April
3, 1940 - Nov. 16, 2009GRANGER - Melvyn A. Silver, 69, died on November 16th after a 14-month valiant battle with pancreatic cancer. Son of the late Hyman and Fern Silver, Silver grew up in Chicago and spent his teen years in Rockford, Illinois. A few years after completing his undergraduate and law degrees at Northwestern University, Silver took a job at Miles Laboratories, Inc., in Elkhart, which later became Bayer Corporation, where he worked for 31 years as the company's senior trademark attorney. Upon his retirement from Bayer, Silver worked with the Chicago law firm of Pattishal, McAuliffe, Newbury, Hilliard & Geraldson LLP. Silver was a past member of the Board of Directors of the International Trademark Association, and he was a former adjunct professor at the University of Notre Dame Law School. Silver's interests were widespread. He was very active with the folk music society throughout his college years, and he continued to play the banjo and guitar throughout his life. Silver was also an avid ham radio operator, getting his license as a young teen. A passionate reader of non-fiction, Silver's interests included science, history and electronics. Silver was a beloved family man. He leaves behind his wife of 41 years, Gayle (Miller) of Granger; three daughters, Rachel (Ken) Browner of Cleveland, Ohio, Cheryl (Aaron Johnson) Silver of Madison, Wisconsin, and Amy (Jason) Judd of Columbus, Ohio; eight loving grandchildren; and his two sisters, Shirley (Stuart) Samson of Huntley, Illinois, and Deborah (Leonard) Vines of St. Louis, Missouri. The funeral will take place at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, November 19, at Sinai Synagogue, 1102 East LaSalle Ave. in South Bend. The burial will follow at Waldheim Cemetery, 1400 Des Plaines Ave., Forest Park, IL. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network - 2141 Rosecrans Ave., Suite 7000, El Segundo, CA 90245; or to the Jewish Federation of St. Joseph Valley - 3202 Shalom Way, South Bend, IN 46615. To send condolences, please visit www.mcgannhay.com.