Phyllis J. Silverstein, 84

LINCOLN, R.I. – Phyllis J. Silverstein, 84, of Lincoln, and Kennebunk, Maine, passed away Dec. 23, 2018. She was the beloved wife of retired Rhode Island Superior Court Justice Michael Silverstein; they were married for 59 years.

Born in Boston, the daughter of Frances and Samuel Feer, she earned a bachelor’s degree in piano at Boston University School of Music. Her remarkable skills as a pianist garnered her the position of first piano, an unusual honor for a woman in the 1950s, in the Arthur Fiedler-famed conductor of the Boston Pops-all piano ensemble. In time, Phyllis chose to give up her concert touring opportunities to devote her life to being a wife and mother, concentrating instead on her lifelong values of devotion to love and family. In addition to her family, she loved Maine, her Labrador retrievers, travel, good friends and the arts. She was known for her capacity to love and for her great sense of humor.

She is survived by her husband Michael; her son and daughter-in-law (she called her daughter), Marc and Helen Silverstein; grandchildren Emily Bradley and Jordan Richardson and their spouses Joseph Bradley and Tiffany Richardson; and great-granddaughter, Samantha Bradley.

Contributions in her memory may be made to the Guiding Eyes for the Blind, Shriners Burns Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, or Hope Hospice Rhode Island.