James Lee Silva

James (Jimmy) Lee Silva, a life-long resident of Tracy, died unexpectedly during the early morning of Dec. 28. He was 40.

Silva was born in Hayward, California on March 24, 1977, and moved to Tracy when he was six years old. He graduated from Tracy High School in 1995 and worked for the past 20 years at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; most recently as a Facility Point of Contact in support of the Computation Directorate. On Oct. 2, 2004, he married his beloved wife Tara. On Feb. 3, 2006, and April 8, 2009, respectively, he welcomed his two  sons, who were the most important part of his life. He was a devoted father and an avid sports fan. He bled Raiders’ silver and black. He instilled his passion for sports to his sons, and on Sunday’s in the fall you could always find them watching their favorite teams. He enjoyed working out, weight-lifting, being outdoors with his family and watching his boys play football and basketball. Silva had a big personality and an even bigger sense of humor and was loved by everyone he met. He will be deeply missed by his family, many friends and all who knew and loved him.

Silva is survived by his wife, Tara Silva (Strack); his sons, Joey and Jax; his mother and father, Sherry Graham and Glenn Silva Sr; his step-father,
Bill Graham; his brother, Glenn Silva and sister-in-law Amy Silva; his step-brother, Jeff Graham; his grandparents, William and Janice Howe; Shirley Silva; and several aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.

A celebration of life is scheduled for 11 a.m. Jan. 10 at Fry Memorial Chapel on 550 S.Central Ave in Tracy.

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Jan. 16, 2018

Thank you note from the family of Jimmy Silva:

Due to the overwhelming number of people who attended Jimmy's celebration of life, it is not possible for us to personally extend our gratitude to every individual who attended. We are hopeful that this message will find its way to all of you.

A French proverb declares that gratitude is the “memory of the heart.” It is with gratitude, the memory of our hearts, that we will remember the love and support of so many. Indeed, appreciation comes when you feel grateful from the depths of your heart. The head keeps an account of all the benefits one receives and gives. But the heart records the feelings of appreciation, humility and generosity that one only feels when showered with kindness.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

- The Family of Jimmy Silva