Paul D. Sylva Obituary
Paul Dennis Sylva, 78, of Rockport MA., passed away on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, after a long debilitating illness. Born on February 27, 1946, Marlborough, MA., son of the late Francis W. and Rita (Brewin) Sylva. Paul was predeceased by his former spouses, Beverly Williams and Linda Wieditz. He was the husband of Christine M. (Matthey) Sylva.
Paul attended Catholic Memorial HS and graduated from Providence College in 1967. He was a man of strong passions and eclectic interests, who embraced life with creativity and an inexhaustible spirit. He wore many hats, literally and figuratively.
Following graduation from college Paul worked for the Massachusetts Division of Child Guardianship. Initially he worked as coordinator for the care and placement of children with disabilities, later as director of a private program called "Community Group" which served adolescents with intellectual disabilities. After leaving, he started down an exciting individual path of his own making.
Paul left his mark as an art gallery owner, founding member of the Rockport Chamber Music Festival, founder of Ipswich Ale Brewing Company, and originator of the Rockport Ice Carving Festival and the Reading of the Declaration of Independence at Rockport's Dock Square every Independence Day. He owned and ran "The Framery," an art framing business, as well as Rockport Reproductions. He was an art collector, book publisher and investor in small, local businesses, both at home in Rockport and in the British Virgin Islands. He shared his love and knowledge of many genres of art and music with anyone interested. He hosted an annual Fourth of July party which became a beloved Rockport tradition. He was a lobsterman for several years. He then ran a business delivering fish to peoples' homes long before Amazon offered two-day delivery. In his retirement Paul lived half the year on his yacht "Aeolus" in the British Virgin Islands and continued running his final business "34 Main Street Publishing" as proprietor and publisher.
Above all, however, Paul would have wanted to be remembered not for what he did but for how he treated friends, family, and people in general. He was a perennial host both at home and on his sailboat "Aeolus" - he personified generosity and largeness of heart. He loved, fed, housed, and helped people from all walks of life, never expecting anything in return. Children who entered into his orbit never left it. They grew into adults with indelible memories of how he opened the world for them. As an avid and intrepid sailor, he made sure to share his love of wind, waves, and open sea with innumerable friends and family. Most importantly, Paul was a loyal friend, a skilled interlocutor, a man of great warmth and sensitivity. He was a man with a keen sense of humor who never thought anything was impossible.
Paul will be deeply missed and fondly remembered by a diverse community of people who loved him. Paul is survived by his wife Christine Sylva and her family, siblings Brian Sylva, Jeffrey Sylva, Mary Sylva and their families, Jean Hurst and her family, as well as the Kolb and Keough families.
Memorial and Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, June 8, 2024, at the Shalin Liu Performance Center, 37 Main St. Rockport. Doors will open at 10:30AM, allowing time for everyone to be seated by 11:00AM for a performance of Beethoven's String Quartet Op132 in A Minor, Third Movement by the Dover Quartet. Celebratory tributes will be presented following the concert and a luncheon will be served in the Shalin Liu Performance Center Reception Hall afterwards. Parking will be available for out-of-town guests next to the Rockport Music Box Office at 16 Main St. Residents should use the parking lot adjacent to Town Hall. Preferred organizations for in memoriam contributions are Rockport Music in Rockport, MA and Open Door Food Pantry, 28 Emerson Ave., Gloucester, MA., 01930.
Arrangements by the Greely Funeral Home, 212 Washington Street, Gloucester.
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