Ronald Silvia

Ronald Silvia
September 12, 1937 - June 27, 2018
Ronald Silvia, former Mayor of College Station, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, June 27, 2018, in the comfort of his own home, surrounded by his family, after battling Dementia for several years. He was 80 years old.

Ronald is survived by his loving and dedicated wife of 60 years, Anna Jean Silvia; his beloved children, Randy S. Silvia and wife, Christie, and Sharon K. Gillespie and husband, Lane; his grandchildren, Susan K. Gonzales and husband, James, and Anthony V. Silvia; his great-grandchildren, Silvia K. Gonzales and Olivia L. Gonzales; and his brothers, Mario Silvia and Gerald Silvia. He was preceded in death by his parents, Mariano and Alice Silvia.

Ron was born September 12, 1937, in Fall River, MA to Mariano and Alice Silvia. He proudly served his country for 20 years in the U.S. Air Force, retiring in 1974 as a Technical Sergeant. Ron graduated with honors from Southwest Texas State University in 1977, with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration. He and his family moved to College Station, Texas, where he worked at Texas A&M University as an Assistant State Auditor for 13 years. After a short retirement, Ron continued his career in finance as Director of Operations and Finance at the Brazos Valley Rehabilitation Center. He retired from there in 1998 to pursue his true passion for community service.
Driven by a need to give back, Ron served on a number of different boards, benefiting both the medical community as well as the City of College Station including; the Planning and Zoning Board, the Senior Citizens Board, and the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial Committee. Aside from his family, his greatest accomplishments were being elected two terms on the College Station City Council in 1998 and 2000, and being elected Mayor of the City of College Station where he served five years, from 2002-2007. Ron was truly a man of service, honor and integrity.

Ron and his wife lived in College Station for a total of 41 years they were longtime members of Peace Lutheran Church for more than 20 of those years. He enjoyed listening to a variety of music, bowling, and bird watching. Often times, you could find Ron in his study playing on his computer, enjoying his passion for flight simulation games or reading one of his many magazines on computer science or finance. His Monday mornings were dedicated to the College Station Noon Lions Club, where Ron was a lifetime member. He was a devoted family man, who enjoyed nothing more than quality time with his family.

A Celebration of Life reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday, July 2, at Hillier Funeral Home in College Station, 4080 Hwy 6 South, College Station, TX 77845. A private memorial service to honor Ron and interment will take place in Massachusetts with full military honors.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer's Association in Ron's name and memory.