Obituaries

William "Violet" Silver (1947-2007)

By Dan Jennings, Matt Rosemblum & Cherry Grove Friends

William "Violet" Silver was a long time resident of Cherry Grove, Fire Island. "Violet's Gate" (the entrance to his home) was always open, and so was his heart. Bill died on May 26, 2007.

In 1995 Bill founded, and for many years chaired, the Cherry Grove Garden Club. The Garden Club sponsors community beautification projects, lectures and conservation activities. It serves as a forum for sharing gardening knowledge and experience as well as swapping plants and cuttings. Each summer the club sponsors a Garden Tour during which Cherry Grove gardens are open for public viewing. The Garden Club makes Cherry Grove a better place both aesthetically and spiritually, and if not for Bill's vision, the Cherry Grove Garden Club would not exist.

Bill was a notable artist whose many canvasses record the flora, fauna, people, and houses of the Cherry Grove community. For many, many years, he was a respected and sought-after exhibitor at the annual Cherry Grove Arts Show. His cherished paintings grace numerous Cherry Grove, New York, and Fort Lauderdale homes and business establishments. Violet was colorful and sweet. His nom de plume stemmed from his preference for various shades of purple that he wore so elegantly. Each summer Violet hosted the "Purple Tea" which required us all to wear a purple garment, and for that commitment, he treated us to our fill of wonderful purple cookies and cupcakes. Bill was a unifying force within our community. He conceived and published "Violet's Wild Cherry". For 11 years Violet pinned this important monthly newsletter to our doors and gates as he kept us apprised of all community and business events (and gossip!), and of the many important efforts and contributions made by Grovites and our patrons.

For all of his efforts and devotion to Cherry Grove, Bill Silver was a recipient of the Cherry Grove Community Association's (CGCA) Community Service Award in August of 2006. Bill's presence in our community will be missed, though his legacy will always be remembered: the Arts Project of Cherry Grove (APCG) banner logo was designed by Bill, and it will continue to wave as a testament to his love for Cherry Grove.

It is not surprising that Bill had a fulfilling and a historically distinguished life outside of our summer community. What many Grovites may not know is that in 1975 Bill was the first openly gay applicant for ordination in the Presbyterian Church. His activism earned him an obituary article in the NY TIMES written by Stuart Lavietes. If you would like to know more about Bill's fascinating past, please click William Silver NY Times to acces the article.

Violet's "coming-out" diary, which he wrote as his Master's thesis at Union Theological Seminary in 1972-3, has been recognized by The Yale University Manuscripts and Archives Library as a document of historical importance. The Library has agreed to accept it into its collection as The William Silver Papers, where it will be made available to scholars of the gay liberation movement. Yale has one of the country's foremost collections in this field.

Dan Jennings, a long time friend and companion, provided the following stories about Bill's compassion for gardening and his caring sense of community:

Bill had for several years an informal group that marched in the Gay Pride Parade under the banner "Chelsea Garden Club"--they all wore overalls and gloves with big green thumbs. Of course, Bill designed and made both the banner and the gloves with the big green thumbs. Bill had an extensive roof garden in Chelsea for many years and hosted scores of garden parties for his friends. One party that everyone looked forward to was the annual "night blooming cereus party" where 20-30 people would come over to watch this plant bloom for "one night only." In the mid-1980's Bill volunteered his services to Bailey House (an AIDS resource center founded by a group of clergy, West Village businesspeople, and gay and lesbian activists) and donated plants for their penthouse garden and landscaped their ground floor window boxes with the help of volunteers from the "Chelsea Garden Club."

The Cherry Grove Garden Club is planning to hold a memorial for Bill at a date and time to be announced by its members.