Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Thomas Jesse Silvey

Thomas Jesse Silvey, 85, formerly of Nevada County, died Friday, March 20, 1998, in Calico Rock.

Mr. Silvey was born June 21, 1912, in Nevada County to the late Jesse Bradford and Viola Sophronia Bailey Silvey. On June 5, 1938, Mr. Silvey married Bobby Nell Martin in Hope and to this union one daughter was born. T.J. was a veteran. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1942 to 1945. He was an active member of Calico Rock First Baptist Church. Mr. Silvey was a high school teacher and basketball coach for two years, college trainee on first Soil Conservation Demonstration project in Arkansas. He received a BSA in 1937 and M.Bd, Adm. in 1963 at the University of Arkansas. He held administrator's certificate based on MED, Education Administration; administrative officer, Agri., Adj., Adm. office Faulkner County, in 1937; assistant county agent in Washington County and supervised UA agri seniors majoring in agricultural extension in 1938; county agricultural agent for three years; U.S. Navy for three years; teacher of veterans on-the-farm training; Arkansas state senator 1948-1951; high school principal 1952-1953; superintendent of Bod-caw schools 1953-1964; superinten-dent of Calico Rock schools 1964-1972; and he operated a 600-acre farm for 15 years.

He was an active member in professional organizations: AEA, NEA, Superintendents Assn., Arkansas School Administrators Assn., American Schools Administrators Assn., Arkansas School Boards Assn., and Association School Curriculum Development.

Some of the honors that he received are State FFA Champion Cotton Grower in 1931, Co-organizer and president UA Boys 4-H House in 1936, Who's Who Colleges and Universities in 1937, vice-president Agri Day Assn. UA in 1937, Commander American Legion Post, executive committee-man of American Legion, Department of Arkansas and past chairman Joint State Advisory Council on School Health. He was past president of Prescott Kiwanis Club, Southwest Arkansas Schoolmasters Club, Bodcaw Improvement Club Southwest Arkansas Poultry Producers Assn., U.S. Poultry and Egg Producers Assn., Nevada County Teachers Assn., Nevada County Athletic Assn., Izard County Teachers Assn., Calico Rock Chamber of Commerce and Calico Rock Lions Club; past vice president of District 7 Arkansas Athletic Assn., charter member State Advisory Council on Second-ary Education, parliamentarian Ar-kansas Athletic Association, past district commissioner, and executive committeeman, Boy Scouts of America, charter member Nevada County Development Council, Superintendent of Sunday school and deacon of Baptist Church, Arkansas Athletic Assn. Executive committee, member of Calico Rock city planning commission, member of State Advisory Council Title II, White River Planning and Development District, EDA District 2, State Community Development Leadership Award and chairman Chamber of Commerce Industrial Development Committee.

He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Deward 'D.O.' Silvey and Leward Silvey.

Survivors include his wife, Bobby Silvey of Calico Rock; one daughter, Fredericka Nell Silvey-Johns of Munich, Ger.; one sister, Ruth Edna Silvey Turner of Humboldt, Tenn., four nieces, Jackie DeCordova, Joyce Pinderton, Betty Jean Baker, and Denna Kross; and one nephew, Larry Silvey.

Funeral services were Monday, March 23, at First Baptist Church of Calico Rock with Charles Baskin and Jess Sumeral officiating

A second funeral service was held Tuesday, March 24, at Little Bodcaw Baptist Church in Bodcaw. Burial was in Union Cemetery at Bodcaw under the direction of Eddie's Family Funeral Home in Calico Rock.