Dr. Jeremiah E. Silbert

Jeremiah “Jerry” Eli Silbert passed away at Cape Cod Hospital on May 24, 2021, following complications from a traumatic brain injury suffered several years ago. He died peacefully and surrounded by the love of his wife; his four children and their partners; his eight grandchildren; and countless other family, friends, collaborators, and students.

Jerry was born in 1931 in Cleveland, Ohio to Irving and Miriam (née Sobel) Silbert. Irving passed away in 1938, and after a number of years as a single parent to Jerry, Miriam remarried to Jerry’s beloved stepfather Benton Cohen. Jerry attended Harvard University for both undergraduate and medical school; interned in internal medicine at Barnes-Jewish Hospital; had a research fellowship in biochemistry at Washington University; and then went on to a fellowship in rheumatology at Massachusetts General Hospital where he continued to research in the field of Proteoglycans. His contributions to science and medicine over the course of his fifty-year career were so significant that he was selected as one of only five scientists nationally to become a Senior Medical Investigator in the Veterans Administration which allowed him to devote himself to his research. He was heavily involved in the Society of Complex Carbohydrates throughout his career. Jerry was also a full professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Even after his “retirement,” Jerry continued to contribute to his field and help society through medical discovery -- consulting and acting as medical expert in class action lawsuits.

Jerry was a student of a great many disciplines including history, architecture, politics, art, and classical music (with an oft noted hatred of pop music – “turn off that noise -- that’s not music!”). He travelled extensively -- from skiing in Lake Placid to a six-month work fellowship at the Weizmann Institute in Israel. Jerry was a great humanitarian who fought for racial and gender equality throughout his life. As a child, he was aware of the injustices his mother faced as a single parent; despite having earned a law degree from NYU, Miriam was never able to find work as a lawyer. Jerry’s convictions to stand for what was right stayed with him through his whole life. As a medical intern, he fought back against a segregationist hospital room policy; as a father, he was an early feminist -- expecting no less from his daughters than his sons.

But Jerry’s greatest achievement and joy was his family. Jerry married Cynthia (née Korb) in 1958 and spent the next 62 years as her biggest advocate and cheerleader. He supported her career in medicine -- bragging about her accomplishments at every turn and sharing the responsibility of raising their four children to allow her to pursue her work. After a lifetime as an only child, his marriage to Cynthia brought him his two brothers-in-law -- Donald and Laurence -- and their wives who quickly adopted him into the Korb clan and brought their own extended families into the mix. Jerry and Cynthia’s love -- a rare combination of adoration and profound respect -- was an inspiration to his children and grandchildren. He was proud to see his children and grandchildren continue in his tradition and strive for professional excellence while also raising their own families to be as close-knit as their parents and grandparents.

Jerry is survived by a large, loving, and lively crew: his wife Cynthia Korb Silbert, MD; his brothers-in-law Donald Korb and C. Laurence “Laurie” Korb; their wives Joan Exford Korb and Roslyn Korb; his children David, Andrea, and Charles Silbert and Rachel Silbert-Ko; their partners Jennifer Silbert, Abbott Davidson, Rachel Tadmor, and Lawrence Ko; and his grandchildren (in order of appearance but all equally loved) Ariel Silbert, Jillian Silbert Paull (and Michael Paull), Caleb Caldwell, Miriam “Mia” Caldwell, Kaila Silbert, Benton “Benny” Caldwell, Jada Silbert, and Zoe Ko. Last month, his youngest granddaughter asked, “What is the most important thing in life?” to which he replied, “The most important thing in the world is family. Family -- that’s it. What else could it be?” May his memory be a blessing and a reminder to us all.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to Combined Jewish Philanthropies, www.cjp.org, in memory of Dr. Jeremiah E. Silbert.