Final Salute

Eugene Alan Silva

May 23, 1938 — September 26, 2023

Eugene A. Silva, Ph.D., quietly passed away on September 26, 2023 in Fairfax County, Virginia. He was 85.

Dr. Silva was born in Oakland, California. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Stanford University, and was awarded his Ph.D. in naval architecture/ocean engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.

Leaving California, Dr. Silva joined a small cadre of specialists to help form the Navy SEABEE’s Underwater Construction Teams, which he considered one of the most rewarding professional endeavors of his life.

In the late 1970’s, Dr. Silva began a campaign to get the Office of Naval Research (ONR) to provide basic research support for Navy offshore construction. His ongoing effort was rewarded in 1978 when he was offered the position of program manager for ONR’s Ocean Technology Program. This began a 20 year career at ONR in a wide variety of positions that included rather reluctant service as a member of the Senior Executive Service.

As an ONR program manager, Dr. Silva was involved in research efforts with major naval relevance and public interest. One such program involved the development of an undersea search system for finding objects on the seafloor based on studies done from the ONR research submersible, ALVIN. During the early trials of the system, Dr. Robert Ballard (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) found the wreck of the RMS TITANIC.

Another project that received considerable Navy and public attention was the development of the Arsenal Ship—a new, innovative ship requested by the Chief of Naval Operations that offered theater commanders new, unique capabilities. Dr. Silva was a program manager and the spokesman for the project.

Dr. Silva retired from the Department of Navy in 1998 after 30 years of service, including four years in uniform. He received many awards and commendations, including the Navy Distinguished Civilian Service Award in 1997.

Retirement opened time for new opportunities to Dr. Silva, who was a lifelong learner and voracious reader. While aviation and prehistoric archaeology were his prime retirement interests, he also pursued learning the Navajo language, and playing the Navajo flute. Dr. Silva attributed his lifelong interest in Native Americans to the elite firefighter Hotshot crew (most of which were Native Americans), who he worked with during his summer breaks from college.

In retirement, Dr. Silva learned to fly fixed-wing planes and helicopters. He was a regular at Manassas, Warrenton, and Culpeper airports, and especially enjoyed WWII fly-ins, and visiting hangars where he helped friends who were building experimental airplanes.

A few years ago, Dr. Silva left a note for the executor of his will. He said that his life had been “a good ride” and then closed the note with the following message for the family, friends, and colleagues he would leave behind:

“And now, Eugene Alan Silva leaves us with the hope that you will have a very good time of it while you are here; that some of you will do good science and engineering; that some of you will fly the perfect loop or landing; and, that all of you will enjoy the oceans and great outdoors and what the creatures who inhabit them have to offer.”

The service at Quantico National Cemetery for Dr. Silva will be private. To honor his memory, please consider a donation to a nonprofit charity such as:

American Indian Science and Engineering Society www.aises.org or Oceana www.Oceana.org

Funeral arrangements are being made by Fairfax Memorial Funeral Home (https://www.fairfaxmemorialfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Eugene-Alan-Silva-Phd?obId=29385813#/obituaryInfo) where you will find a place to share memories and photos of Dr. Silva.

Published by The Washington Post on Oct. 6, 2023.