Elliot Silverstein Obituary (2023)

Elliot Silverstein This calm, brilliant and peaceful soul entered the world 95 years ago as the light of his parents’ life. The only child of Jeanette and Joseph Silverstein, he never ceased to amaze them with his intelligence and curiosity, and his love of science was indulged beyond what most parents would think was reasonable. Elliot joined the US Navy, serving on the USS Midway in electronics, a field which fascinated him throughout his life. There was nothing he couldn’t repair, and the hardware store might have been where he was happiest. An adventurer with a love of the outdoors, young Elliot would bike, canoe, ski, camp, and even hitchhike to explore the beauty of the natural world. He met Irma through the University of Chicago Outing Club; they led activities together, and even became engaged during a camping trip in 1956. They remained devoted to each other for almost 65 years of a wonderful marriage. After the Navy, Elliot attended the University Chicago, earning a PhD in Nuclear Physics. He and Irma moved to California where he worked in aerospace engineering for Hughes, McDonnell Douglas, and then the Aerospace Corporation. He helped to design lunar landers and other space exploration vehicles. He was, quite literally, a rocket scientist! He was a long-serving member of both the Optical Society of Southern California and the LA Computer Society. Elliot led his family on many trips to state and national parks, preferring them over any other travel destination. Later he and Irma added Singapore, the Galapagos, and the Panama Canal to their list of travel adventures. His travels allowed him to hone his skill in photography and add to his collection of thousands of Kodachrome slides. His children always knew that Dad would have the answer to any question. They also learned that sometimes it is best not to ask an engineer for help with math homework, unless you have a lot of time. He had a near encyclopedic ability to remember facts, and he was the source of all knowledge for his grandchildren, who learned that “Grandpa knows everything!” He leaves his family with his dry sense of humor, endless curiosity about the world, and hope that we have inherited even a fraction of his patience. He also taught us that sometimes it is best to eat your cookies first. Elliot is survived by his children, Marc (Sheila Braunstein) Silverstein, Julie (Michael Lichter) Silverstein, and Frances (Keven) Fischer, and his grandchildren, Joseph (Alexxis), Michelle (Christopher), Jenna, Eitan, and Amalia. Should you choose to honor Elliot’s memory with a donation, the family suggests the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America, and/or the National Park Foundation http://give.nationalparks.org/goto/esilverstein