Syma Carol Silverman

Syma was born on January 27, 1940, in New York City to Robert and Minerva Bedell. She graduated from Far Rockaway High School before attending Brooklyn College and later transferring to Purdue University, where she earned her bachelor's degree in Sociology.

Her lifelong commitment to serving others began as a social worker in Indiana and continued in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Syma dedicated the next several years to raising her three children as a stay-at-home mother. She then returned to school to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the Medical College of Ohio.

As a registered nurse, Syma devoted her career to caring for patients during some of life's most difficult moments. She worked in addiction medicine at Flower Hospital in Sylvania, Ohio, before joining Darlington House, where she rose to become Director of Nursing. In 2000, Syma began what would become one of the most meaningful chapters of her professional life as a hospice nurse at Hospice of Palm Beach County, later Trustbridge, where she compassionately cared for countless patients and families during the final stages of life. There she also helped train future hospice nurses through clinical preceptorships and served one term as a member of the State of Florida Nursing Credentialing Committee. She retired at the age of 73 after 13 years of hospice nursing. However, retirement did not diminish her desire to serve. For another decade, Syma volunteered as a Guardian ad Litem, advocating tirelessly for children and families in the court system.

To know Syma was to know kindness. Caring for others was not simply her profession, it was the defining characteristic of her life. Whether through her work, her volunteer service, or her unwavering devotion to family and friends, she consistently placed the needs of others before her own. Her compassion, wisdom, and gentle presence touched everyone fortunate enough to know her. This is demonstrated through her lifetime membership in Hadassah, proudly supporting its mission of advancing women's health, strengthening Israel, and instilling Jewish values in future generations. She also found great joy in reading, volunteering, and playing tennis, interests that reflected her active mind, generous spirit, and love of lifelong learning.

Syma shared 67 wonderful years of marriage with her devoted husband, Irwin Silverman. Together they built a family that was the center of her life. She is survived by her sister, Harriet Shea and step-brother Bob Kaplan and his wife Marcia; cousins, Harvey Milstein, Hal and Tiffany Milstein, David and Ruth Milstein; niece and nephews, Laura Abbas, Rob Shea, Adam Blitz, and Neil Blitz. She was a proud and devoted mother to Abbe Turner, mother of Madeline, Lily, and Ezra Turner; Alan Silverman and his wife, Michelle Silverman, parents of Aviva and Charlie Silverman; and Robyn Salk and her husband, Jonathan Salk, parents of Justin and Carly Salk. Nothing brought Syma greater happiness than watching her children and grandchildren grow and thrive, and she treasured every moment spent with them.

Funeral services will be held in the chapel of IJ Morris at Star of David Cemetery of the Palm Beaches, 9321 Memorial Park Road, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 33412 on Wednesday, August 5, 2026 at 2:30 pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to Hadassah or Planned Parenthood, two organizations whose missions reflect Syma's lifelong commitment to health, compassion, and caring for others.

Syma lived a life defined by service, empathy, and love. Her legacy endures in the countless lives she touched as a social worker, nurse, volunteer, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and friend. She will be deeply missed and forever remembered.