Diana Silber

Diana Silber (née Feder), born October 5, 1925 died peacefully on September 19, 2023, at the age of 97, at Sunrise Assisted Living in Cresskill, NJ. The daughter of David and Golda Feder (née Padleshevsky), Diana, and her younger sister, Sylvia, were raised in Yonkers, NY. Her parents emigrated from Boronovich, Poland - her father first in 1922, with her mother following soon after. Diana’s first language was Yiddish, and she learned English early on. Diana also became fluent in American Sign Language (ASL), which she would later incorporate into her career. Diana graduated from New York University, where she majored in Biology, receiving her B.A. in 1946 and her M.S. in 1948. Over time, her interests shifted from biology to the social sciences and the study of deafness. She studied psychology at Sarah Lawrence College from 1979–1984 and earned another master's degree from NYU in 1990, this time from the Graduate School of Social Work. While a graduate teaching assistant at NYU, Diana met her then student, Austin Silber, who she later married. While living in Brooklyn, they welcomed their first child, Michael, in 1953, and second child, Elizabeth, in 1959. They then moved to Englewood, NJ, and had their third child, Madeline, in 1961. Diana and Austin were married for almost 60 years at the time of his death in 2009. Diana was also predeceased by her son, Michael Silber, who passed away in 2012. Diana had a very close relationship with her sister, Sylvia, whom she regarded as her best friend. Diana and Austin enjoyed spending time with Sylvia, and her husband, Lloyd, as well as their three children, Richard, Ellen, and Allison. Sylvia passed away in 2008. Outside of her family, Diana and Austin were very involved with the Psychoanalytic community, and they both enjoyed years of close friendships that came from this connection. In 1979, Diana started working as a Teacher Therapist at the Lexington School for the Deaf Therapeutic Nursery. She gradually worked her way up the ranks of the school and was promoted to Director of the Parent–Infant Therapeutic Nursery in 1995. Diana thrived during this time of her life, and loved working at Lexington, where she was able to facilitate communication between both deaf and hearing children and their families. At Lexington, Diana was well respected and loved by her colleagues and the families with which she worked. She was passionate about her work and found great satisfaction through her professional career at the school. She retired in 2008 at the age of 83. Her love for working with infants and young children carried over into her personal life, where she relished being a spunky, fun, generous, and energetic grandmother, or Mema, as she was affectionately called by her grandchildren. She was also a natural teacher and was always seen signing to her many grandchildren. She shared many things with her own children, including her love of arts and sciences, both of which manifested in her daughters’ careers – Elizabeth becoming a psychiatrist, and Maddy an artist. Diana was a lifelong learner, and an avid reader. She was always seen with a book in hand. She loved to read novels, non–fiction, and The New York Times. When not reading, Diana enjoyed word games, freeform crochet, and listening to operas. She was a lover of visual and performing arts. She attended and supported many NYC cultural institutions including museums, ballet, and the opera. In her later years, Diana enjoyed making others laugh, and was known for her wild (sometimes shocking) sense of humor that combined her sharp wit with an unrestrained, child-like candor. Diana will be remembered not only for her intellectual passions and accomplishments, but also for her vibrant, loving spirit that she shared with family, friends, and colleagues alike. Diana’s generosity and warmth set her apart as an individual. Diana had a very special way of treating others and making everyone close to her feel like family. She was an extremely open-hearted and kind person. Diana is survived by her two daughters, Elizabeth (Rick Levy), Maddy (Andrew Dupont), daughter-in-law Lisa (Richard Reiss), and grandchildren, David (Lina Yangarber), Lauren, Eitan, Maytal, Ruby, Emilia, Stacie (Brian Norris), Kerrie, and Elise (Frank Morelli). Diana is also survived by her great grandchildren, Austin, Emma & Logan (children of David & Lina), and Jackson (son of Elise & Frank)