Lydia Silva

Mrs. Lydia Silva, age 83, of Atlanta, Georgia, passed away Monday, September 27, 2004, after a long struggle with cancer.  Lydia was born in Matanzas, Cuba, and came to this country in 1943.  She settled in Tampa, Florida, where she married Rev. A. J. Silva, Sr. in 1944.   The Silvas went to Cuba as Southern Baptist missionaries in 1950 and remained there through 1964 until they were forced to leave by the communist regime, still in power today.  Upon return to this country, they settled in Atlanta, Georgia, and became the first Southern Baptist missionaries to the developing Hispanic community in the state.  Lydia was preceded in death by her husband in 1985, but she continued to reach out to the Hispanic community until her health prevented it.  She is survived by her son, granddaughter, and many close friends.  A memorial service will be held Thursday, September 30, at 2:00 pm at her church, Clairmont Hills Baptist Church, at the corner of Clairmont and N. Druid Hills Roads.  Visitation will be held Wednesday, September 29, from 6 to 8 pm, followed by a service in Spanish in the chapel at A. S. Turner & Sons.