David Silha – In Memoriam, by John Howard, Director, YMCA Camp Warren (written on the occasion of David's death)
In his devotion to youth and to the out-of-doors, David Silha personifies the ideal of commitment, both to places he loved and to the young people with whom he worked. Encouraged by his wonderful family, sincere in his every word and in his every action, he nevertheless approached life with a twinkle in his eye. It was out of this twinkle that he captured life as it truly was for him – a journey of adventure.
Whatever he was doing, he felt that that was the best possible thing to be doing at that moment. From studying on the Baja Peninsula to back-packing with inner-city youth on the Kekekabic Trail – from working with the young at Pershing Field to counseling the oldest boys at Camp Warren – at a time when he was searching for meaning and directions in his own life, he was making significant contributions to the lives of others, finding himself and meaning in the service of others.
His feelings are clear in his own writing, in a paragraph he wrote in a letter to the parents of his campers last summer:
"We have quite a cabin group, I think
one of the strongest and most mature
in a long time. I was a bit startled to
notice the first day at camp that I
was one of the smaller guys in the cabin … "
--- the pride in his boys – the twinkle in his eye – the anticipation of adventure!
A microcosm of how he lived his life is how he played tackle football in the snow up at Warren in December with a group of campers and staff: His vocabulary fairly burst not with mere plays but with "Bump and run"; "give and go"; "scrambled eggs"; "umbrella formation" – and when it was fourth down and the whole field yet to go, he would say, "We've got to go for it!" This was David at his best, transforming the routine into dramatic events, always seeming utterly serious, always betrayed by the twinkle in his eye.
It is no wonder that he was an inspiration to all who knew him. With all of the drama he created for others, David nevertheless was most often quiet in nature – low key – letting actions speak for themselves. And so it was that gaining more skills was of paramount importance, for he understood that the love he had for the out-of-doors and for man's place in it would deepen the more he learned. This quest for knowledge took him to the Baja, the Kekekabic, to the Superior-Quetico. And it took him to the young so that might teach them to love and respect each other and the out-of-doors.
And in the end it took him to the Tetons.
At a time when we less adventuresome ask "Why?", David would tell us that there was ever so much reason in the whole affair. He sought out the best available in program and in staff leadership. He so looked forward to the opportunity. And he died at a moment of learning and adventure, climbing amidst some of the most beautiful scenery in the world.
And he would sing to us with Tennyson:
Twilight and evening bell
And after that the dark
And may there be no sadness of farewell
When I embark.
[ shared by Stephen Silha, David's brother]
+++++++
Mountaineering Accident Notice – NYT – January 18, 1974 (page 65)
3 Bodies Taken Off Mountain
MOOSE, Wyo., Jan. 17 (AP) – The bodies of three young mountaineers killed in an avalanche in northwest Wyoming's Grand Teton Mountain range were taken from the mountain by helicopter today and brought to nearby Jackson. The three students, who died yesterday, were David W. Silha, 20 years old, Minneapolis, Michael J. Moseley, 24, Metairie, La., and Bart I. Brodsky, 18, Philadelphia.
In his devotion to youth and to the out-of-doors, David Silha personifies the ideal of commitment, both to places he loved and to the young people with whom he worked. Encouraged by his wonderful family, sincere in his every word and in his every action, he nevertheless approached life with a twinkle in his eye. It was out of this twinkle that he captured life as it truly was for him – a journey of adventure.
Whatever he was doing, he felt that that was the best possible thing to be doing at that moment. From studying on the Baja Peninsula to back-packing with inner-city youth on the Kekekabic Trail – from working with the young at Pershing Field to counseling the oldest boys at Camp Warren – at a time when he was searching for meaning and directions in his own life, he was making significant contributions to the lives of others, finding himself and meaning in the service of others.
His feelings are clear in his own writing, in a paragraph he wrote in a letter to the parents of his campers last summer:
"We have quite a cabin group, I think
one of the strongest and most mature
in a long time. I was a bit startled to
notice the first day at camp that I
was one of the smaller guys in the cabin … "
--- the pride in his boys – the twinkle in his eye – the anticipation of adventure!
