Samuel James Silvas, Jr.

Indisputably one of the most interesting men in the world to those who knew him, passed away unexpectedly on March 8, 2022. He was 57. Born and raised in Lincoln, California – a town that would forever shape him as he embarked on a lifetime that would span continents and influence countless lives – Sam was an author, storyteller, world traveler, and hunter. He was also a devoted father, son, and brother, and a loyal friend and committed partner until the day he died. Sam grew up in Lincoln, the son of longtime Lincolnites Sam Sr. and Adell Silvas, but his journey was ever outward. He earned a degree in Business at Chico State University and later earned his Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at St. Mary's University as he began to pursue his true passion: writing and story-telling. His collection of short stories, Stanton, California, was published in 2016 to critical praise and was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. The collection, loosely based on his time growing up in Lincoln, was lauded by critics as filled with "deep empathy, and a ferocious commitment to the truth."A natural storyteller who was as often a character in someone else's story as much as he was a narrator of his own family stories, Sam liked to say about his own writing that he was "deceptively honest." Those who knew him best would say that he was actually a truth teller of the highest order. And, by and large, he was usually the funniest person in any room he entered. Always recognizable by his shock of flaming red hair and sharp wit, Sam was destined to have a lasting impact on those he met over his lifetime from his earliest days at Lincoln High School, where he was voted Senior Class President and Knight of the Night and was awarded the Gold Brick. But there was no encounter more life-changing for him than when he met Tamra Horton when the two of them were teaching English at American River College in Sacramento in 1998. The couple would become life partners and engaged in a 24-year love affair that took them all over the world from Baton Rouge, LA. to Warsaw, Poland and many states and countries in between. The couple eventually settled in Claremont, CA., where they had Hadley Rose Silvas in 2003, who from that day forward would be the center of the family's life. Sam worked, wrote, and embraced life as Hadley's father. He would go on to coach her many sports, including Little League, Fast Pitch, AYSO, and CYB and was elected to serve on the elementary school site council. He took great pride when Hadley graduated from Claremont High School in 2021 and departed California to attend Fordham University in the Bronx, NY. However, Sam never forgot his roots. He regularly returned to Lincoln to visit his large family, and every year he returned to Chester, CA for an annual bow-hunting trip with his father, a tradition that began when Sam was a child. Sam was well known for staying in close touch with his multitude of childhood and college friends, often being the first one to call to wish someone a happy birthday. Sam loved whiskey, The Godfather (he was endearingly nicknamed "Sammy the Bull" by his college friends), Bruce Springsteen, books, a good argument, the Oakland A's, the LSU Tigers, his family, friends, and his hometown. But most of all, he loved Tamra and Hadley. They made him whole. In the final years of his life, Sam battled (and defeated) a rare form of Leukemia, which left him immunocompromised. Despite being vaccinated and boosted, he contracted Covid-19 and died of complications from it at Pomona Valley Hospital. Sam was preceded in death by his father, Sam, Sr. He is survived by his mother, Adell Silvas, and sister, Tracy Silvas, as well as nieces, cousins, uncles, aunts, and friends, too numerous to list. He also leaves behind the woman who referred to him simply as "the love of her life," Tamra Horton, and his daughter, Hadley Silvas. A Rosary (12:30 p.m.) and Mass (1 p.m.) will be held on Friday, June 17th at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 280 Oak Tree Ln., Lincoln CA. They will be livestreamed via https://www.stjosephlincoln.com/live-stream The Burial will follow (2:30 p.m.) at Lincoln Cemetery, 1445 1st Street. Mourners are welcome to gather thereafter at McBean Pavilion, 65 McBean Park Dr. Memorial speeches will begin at 5 p.m. followed by dinner. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider a donation to the Squaw Valley Community of Writers https://communityofwriters.org