 Devoted husband, loving father, grandfather and great- grandfather, Andrew Joseph Silva passed away peacefully May 14, 2007. Born May 7, 1914, in the La Playa area of San Diego (better known as Point Loma), Andrew was one of five children that included Bob, Alfred, Boyce and Margaret born to Frank and Carrie Silva. They were one of the San Diego tuna fishing industry's first families. From his parents, Andrew learned the values of faith and family, and developed a passion for fishing and food. Frank Silva taught Andrew to fish when he was just a young boy. Like many fishermen, Frank instilled his deep faith in God in his son, for he knew that he would follow in his footsteps and become a man of the sea. Andrew worked on his father's first tuna boat, the Uncle Sam, then later on the St. Therese. Andrew once caught a 300-pound swordfish, a story he retold many times. Known as "Hawkeye" on the boat, Andrew got up at 4 a.m. to shimmy up the mast with his binoculars and scan the horizon, scoping out the day's fishing prospects. Living in Point Loma, he grew up among many other Portuguese children, one of whom became his close friend, Janous Marks. At the Eagles Club, a fraternal organization in downtown San Diego where they attended dances as teenagers, he and Janous met the Costantino sisters, Dorothy and Sue. The four of them hit it off, and there were two weddings soon after. Andrew and Dorothy were married on November 3, 1937, at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church in Little Italy. They spent the next few years there, where their daughter, Sally, was born in 1939. Sally was the light of Andrew's eye. He would always make a point of waking her up before leaving on a fishing trip to tell her that he loved her and to be a good girl for her mother. Andrew would be away on many long fishing trips over 40 years. Andrew and Dorothy were very devoted to each other during their nearly 70-year marriage, and held hands whenever they were walking near their home in North Park, or even just sitting beside each other. In 1961, Andrew received his Merchant Marine Officer's License for the U.S. Coast Guard. He was a member of the Cabrillo Club of San Diego, and was involved in the Portuguese Society of Point Loma, where he proudly gave his permission for Sally to be Queen of the SES Festa in 1955. When Sally married John Castiglione in 1961, Andrew gained the son he never had. In 1963, upon learning he was going to become a grandfather, Andrew retired from fishing so he could spend time with his grandchildren. He went to work for Nuttall Styris, a marine supply company in San Diego. Known as "Voo" to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, he was very involved in their lives. He and Dorothy took them on many trips over the years to Disneyland, Sea World, Knott's Berry Farm, and the San Diego Zoo. On weekend visits, the grandkids could always count on Winchell's donuts and dinner at Venice Pizza. He taught them to hit a golf ball and throw a spiral in his backyard. Barbecued linguica and his legendary potato salad were always favorites. And it was always Shirley Temples for the kids at holiday gatherings. Grandkids Gina, Lisa and Johnny loved to play cards with him. Later, he would teach his great-grandkids to play. Not surprisingly, Go Fish was his favorite card game. He could fix anything. He was an avid gardener and his yard was always meticulous. He finally agreed to hire someone to mow his lawn when he was 85 years old. He got up on a ladder and painted his house every year well into his 70s. Andrew was a very healthy and active man all of his life. He recently celebrated his 93rd birthday. He was always a very responsible, generous person. He was concerned with doing the right thing. He was never late on a bill. You could always count on him to take care of everything. Andrew will be dearly missed by his beloved wife Dorothy; daughter Sally; grandchildren Gina Espinoza (Jorge) of El Cajon, Lisa Jacob (Matt) of Henderson, Nev., and John L. Castiglione (Jaime) of Del Mar; great-grandchildren Michael and Natalie Espinoza, and Tyler and Emilie Jacob; sister-in-law Sue Marks of San Diego; nephew and niece Richard Marks and Margie Marks (Mark McCool) of San Diego. Services will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 24th, at Santa Sophia Catholic Church, 9800 San Juan St., Spring Valley, with arrangements made by Merkley-Mitchell Mortuary. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to San Diego Hospice, 4311 Third Ave., |