A microcosm of how he lived his life is how he played tackle football in the snow up at Warren in December with a group of campers and staff: His vocabulary fairly burst not with mere plays but with "Bump and run"; "give and go"; "scrambled eggs"; "umbrella formation" – and when it was fourth down and the whole field yet to go, he would say, "We've got to go for it!" This was David at his best, transforming the routine into dramatic events, always seeming utterly serious, always betrayed by the twinkle in his eye.
It is no wonder that he was an inspiration to all who knew him. With all of the drama he created for others, David nevertheless was most often quiet in nature – low key – letting actions speak for themselves. And so it was that gaining more skills was of paramount importance, for he understood that the love he had for the out-of-doors and for man's place in it would deepen the more he learned. This quest for knowledge took him to the Baja, the Kekekabic, to the Superior-Quetico. And it took him to the young so that might teach them to love and respect each other and the out-of-doors.
And in the end it took him to the Tetons.
At a time when we less adventuresome ask "Why?", David would tell us that there was ever so much reason in the whole affair. He sought out the best available in program and in staff leadership. He so looked forward to the opportunity. And he died at a moment of learning and adventure, climbing amidst some of the most beautiful scenery in the world.
And he would sing to us with Tennyson:
Twilight and evening bell
And after that the dark
And may there be no sadness of farewell
When I embark.
[ shared by Stephen Silha, David's brother]
+++++++
Mountaineering Accident Notice – NYT – January 18, 1974 (page 65)
3 Bodies Taken Off Mountain
MOOSE, Wyo., Jan. 17 (AP) – The bodies of three young mountaineers killed in an avalanche in northwest Wyoming's Grand Teton Mountain range were taken from the mountain by helicopter today and brought to nearby Jackson. The three students, who died yesterday, were David W. Silha, 20 years old, Minneapolis, Michael J. Moseley, 24, Metairie, La., and Bart I. Brodsky, 18, Philadelphia.
David Silha – In Memoriam, by John Howard, Director, YMCA Camp Warren (written on the occasion of David's death)
In his devotion to youth and to the out-of-doors, David Silha personifies the ideal of commitment, both to places he loved and to the young people with whom he worked. Encouraged by his wonderful family, sincere in his every word and in his every action, he nevertheless approached life with a twinkle in his eye. It was out of this twinkle that he captured life as it truly was for him – a journey of adventure.
Whatever he was doing, he felt that that was the best possible thing to be doing at that moment. From studying on the Baja Peninsula to back-packing with inner-city youth on the Kekekabic Trail – from working with the young at Pershing Field to counseling the oldest boys at Camp Warren – at a time when he was searching for meaning and directions in his own life, he was making significant contributions to the lives of others, finding himself and meaning in the service of others.
His feelings are clear in his own writing, in a paragraph he wrote in a letter to the parents of his campers last summer:
"We have quite a cabin group, I think
one of the strongest and most mature
in a long time. I was a bit startled to
notice the first day at camp that I
was one of the smaller guys in the cabin … "
--- the pride in his boys – the twinkle in his eye – the anticipation of adventure!
A microcosm of how he lived his life is how he played tackle football in the snow up at Warren in December with a group of campers and staff: His vocabulary fairly burst not with mere plays but with "Bump and run"; "give and go"; "scrambled eggs"; "umbrella formation" – and when it was fourth down and the whole field yet to go, he would say, "We've got to go for it!" This was David at his best, transforming the routine into dramatic events, always seeming utterly serious, always betrayed by the twinkle in his eye.
It is no wonder that he was an inspiration to all who knew him. With all of the drama he created for others, David nevertheless was most often quiet in nature – low key – letting actions speak for themselves. And so it was that gaining more skills was of paramount importance, for he understood that the love he had for the out-of-doors and for man's place in it would deepen the more he learned. This quest for knowledge took him to the Baja, the Kekekabic, to the Superior-Quetico. And it took him to the young so that might teach them to love and respect each other and the out-of-doors.
And in the end it took him to the Tetons.
