Florence Sylvia Silverthorn's Obituary
Florence, or “Flo” as she was known to family and friends, passed away on October 10, 2011. She was 80 years old.
Born and raised in Oaklandon, Indiana, Flo left Purdue University in 1951 to marry her college sweetheart, Eugene A. Silverthorn, a newly-commissioned NROTC graduate from Purdue with orders to deploy to the Korean War front as an officer in the United States Marine Corps. Flo embraced her role as a military wife and throughout her husband’s thirty year career in the Marine Corps she helped raise four children and kept the family operating smoothly through ten relocations, war deployments in the Korean and Vietnam Wars, and an unaccompanied tour of duty at Camp Fuji, Japan.
She traveled overseas with her husband on visits to Jordan, Iran, Egypt and Japan during his studies at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, and assisted with hosting duties for dignitaries attending the Sunset Parade at Marine Corps Headquarters in Washington, D.C. She returned to college to study children’s literature and worked as a Library Assistant at Hayfield Elementary School in Alexandria, VA, for many years. After retirement, Flo and Gene purchased a thirty-five acre parcel of land in rural Spotsylvania County, VA, where they built a home and developed the land for wildlife conservation, farming and family recreation.
Flo obtained Master Gardener Certification and became a regular volunteer at the historic gardens at Chatham Manor in Fredericksburg, VA, and a member of the Spotsylvania County Extension Board. She was a naturalist, an avid gardener and a sports enthusiast, but most of all Flo was the quiet steady heart of her family and someone whose thoughtful, generous nature made the world a nicer place for everyone who knew her.
Flo is survived by her husband of 60 years, Gene Silverthorn, Colonel, USMC Retired, and three of their four children, Alan Silverthorn and his wife, Carol, of Lorton, VA, Dee Ann (nee Silverthorn) and her husband, Ross Manire, of Glen Ellyn, IL, and Jay Silverthorn and his wife, Love, of Spotsylvania, VA. Son, Eric Silverthorn passed away in 2009. Flo has four grandchildren, Michelle Tillery, of Grafenwoer Germany, Adam Silverthorn, of Front Royal, VA, Evan Silverthorn of Lorton, VA, and Robert Manire, of Chicago, IL. Flo has three great grandchildren, Taylor, Darrian, and Michale, Jr.
A private family service is planned.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be sent in memory of Florence Silverthorn to: The Semper Fi Fund to assist injured Marines and their families (semperfifund.org), or to Chatham Manor, c/o Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, 120 Chatham Lane, Fredericksburg, VA 22405, checks payable to the National Park Service, (www.npsgov/frsp/chatham.htm).
Online condolences may be expressed to Flo’s family at foundandsons.com.
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