Stan Silverblank, age 89, died peacefully at home after succumbing to cancer.
In remembering about his life, he joyfully recalled growing up on Crotona Park East in the Bronx. He especially treasured playing paddle tennis with his pals, and becoming one of the finalists in the city finals held in Central Park.
He also took pleasure in talking about his years at City College, where he was a work-study student in the library, president of his engineering fraternity, and a member of Elliot 43, a house plan, where he formed gratifying life-long friendships.
World War II years were spent as a machinist mate on a crash boat. After discharge from the Navy, he worked for a company that designed and manufactured wiring devices, but he found the business to be very restrictive, and decided to change his career. He then turned to civil engineering, and tried his hand at heavy construction – a retogravure plant, and then a high school. Once again, he was not satisfied, but finally found his niche when he went into small home construction in 1950. He partnered with a college buddy, and together, they built over a thousand one-family homes from Great Neck to Montauk.
During his long career as a builder, he assumed a variety of professional responsibilities, including the Director of the Long Island Builders Association, and Director of the Eastern Suffolk Board of Realtors.
His family and friends have good memories of him as an avid crapshooter, tennis player, and golfer – games that he zealously enjoyed throughout his life. In later years, he restricted himself to golf. He played first at Old Westbury Golf and Country Club, and then after moving out east, Noyac Golf Club.
Most of all he took great pleasure in his family – Fran, his wife of 62 years; children, Helene, Jack, Debbie, and Wendy (Neil); his grandchildren, Mike (Amy), Ben, Peter, Dylan, Melody (Ben), and Charlie; and his great-grandchildren, Aidan and Sarah.
“For all of us, he is just a thought away,” said the family.
According to his wishes, there will be no services.