At a time when we less adventuresome ask "Why?", David would tell us that there was ever so much reason in the whole affair. He sought out the best available in program and in staff leadership. He so looked forward to the opportunity. And he died at a moment of learning and adventure, climbing amidst some of the most beautiful scenery in the world.
And he would sing to us with Tennyson:
Twilight and evening bell
And after that the dark
And may there be no sadness of farewell
When I embark.
[ shared by Stephen Silha, David's brother]
+++++++
Mountaineering Accident Notice – NYT – January 18, 1974 (page 65)
3 Bodies Taken Off Mountain
MOOSE, Wyo., Jan. 17 (AP) – The bodies of three young mountaineers killed in an avalanche in northwest Wyoming's Grand Teton Mountain range were taken from the mountain by helicopter today and brought to nearby Jackson. The three students, who died yesterday, were David W. Silha, 20 years old, Minneapolis, Michael J. Moseley, 24, Metairie, La., and Bart I. Brodsky, 18, Philadelphia.
In his devotion to youth and to the out-of-doors, David Silha personifies the ideal of commitment, both to places he loved and to the young people with whom he worked. Encouraged by his wonderful family, sincere in his every word and in his every action, he nevertheless approached life with a twinkle in his eye. It was out of this twinkle that he captured life as it truly was for him – a journey of adventure.
Whatever he was doing, he felt that that was the best possible thing to be doing at that moment. From studying on the Baja Peninsula to back-packing with inner-city youth on the Kekekabic Trail – from working with the young at Pershing Field to counseling the oldest boys at Camp Warren – at a time when he was searching for meaning and directions in his own life, he was making significant contributions to the lives of others, finding himself and meaning in the service of others.
His feelings are clear in his own writing, in a paragraph he wrote in a letter to the parents of his campers last summer:
"We have quite a cabin group, I think
one of the strongest and most mature
in a long time. I was a bit startled to
notice the first day at camp that I
was one of the smaller guys in the cabin … "
--- the pride in his boys – the twinkle in his eye – the anticipation of adventure!
A microcosm of how he lived his life is how he played tackle football in the snow up at Warren in December with a group of campers and staff: His vocabulary fairly burst not with mere plays but with "Bump and run"; "give and go"; "scrambled eggs"; "umbrella formation" – and when it was fourth down and the whole field yet to go, he would say, "We've got to go for it!" This was David at his best, transforming the routine into dramatic events, always seeming utterly serious, always betrayed by the twinkle in his eye.
It is no wonder that he was an inspiration to all who knew him. With all of the drama he created for others, David nevertheless was most often quiet in nature – low key – letting actions speak for themselves. And so it was that gaining more skills was of paramount importance, for he understood that the love he had for the out-of-doors and for man's place in it would deepen the more he learned. This quest for knowledge took him to the Baja, the Kekekabic, to the Superior-Quetico. And it took him to the young so that might teach them to love and respect each other and the out-of-doors.
And in the end it took him to the Tetons.
At a time when we less adventuresome ask "Why?", David would tell us that there was ever so much reason in the whole affair. He sought out the best available in program and in staff leadership. He so looked forward to the opportunity. And he died at a moment of learning and adventure, climbing amidst some of the most beautiful scenery in the world.
And he would sing to us with Tennyson:
Twilight and evening bell
And after that the dark
And may there be no sadness of farewell
When I embark.
[ shared by Stephen Silha, David's brother]
+++++++
Mountaineering Accident Notice – NYT – January 18, 1974 (page 65)
3 Bodies Taken Off Mountain
MOOSE, Wyo., Jan. 17 (AP) – The bodies of three young mountaineers killed in an avalanche in northwest Wyoming's Grand Teton Mountain range were taken from the mountain by helicopter today and brought to nearby Jackson. The three students, who died yesterday, were David W. Silha, 20 years old, Minneapolis, Michael J. Moseley, 24, Metairie, La., and Bart I. Brodsky, 18, Philadelphia.
Gravesite Details
Dave's family scattered his ashes at the lakeside near the old family home in Edina.
Family Members
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