Dell and the Silk Family.

The Silk extended family, November 2005 - Celebrating the life of Mrs. Silk.

If you have been reading the blogs I have posted on this page, you will have noticed a central theme running through them all.  Dell was devoted to his family. His close friends were included in that category, for he loved them all with the same dedication.  I can say that with a large degree of certainty because I was one of them.

I have had the privilege of belonging to the Silk Clan as an outsider.  It was my introduction to Charles in September of 1979 that opened me up to the people that made up the family, originally just Mrs. Silk and her children.  Through the years the family grew, each new addition discovering what I had experienced now 41 years later.  The Silks are a diverse bunch with a wide range of beliefs, personalities, and opinions.  They are held together by the bond of blood.  Each member gives and takes as there was need; no need is too great and no gift too small.  A framework of love and support envelopes each person.  That legacy has continued through the years and is as true today as it was then.

Dell was in the middle of all that.  It is said that actions are stronger than words, and it was his actions that proved his passion for family.  Although independent and intense, he was always there to help others.  He demanded nothing less than everything you could give, but returned each effort with his unique blend of humour, compassion, and love.  Dell made an enormous difference in all of our lives; me as an outsider and the family as a whole.  He gave more than he took because of the leader he was and the pride he had in himself. 

It was his fierce need to be independent and the tremendous personal pride he had that eventually claimed his life.  His fight with the City of Red Deer left him broken; not being able to work or support himself and having lost all his material possessions he saw only one solution to the desperation he found himself in.  He was in severe mental anguish; others tried to help him but he would not accept it.  Not wanting to be a burden to others and end his grief he took his own life.  I think he would have disapproved of his solution if he could have examined the situation from an outside reference point.

His death sent his family and friends reeling.  I was in tears for days; I had lost a brother as much as a friend.  Even with the tragedy upon everyone's' hearts the Silk Legacy was in full swing.  We were all there to help each other through the horrific ordeal.  As time passed we began to reflect on who Dell was and the difference he made in each of our lives.  This Facebook page is devoted to the memory of Dell, how he affected us and impacted our short time here on Earth. 

This will be my final post.  The page will go on for as long as is able, I hope that each one who reads them will remember Dell and what difference he made in their life.  I miss my friend and my brother.  This has been my tribute to him.  Share these posts with others so they can know what the world has lost.  Thank you for allowing me to enter your life again through text.  It is something I can do, and I think Dell deserves no less. 

Thanks for reading.   www.ericspix.com   Eric Svendsen