Mentor to young athletes dies at 52

Bruce Silverman, a Riverdale resident since 1995, passed away on Feb. 2 following an eight-year struggle against cancer. He was 52. Mr. Silverman was known throughout Riverdale for his warm, outgoing personality and his active involvement in youth sports. He coached baseball, basketball and soccer teams and, most notably, served as the president of the Riverdale Soccer Club from 2005 to 2014.

Mr. Silverman was instrumental in shaping the club, and took great pride in the way its programs helped to unify the Riverdale community. During his time as president, the number of participating players increased from around 500 to 700 players each fall, attracting families from not only from Riverdale, but all parts of the Bronx, Yonkers and northern Manhattan. 

Mr. Silverman spent endless hours at Seton Park coaching his children's teams, and when they became too old for the club's programs, would oversee the organization's activities there. Always friendly and enthusiastic, he would greet both players and parents, offering encouragement to all. In addition to his promotion of youth sports, Mr. Silverman organized an annual soccer game for the parents who coached their children's teams and a summer synagogue softball league.

Mr. Silverman was born in Mount Vernon in 1962 but mostly grew up in Westbury, Long Island. In high school, he was editor-in-chief of his school newspaper and played on the varsity soccer team. He pursued his love of journalism and sports in college, graduating from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, where he was also an announcer for football, basketball and baseball games on the college radio station.

Following Northwestern, Bruce worked for NBC News, Major League Baseball Productions, Sports NewSatellite and Phoenix Communications before establishing Bruce Silverman Productions in 2013. During his career, he reported on numerous major sports events and became a leader in producing and filming sports promotions.

Mr. Silverman is survived by his wife, Lydia, president of the West Midtown Medical Group, and two children, Julia and Evan, both graduates of the Spuyten Duyvil School (P.S. 24) and the David A. Stein Riverdale/Kingsbridge Academy (M.S./H.S. 141). They are and now at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland, respectively.

Mr. Silverman also leaves behind his parents, Ira and Sandy, and a brother, Gary. At the funeral service on Feb. 4 at the Riverdale Temple, where Bruce Silverman was a member, there was an overflow crowd of several hundred people paying their respects, reflecting the impact that Bruce had on so many lives in the community.

“I’ve met very few people in my life like Bruce,” David Currier, a friend of Mr. Silverman, said in an interview. “He was unique. He was one of the most positive-minded and spirited people I’ve ever met.” 

Michael Holoszyc was a longtime friend of Bruce Silverman and helped him run the Riverdale Soccer Club. Mr. Holoszyc remains active with the organization. Chris Cirillo contributed to this story.