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Jack Silverman (March 5, 1940 — August 8, 2017)

Jack Silverman passed on to The Great Hunting Ground in the Sky on August 8, 2017.

Jack Edwin Silverman died peacefully, of complications from encephalitis, at Aspen Valley Hospital, his wife and friends by his side.

Jack was born in Chicago, Illinois, on March 5, 1940. Jack’s family moved to Palm Springs, California, in 1950.

Jack graduated from the Northwestern Military and Naval Academy in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, in 1958. After graduation, Jack joined the Army Security Agency and spent the next few years in Sinop, Turkey, where he monitored Russian Submarines from P2V aircraft.

Jack returned to the United States when his Mother died in 1960. He attended College and was reactivated by the military during the “Berlin Crisis” and spent a year at Ft. Devens, Massachusetts.

Jack continued his education, ultimately ending up at the University of Southern California.

He left college deciding to pursue the family movie theater business in Chicago. Jack was a natural showman and promoter, and loved marketing and selling the movies. He left Chicago and the family business in the late 1960s after his father’s death. Jack moved to Zihuatanejo, Mexico, and lived on a boat for a few years.

In 1971 he moved to Aspen where he would begin his passion and pursuit of Native American culture and art of the Southwest. Jack traveled extensively throughout the Southwest, studying and buying art from the Pueblo Indians, ultimately putting together one of the world’s great collections of Native American weaving and pottery. He depicted his collection in a series of serigraphs, art cards and other print work that he sold around the country and online. Jack developed the Silverman Museum (silvermanmuseum.com) as a vehicle to share his love for the Indian culture. He published; “Pueblo Treasure” and “Pueblo Indian Pottery” coupled with shows of his collection at museums and galleries. Jack found a natural outlet for his showmanship … he became the bridge to help the public understand the culture and art of the Southwest Native Americans.

Jack’s passion for art collecting led him to develop many other great collections: fine art photography, vintage photography, wine, rare books and, of course, vintage motorcycles, with an extraordinary eye for the Ducati brand. He bought and sold entire collections with great success. Jack’s passion for motorcycles led him to ride all over the world with the Zell’s Angels, and solo to the tip of South America.

He was an avid cyclist, skier, dog hiker, bird hunter, and a professional motorcycle racer. Jack started racing in 1996 garnering his racing license with the AMA and then onto developing the Silverman Museum Racing Team that went on to win a national championship. He raced on the team and did 3 or 4 classes to gain as much “track time” as possible to catch up with the younger racers. Jack retired the team and his racing license in 2000. He went on the race vintage Ducatis in Italy in the Moto Giro. He was a founding member of the “Lucky Bastards” racing club and made many close friends who would travel and race together.

Jack met his wife Marisa Farland in 1996 in Aspen, they went on to get married in Siena, Italy, in 1999. Marisa and Jack’s wedding, which Jack planned, was in a 14th-century monastery, with their good friends and family in attendance. Jack and Marisa spent the next 18 years enjoying each other, their dogs and family. They shared a passion for motorcycles, skiing, and each other.

Jack lived his life to the fullest, he was a generous man and helped many people. Jack had many, many friends the world over. He was beloved by many and cherished by his wife, dogs and family. Jack will be deeply missed and never forgotten.

A Celebration of Jack’s life is planned for September 21st, at the Hotel Jerome from 5-8 p.m.


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