Riva Silverfarb Obituary

Riva Tonia Silverfarb, who resided in Milford, passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 28, 2025 after a courageous year-long battle with pancreatic cancer.
Riva was born on March 24 and grew up in Stratford. After graduating from Bunnell High School, she attended the Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island.
Riva loved being involved in helping disabled children reach their full potential. She worked as a paraprofessional in several facilities in both Fairfield and New Haven counties. After retiring, Riva pursued her love of art, specializing in watercolor and acrylic painting. She created stunning landscapes, often spending countless hours perfecting scenes of oceans, lighthouses, snowy winters, mountains, open fields, barns, and her favorite, the beach. In addition to painting, Riva enjoyed collecting sea glass. While she often searched for pieces on her own, some of her most cherished moments were when her grandchildren joined her on these beachside adventures.
Riva had a deep love for travel. Early in her marriage, she enjoyed touring the country with her husband of 47 years, Howard Silverfarb. Later, she explored new destinations along the East Coast while accompanying her daughter Rachel's travel soccer and track teams. Her passion for travel was evident in the many family vacations she took to places like Quebec, Rhode Island, Disney World, Europe, and Miami.
And what gave her the greatest joy was spending every second she could with her family, especially her four grandchildren. She would move mountains to make her grandchildren happy. Nothing made her happier than Sunday dinners when her children and grandchildren were around her dining room table or outside on her atrium patio table.
Riva was preceded in death by her husband of 47 years, Howard Silverfarb. She is survived by her sons, Paul Silverfarb and his wife, Elizabeth, of Fairfield and Sam Silverfarb of Milford; her daughter Rachel Bassett and her husband, Jeremiah, of Canton; as well as her four grandchildren Connor Silverfarb, Lucas Silverfarb, Jack Bassett, and Austin Bassett.
Services will be held on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, at 12:00 pm at Abraham L. Green and Son Funeral Home, 88 Beach Road, Fairfield, CT. Family and friends are invited to visit before the service from 11:00 am – 12:00 pm. Interment will follow at Loyalty Cemetery, 172 Burroughs Road in Fairfield.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to either the Lustgarten Foundation: Pancreatic Cancer Research (Lustgarten.org/donatenow), 504 RXR Plaza, Uniondale, NY 11556 or ALS United Connecticut (ALSUnitedCT.org/Donate), 4 Oxford Road, Unit E4, Milford, CT 06460.