Richard (Dick) Silverman of Westport, CT, died April 24th at home. He was 75.
Dick Silverman: third career tobacconist.pipesmagazine.com photo
Born in New York City, he grew up there, attending the Collegiate School for 13 years. After graduating from Yale University, he moved back to New York and started his career in finance at Lehman Brothers.
He earned his MBA at New York University and spent many years working for Xerox Corp., then at financial institutions in Miami, Poughkeepsie and Westport.
He settled into a third career at Chief Catoonah Tobacconists, originally opened in Ridgefield but a web-only enterprise since 2005. Dick took pride in his unique tobacco blends and his enduring relationships with customers. In 2012, he won the John Cotton Throwdown at the Chicago Pipe Show by recreating a vintage pipe tobacco blend.
He is survived by his partner of 12 years, Rona Weinstein, daughters Laura (Yale class of 1983) , Emily (Yale class of 1986) and Rebecca, sons-in-law Matthew Bartholomew (also Yale class of 1983) and Bill Levine, and five grandchildren: Elias (Yale class of 2017), Sophie, Alex, Michelle and Lucinda, as well as a sister, Liz Mark of White Plains.
He also counted Lonny, Mia, Emily and Eddie Weinstein, Dan, Lori, Evan and Ryan Warner as his family.