, the Santa Barbara Model Railroad Train Club, and a regular attendee and entrant at local and national car meets. When he wasn't attending car shows or driving around California, you could find Joe in his garage meticulously dusting off his impressive train collection and waxing his many cars. Joe worked for Welch-Ryce-Haider Funeral Chapels for over 40 years. Known to all for his hard work ethic and great sense of humor, his soft and gentle soul touched everyone around him and made him the standout he was. Joe is survived by his wife Shirley, daughter Toni, son Steve, son-in-law Sam, daughter-in-law Nancy, grandchildren Justin, Elise, and Haillie, spouses Bridget and Pat, great-grandchildren Merek, Reeve, and Kaven, and sister Marlene. Joe was an amazing father and even better grandfather. The endless memories of pastimes shared will forever be cherished and held closely in his friend's and family’s hearts.

Joseph Anthony Silva

March 18, 1935 - January 15, 2024