Pauline Helena Silvia

Pauline Silvia, age 83, passed away on January 21st, 2014 at St. Clare Home in Newport, RI. She was born on January 25th, 1930, to the late Anselm J. Silvia and Helena ONeill Silvia. Pauline attended St. Marys School and graduated from St. Catherines Academy in 1947. She was a member of the first graduating class of Salve Regina College in 1951, where she earned a B.S. in Science. Pursuing a career in scientific research, Pauline joined the US Navy, graduating from Officers Line School in Newport in 1952. She was stationed at the Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory in San Francisco where she studied the effects of ionizing radiation. This top-secret work led her to participate in Operation Upshot-Knothole in 1953 at the Nevada Test Site where she co-authored several scientific papers. She was honorably discharged as a Lieutenant in 1956. Pauline returned to Newport and worked as a medical technologist at the Newport Naval Hospital and taught science at Berkeley-Peckham School in Middletown. She received her M.S. in Biology from the University of Connecticut in 1964 and joined the faculty of the Newport Hospital School of Nursing where she was instrumental in producing some of Newports finest nurses. Pauline returned to Salve Regina College where she earned a B.S. in Nursing in 1971. She worked as a nurse and a nursing administrator for Newport Hospital for many years until she retired in 1991. A woman of deep faith, Pauline became an oblate in the Order of St. Benedict in 1996 and was very active in St. Marys Church in Portsmouth. She was featured in Salve Reginas 50th Anniversary Celebration of Pioneering Women and starred in the documentary Atomic Mom released in 2010. Pauline was predeceased by her brother Joseph Vincent (Vinnie) Silvia and is survived by her daughters Silvia Styles of Canterbury, NH and M.T. Silvia of Emeryville, CA, her sister Theresa Smith of Menifee, CA, her granddaughters Stacey Cordeiro of Boston, MA and Katie McKay of Canterbury, NH, her grandson Daniel Cordeiro of New York, NY, her son-in-law Jim McKay of Canterbury, NH, her step granddaughter Jessica McKay of Glocester, RI and several nieces and nephews. A memorial service will take place during the spring on April 26th at 11am at St. Marys Church, 324 East Main Road, Portsmouth. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her memory to the St. Clare Home, memo: Employee Appreciation Fund, 309 Spring Street, Newport, RI 02840 for the excellent and tender care Pauline received during her stay. Service APR 26. 11:00 AM St. Marys Episcopal Church East Main Road Portsmouth, RI, US, 02871