[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 137 (Wednesday, November 12, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5956-S5957]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      REMEMBERING EDGAR P. SILVER

 Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I want to take a moment today to 
honor retired Baltimore Circuit Court Judge Edgar P. Silver, who died 
yesterday at the age of 91. I am deeply saddened by the passing of 
Edgar Silver. He was a loyal friend, valued mentor, and trusted 
advisor--and not just to me but also to my father. Judge Silver served 
with my father on the Circuit Court of Baltimore City, and he also 
served with my uncle, Maurice Cardin, in the Maryland House of 
Delegates. Judge Silver was as fine a person as you could ever hope to 
meet, and he always found the time to listen. Foremost among his many 
remarkable qualities was his empathy. He had the rare ability to 
transcend generations and connect with people of any age: when he was a 
young man, he quickly won the respect of his elders, and as he became 
older he never lost the ability to speak to and inspire the young.
  Judge Silver's parents Samuel and Lena were immigrants. His father 
was a tailor. Judge Silver was a native of East Baltimore and a 
neighbor throughout his later life, as well as a fellow alumnus of 
Baltimore City College. He served our Nation in the U.S. Merchant 
Marine from 1943 to 1945. He was a 1954 graduate of the University of 
Baltimore Law School and was elected as a city delegate to the general 
assembly that same year. He served in the house of delegates until 
1965. In 1965, he moved to the judicial branch, where he served on the 
old Municipal Court of Baltimore City until 1971. He served on the 
District Court of Baltimore City until 1977, when he was appointed to 
the Circuit Court by acting Governor

[[Page S5957]]

Blair Lee III. Judge Silver retired from the bench in 1988. But after 
retiring from the bench, Judge Silver found a whole new career as a 
partner in Rifkin, Weiner, Livingston, Levitan & Silver LLC, where he 
was still working when he died.
  The Baltimore Sun obituary quoted Alan M. Rifkin, who cofounded the 
law firm that ultimately became Rifkin, Weiner, Livingston, Levitan & 
Silver LLC with Judge Silver, as saying, ``He lived his life by two 
principles: 'The best is yet to come' and 'Never trade old friends for 
new ones, just keep adding them on.' '' I couldn't agree more. Judge 
Silver simply loved his home city and relished the chance to serve its 
citizens. He approached his time on the Baltimore Circuit Court with 
enormous humility and never lost sight of the fact that his decisions 
from the bench had far-reaching effects on people's lives. His 
contributions to the Maryland Legislature were varied and lasting, and 
the number of issues he shaped for the better are innumerable. Judge 
Silver was a political historian and touchstone with a perspective like 
few others. His counsel through the years has been invaluable to me and 
my family. We will be forever grateful.
  I want to extend my deepest sympathies to Ann, his wife of 64 years; 
their children, Michael Silver and Roslyn ``Rozzie'' Benjamin; and 
Judge Silver's other family members, all of whom he loved deeply, 
including his four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. The 
people of Maryland have lost a tremendous asset with Judge Silver's 
passing, but all of us who knew him are richer for having done 
so.

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