Alice Elizabeth Silvester

Alice Elizabeth Silvester (nėe Sopow) passed away peacefully on November 6, 2025. Born May 28, 1932 in Crescent Valley, BC to Mabel and Eli Sopow, Alice grew up as part of the Russian-Canadian community in the Kootneys. As the eldest of five children, four sisters and a brother, she always valued family. At 16, after her brother was born, Alice stayed home from school to help care for the family and her recovering mother. Once everyone was back to health, Alice’s father enrolled her in business administration training. She had vowed to move to Vancouver for at least a year before settling down and, in 1953, she found a job and moved into the YWCA. It was during her time living there that she met Bob Silvester. Alice and Bob arrived at a dance separately, both with other blind dates. Bob, a “young, handsome, jovial person” made an impression and soon won her heart. The two were married on February 26, 1955 and became the parents of two loving children.

Alice was meticulously organized and an energetic, fun-loving spirit. This served her well in her administrative work, leading her to jobs at Castlegar School District, Canada Dry, Kodak, and to eventually start her own successful office services business. Alice was the chief gatherer of family and friends and she was remarkable in her ability to create and capture magical moments. She brought people (and pets) together for reunions, birthdays, holidays - always with camera in hand. She and Bob made friends and community wherever they went, hosting countless dinner parties, costume parties, swimming parties at their family home in Lynn Valley, their suite at Mountain Terrace, and their cottage on Horne Lake. She gathered and passed on the family recipes, including her mother’s classic borscht, to the next generations. Alice recorded it all and, during her retirement years, impressively wrote her “life story” in 9 volumes, incorporating thousands of photographs and describing in brilliant prose the wonderful life she lived.

Alice is a beloved wife, sister, mother of two, grandmother of five, great grandmother of three (and counting), and was caregiver to dogs Skipper, Mister Tibbs, and Zoya. Alice, Mom, Grandma, GGM, we love you always.