Obituaries of NOVEMBER 1983 Thibodaux, Lafourche Parish, La.

NOTE: THE OBITUARIES BELOW MAY NOT BE A COMPLETE LISTING FOR THE MONTH OR DAY

Submitted by: As listed with each Obit

Source: As listed with each Obit

Last modified: 5 Jan2006


**********************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
**********************************************


==========================
The date preceding the obituary is the date of the newspaper, not the date of
death.
============================================================================

Submitted by: Chris Tidwell
Source: Lafourche Comet Newspaper - Lafourche Parish, La.
Nov 21, 1983

Joe E. Silverbert

Silverberg's funeral is today.

Funeral services were held this morning for Joe N. Silverberg, retired
newspaper man and civic leader, who died Saturday afternoon at Thibodaux
General Hospital. Silverberg and his partner Eddie Jackson bought the
Lafourche Comet, the weekly forerunner of the Daily Comet, in 1946 and
Silverberg served as the newspaper's publisher until 1972. "We bought
the Lafourche Comet on a 50-50 basis and had a wonderful business
relationship for 21 years," Jackson said. "Silverberg handled the
editorial end of it and I handled the production end of it," he added.
The newspaper was sold in 1977 to Wall Newspapers, Inc., which sold it
to the New York Times Company in 1980. A graduate of the Louisiana State
University School of Journalism, Silverberg served as a member and
president of the Louisiana Press Association in 1963 and was awarded its
President's Cup for service to the profession in 1975. "Anytime he took
on anything, he dedicated himself to it. He was quite a civic leader,"
Jackson said. Silverberg was one of the moving forces in Lafourche
Parish, Woodrow DeFelice, a former Lafourche Parish school
superintendent and associate of Silverberg, said. DeFelice said
Silverberg assisted him in every way he could to make the Lafourche
system one of the best in the the state. He was very civic-minded and
always ready to serve in trying to make this parish a better one,
DeFelice said. "Thibodaux is going to miss a man like Joe, long-time
friend L. J. Hebert, president of Lafourche National Bank, said. He was
a real civic leader, Hebert said. Hebert said he and Silverberg served
on the Thibodaux Area Industrial Foundation and were associates in the
founding of the Thibodaux Chamber of Commerce. Harry Kron, an intimate
friend of Silverberg over a number of years, described him as "one of
the finest people I ever knew." He was just an outstanding person in his
character, hard work and trust, Kron said. Silverberg, a native of
Chicago, Ill., came to Louisiana in 1935 and graduated from LSU in 1938.
The next year, he married Mary Elizabeth Mayer of Baton Rouge. With the
declaration of World War II, Silverberg enlisted in the U.S. Army rising
from the rank of private to captain during his three years of service,
spent primarily with the ani-aircraft artillery forces in the South
Pacific. He returned to Baton Rouge in 1945 and was an insurance
salesman for a short time before he and Jackson purchased the Lafourche
Comet. In Thibodaux, Silverberg began a career of community service that
touched various phases of life, from his work at the newspaper to
programs, organizations and institutions he worked to get started. He
was instrumental in organizing a unit of the Louisiana National Guard in
Thibodaux, he started the first recreation program in Thibodaux and he
helped establish Thibodaux's first radio station KTIB. Seeing a need for
industrial expansion in the area, he organized the Lafourche Industrial
Development Commission and brought Stark Candy Company to Thibodaux.
With that accomplished , he determined that Thibodaux should have a
Chamber of Commerce to serve its business community. Years later, when
the Chamber was looking for a secretary, he offered to serve as the
first executive director on a volunteer basis, a post he held until last
spring. Silverberg was an organizer of the Bayou Country Club, serving
as its president for two terms, and helped organize the Mardi Gras Krewe
of Chronos. He was active in veterans organizations including the
American Legion Post 11, and Thibodaux Memorial Post 5097 Veterans of
Foreign Wars, both of which he served as commander. He was president of
the Lafourche Parish LSU Alumni Association and twice served as fund
chairman receiving recognition as a top chapter in the annual fund
drive. His civic activities also included the Rotary Club and the Lions
Club. In 1972, he was appointed by Gov. Edwin Edwards to a post on the
Louisiana Tourist Development Commission and in 1978, he became its
president. Edwards also appointed Silverberg to be a delegate to the
1973 Constitutional Convention which he served as a member of the
education committee. In 1973, Silverberg was appointed to complete the
un-expired term of Trustee of Finance for the city, following the
resignation of Clifton "Ballow" Morvant. He held that post until
December 1974. Silverberg also served as a director of Community Bank of
Lafourche and he and Jackson established newspapers in Golden Meadow,
The Lower Lafourche Leader, and in Plaquemine, the Iberville South. In
addition to his wife, Silverberg is survived by a daughter Mrs. Winston
(Jane) Ardoin of Eunice; four sons, Dr. John Silverberg of Dallas, James
of Thibodaux, Jay of Rochester, N.Y. and Joel of New Orleans; and seven
grandchildren. Following services at Thibodaux Funeral Home, Silverberg
was buried in the St. John's Episcopal Church Cemetery in Thibodaux. The
family is establishing a memorial scholarship fund at the LSU School of
Journalism and donations are being accepted at Community Bank of
Lafourche on Canal Boulevard in Thibodaux.