Carmen Silva Melgar

When Carmen Silva Melgar walked into the room, those in her company felt energy and an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Carmen was and how she impacted those around her. Carmen was a clever, gregarious, kind, and charming person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. Carmen was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve her well throughout her life.

She was the daughter of Pablo and Micaela Silva. Carmen was raised in Santa Rosa, Guatemala. Always at the ready with a good joke, she grew up to be quite a humorous person. Her friends and family understood well that Carmen was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to her.

Carmen was raised with three siblings. She had two older brothers, Carlos, and Jose Silva, and one older sister, Maria Luisa Silva. Carmen was very accepting and supportive of her family. These traits served Carmen well in her adult life and, along with her wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew her.

As a young girl, Carmen was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew her into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Carmen was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with her peers. She was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. Carmen took part in volleyball. In her spare time she liked to climb trees. Carmen had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity.

During her high school years, Carmen responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. She graduated from Medalla Milagrosa in 1961. Carmen was a very good student, and generally did well in her courses. Carmen absorbed as much as she could from all of her teachers. For Carmen, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to her ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Carmen a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to her to discuss just about anything. Her favorite class in high school was typing.

Carmen was very adaptable, a quality that helped her make the transition from high school to adulthood with little difficulty. She earned her degree in radiology/ nurse technician. As a result, Carmen's problem solving skills and thirst for new knowledge almost guaranteed that she enjoyed virtually every class she took.

Carmen married Manuel Argueta in 1965 in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Carmen was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served her well in helping to nurture her new family. She was quite sensitive towards Manuel's needs, showing her constant concern and fondness.

Carmen was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide her family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Carmen, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of her life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Silva Melgar home. Carmen's skill at understanding her daughters feelings, her sensitivity to her needs, and her gift for gentle persuasion enabled her to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. Carmen was blessed with one child, one daughter, Sayda. She was also blessed with two grandchildren, Angie and Bryan and three great grandchildren, Kaitlyn, Elijah, and William.

Because Carmen loved to have a broad variety of activities in her life, she took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were going on long walks and getting to know people through conversation. Carmen had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of her favorite pastimes. However, Carmen's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

Carmen derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. Her charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. In high school, Carmen played volleyball and basketball. Carmen was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching her favorite events whenever she got the opportunity.

Carmen was a woman who was dedicated and devoted to her faith. She was a member of the Christian faith. During that time, she loved singing praise songs. She was sympathetic and able to empathize with others and she used these qualities to the fullest while working tirelessly for her beliefs.

Carmen's love of improvising in her daily life was a perfect fit for her enjoyment of traveling. Her favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit her personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Carmen took her vacations seriously, well, as seriously as she possibly could. Favorite vacations included going back home to Guatemala to visit friends and family.

When Carmen's retirement finally came in 2012, Carmen handled it the way she usually did. She adapted and, like everything in her life, made it satisfying. Because she was such a flexible person and able to adjust to any situation, retirement was just another enjoyable change of pace for Carmen to master. She chose to stay in Las Vegas, Nevada so she could stay close to her family. In retirement, she found new pleasure in sightseeing and enjoying time with her friends. Even in retirement, Carmen continued to stay in touch with her old friends and like always, made plenty of new ones.

Carmen Silva Melgar passed away on May 18, 2018 at Nathan Adelson Hospice. Carmen passed away peacefully in her sleep. She is survived by her daughter, Sayda, grandchildren, Angie, and Bryan, and great grandchildren, Kaitlyn, Elijah, and William. Her memory will also be cherished by extended family and friends. Services were held at Palm Northwest Mortuary in Las Vegas, Nevada. Carmen was laid to rest in Palm Northwest Cemetery in Las Vegas, Nevada.

There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Carmen. She was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. She had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While she was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Carmen Silva Melgar for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Carmen was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with her loved ones.