Obituary of Gary M. Silman

Gary M. Silman died on December 30, 2018 due to complications from brain cancer. He was 77 years old.He was born in Texarkana, Texas and graduated from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth where he met his wife, Susie Singleton of Fort Worth, in the registration line. They were married 53 years. He was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon. He went on to receive a master’s degree in healthcare administration from Washington University in St. Louis in 1967.He served as an officer in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps., where he participated in the early development of the Medicare Program. He received a commendation from the U.S. Surgeon General for his efforts in determining the initial eligibility of hospitals and other healthcare facilities to receive Federal funds under the Medicare program.In 1969 he joined Governor Preston Smith’s Office in Austin, Texas, where he had responsibilities for promoting the first state-wide healthcare planning process for hospitals in Texas.In 1971, he took a position with the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare in order to implement the first Federally insured loan program to aid in the construction and modernization of hospitals across the U.S. In 1973, he was named Regional Loan Officer in Dallas, Texas with responsibility for administering the program for the five-state Southwest Region. In addition, he served as regional representative of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s program in the Southwest for Federal mortgage insurance for hospital construction.In 1982 he joined the Investment Banking group of Paine Webber in Dallas as vice president, specializing in tax exempt financing for hospitals. In 1985, he joined Citicorp in Dallas as vice president with nation-wide healthcare investment banking responsibilities. In 1993 he joined the fundraising staff at Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation in Dallas with responsibility for raising philanthropic funds for the hospitals comprising the Presbyterian Healthcare System. He retired as vice president there in 2007.He was a member of River Crest Country Club in Fort Worth and served on the boards of the Fort Worth Symphony, Fort Worth Opera, and the North Central Texas Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association in Fort Worth.He will be remembered as a generous and loving husband, father, and grandfather. He was a lover of history, antiques, music, and world travel. He was a true gentleman and a class act dearly loved by his family. He was never seen without a crisp white handkerchief tucked neatly into the breast pocket of his jacket.The family would like to thank his team of physicians and Karen Williams and her staff at Westside Caregivers and Community Hospice.Survivors include his wife Susie; his two grown daughters, Melinda Ewing, husband Eric; Jennifer Ortiz, husband Frederic; four grandchildren who lovingly called him Grandman (“grand” he was!): Mackenzie Ewing, Caroline Ewing, Bates Detwiler and Oliver Ortiz; his brother Joe Silman, wife Cynthia.