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STEPHEN HEGARTYThough he wasn't a native, Albert Silver helped build the now-flourishing central Pasco youth sports scene - often free of charge.
LAND O'LAKES - Albert Silver, the indefatigable Land O'Lakes businessman whose sports trophies have a place in the homes of thousands of area children, died early Saturday, March 13, more than a week after suffering a fall at work. He was 81.
Through his A-OK Trophies Etc. business on U.S. 41, Mr. Silver became heavily involved in the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce and helped build the now-flourishing central Pasco youth sports scene. Everyone knew him as Al.
While at work March 2, Mr. Silver became dizzy and fell, striking his head. Doctors told the family he had suffered a stroke and fractured his skull. For a few days, the family hoped for a recovery. But on Monday, he suffered another stroke, and his health deteriorated.
He died at about 6:55 a.m. at University Community Hospital.
"We're going to put a trophy in his hand" in the coffin, said Ida Silver, Mr. Silver's wife of more than 56 years. "The man upstairs might not recognize Al without a trophy."
The Silvers moved to the area 32 years ago from Long Island, N.Y. By that time their three daughters were grown, yet Mr. Silver became as big a fixture in the youth sports scene as any coach or team parent.
Mr. Silver often surprised people with his seemingly limitless energy and ideas.
After the Oklahoma City bombing, Mr. Silver led a chamber of commerce effort to line Land O'Lakes' main thoroughfares with red, white and blue flags.
Though he was Jewish, it was Mr. Silver who pushed the chamber of commerce to put up Christmas decorations throughout the community to brighten the holiday.
"It was kind of embarrassing to have this guy of the Jewish faith telling us we didn't have the Christmas spirit," said Land O'Lakes attorney Tim Hayes, who knew Mr. Silver through the chamber and youth sports. "He challenged us all, and we got into it."
Mr. Silver sponsored sports tournaments and car shows. But of all his endeavors, it was the trophy business that made Al and Ida Silver major figures in the growing central Pasco community.
His business provided countless thousands of shiny statuettes with marble bases to kids involved in sports. He had trophies for soccer, baseball, track, cheerleading, golf, martial arts and fishing. He even sold a small trophy that was a shiny replica of the backside of a horse. Mrs. Silver had this to say about that particular trophy: "I like to keep it clean and call it "Bringing up the rear.' "
What many of the kids didn't know is that Mr. Silver donated many of those trophies - a testament to his love of sport and his quiet generosity.
"That's the first thing you think of with Al - his generosity," Hayes said. He recalled a time several years ago when there was talk about organizing a recreational soccer tournament.
"Al said, "I tell you what - I'll donate all the trophies,' " Hayes recalled. Hayes told Mr. Silver he didn't have to do that. He recalled Mr. Silver's response, "All I ask is that you let me be there when you hand out the trophies. I love to see the kids' faces."'
Mr. Silver was a longtime sports fan who cheered for the New York Yankees and Babe Ruth in his youth. But the multimillion-dollar player salaries turned him off. One of his regrets, Mrs. Silver said, was that he never got a chance to tell Yankees owner George Steinbrenner what he thinks about today's outrageous salaries.
Mr. Silver found more satisfaction and inspiration on Little League diamonds and youth sports fields.
"Growing up I learned that if I wanted to spend time with my dad, I was going to have to play sports," said daughter Ilona "Lonni" Piper. "That's why we were all tomboys."
Just the day before his death, Ida and Lonni left the hospital well after midnight and headed to the trophy shop to work on getting out an order.
"My dad, when he said he was going to fill an order, he did it," Lonni Piper said. "We're going to get it done."
- Information from the Times files was used in this report.