Obituary of Fernando Adriano Silva

Fernando Adriano Silva, a longtime resident of Burlington, passed away Tuesday, February 16, 2016, after a brief illness. The beloved husband of 55 years of Alda (Machado) he was 79 years old. Fernando was born in Horta, Faial, Azores. He was the son of the late Maria Clotilde Martins & Miguel da Silva. He would meet his future wife Alda Machado while in high school. They married in 1960. Fernando was a teacher there before immigrating to the US in 1961, settling in Cambridge. A few months later he was drafted by the US Army and was very proud to serve his new country for two years, mostly stationed in Germany. He was the recipient of the Good Conduct Medal and the Marksman Riffle Medal. Fernando worked at Hewlett Packard for 38 years before his retirement in 2001. An avid community member, Fernando was a founding member of the Faialense Sport Club of Cambridge, and served as President of the Fundação Beneficiente Faialense, a scholarship foundation for students in Faial. He also taught Portuguese in the Portuguese Schools of Cambridge and Woburn. Thirty years ago he started organizing a yearly reunion of the alumni of the Liceu Nacional da Horta, the high school he attended in Faial, Azores. These reunions have become a tradition for those who emigrated from Faial to the US and Canada. Fernando and Alda were devoted to each other. They were both active members of St. Malachy’s Parish in Burlington where they made many friendships. They traveled the world together visiting such destinations as Europe, Hawaii and most special to them were there annual trips to visit family in the Azores. Fernando was happy when surrounded by his friends and family, especially when they all got together in his summer home in South Yarmouth. Fernando was the beloved husband of 55 years of Alda (Machado). He was the son of the late Maria Clotilde Martins &Miguel da Silva. Brother-in-law of Dulce Bonanca & her husband Tomas, Uncle of Paulo Bonanca & his wife Malicha, Great Uncle of Nina, & Brian all of Brockton. Cousin of Mario Silva & his wife Maria Helena of West Warwick, RI. Also survived by many godchildren, cousins & friends. A visitation will be held at the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., BURLINGTON (Exit 34 off Rt. 128, Woburn side) on Sat. Feb. 20 from 9-10:30 a.m. Followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Malachy Church, Burlington at 11 a.m. Interment in Chestnut Hill Cemetery, BURLINGTON. In lieu of flowers memorials in Fernando’s name may be made to St. Malachy Building Fund, 99 Bedford St., Burlington, MA 01803 & St. Anthony Church, 400 Cardinal Medeiros Ave., Cambridge, MA 02141