Robert Lee Silver, 97, of Florence, South Carolina, passed away peacefully on February 11, 2026.

Born on October 14, 1928, in Mad River, Ohio, Robert was one of eight children of Homer and Ettaline Amlin Silver. He graduated from Springfield High School in 1947 and became a small business owner before joining the United States Air Force in 1950. Trained in electronics, he served in Korea and was promoted to Staff Sergeant in 1953. After his military service, Robert worked as a Field Engineer with IBM Corporation from 1954 to 1968, contributing to early “supercomputer” installations at Cape Kennedy, North American Aviation and Ohio State University as well as the development of OS/360, the original CPU time-sharing operating system. Beginning in 1971, he transitioned into real estate, where he owned and managed multiple residential and commercial businesses until his retirement.

Service to his community and church was central to Robert’s life. In 2000, he received a Certificate of Training from the VA Hudson Valley Health Care System in New York, where he completed more than 400 volunteer hours. He was an active member of First Presbyterian Church in Poughkeepsie, New York, and later New Hackensack Reformed Church, where he served as an elder and participated in a men’s group.

In 2006, Robert and his wife, Karen, relocated to Florence, South Carolina. There, he became a devoted member of First Presbyterian Church of Florence, attending Sunday school and Tuesday Morning Men’s Breakfasts, where he volunteered in the kitchen. As part of the Lay Renewal Group, he visited other Presbyterian congregations, and for many years he organized and hosted a monthly men’s lunch and Bible study in his home. Robert loved bringing people together and treasured the friendships formed around his table.

Above all, Robert was devoted to his family. He deeply loved his wife, Karen, and was a proud and devoted father to his daughter, Katrina. He warmly embraced his son-in-law, Richard, and cherished his granddaughter, Leah, her husband Max, and their son, Brooks. He also maintained close relationships with his siblings throughout their lives, as well as with his nieces and nephews and their families.

Robert was preceded in death by his parents and his siblings: Virginia Silver Shelley, Ruth Silver Grossman, Juanita Silver Armentrout, Janette Silver Maggard, Warren James Silver, Edward Homer Silver, and Mary Silver Zerbe.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 59 years, Karen Robinson Silver; his daughter, Katrina Silver Sorrentino, and her husband, Richard Paul Sorrentino; his granddaughter, Leah Sorrentino Harris, and her husband, Maxwell Scott Harris; his great-grandson, Brooks Richard Harris; and several nieces and nephews and their families.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Music Fund at First Presbyterian Church, 700 Park Avenue, Florence, SC 29501, or to St. Jude Children’s Hospital at www.stjude.org.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 14, 2026, at First Presbyterian Church of Florence, with a reception to follow. Interment will take place at a later date.