David Silvert

David Silvert, a committed community leader, devoted husband, father, fun-loving grandfather, and a man whose charm was exceeded only by his love of a good story, died surrounded by his family on September 15, 2026.

Born January 21, 1943, in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky, David was the son of Arnold and Anna Ruth Silvert. He grew up in Paintsville, Kentucky, where he was, from an early age, a bright and athletic child playing baseball and basketball, participating in speech and debate, and learning early the importance of community service through various clubs. Even as a boy, he seemed to possess the qualities that would define much of his life: curiosity, confidence, competitiveness, and an unusual ability to communicate with just about anyone. He was always an incredible listener, believing that it was the key to understanding and compromise. He would often say, “the true test of intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing views in your head at the same time.”

At Paintsville High School, David was vice president of the student council and treasurer of the school's newly established Beta Club. He distinguished himself in competitive speech, earning recognition at both regional and state competitions. He graduated in 1960 as co-valedictorian.

David attended Centre College on a baseball scholarship. He also showed great aptitude for debate. His father owned radio station WSIP in Paintsville, and radio was part of everyday life in the Silvert household. David began his broadcasting career there as an announcer and became one of Kentucky's earliest rock-and-roll radio personalities. Following college, he and his father became owners of two radio stations in central Florida, WSIR in Winter Haven and WVFM in Lakeland.

His love of baseball soon combined with his love of broadcasting. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, David announced Boston Red Sox spring training games. Listeners in Boston could hear David providing the play-by-play while his father added color commentary—a uniquely Silvert combination of family, baseball, and broadcasting.

David eventually moved to Owensboro in 1970, beginning a career that would span more than five decades in radio, television, advertising and public relations. He worked for WOMI and WBKR before joining WTVW-TV in Evansville, where he spent approximately 15 years and ultimately became regional sales director. He later became regional vice president of Jordan-Chiles, leading the agency's Owensboro office and continuing a career built not simply on selling advertising, but on building relationships. That was what David was proudest of professionally: the people. He developed friendships with clients and colleagues that lasted for decades. He was dedicated and loyal, and he had an extraordinary ability to make people feel as though they were the most important person in the room. For David, business was always personal—not in the transactional sense, but because he genuinely liked people.

That same quality shaped his life in the Owensboro community. At First Baptist Church, he was a deacon, started their Hugg Ministry, and was passionate about serving the unhomed through his blessing bags, which he always carried in his car. He was also president and board chair of Girls Inc. of Owensboro, and held various positions in the Owensboro Rotary Club. He believed in getting involved rather than simply offering an opinion from the sidelines.

That instinct was particularly evident in his work on behalf of Ben Hawes State Park. In the early 1990s, David chaired a citizens committee advocating for the development of the park into the full-scale state resort envisioned decades earlier. He became an energetic public advocate for the project, arguing that Owensboro and Daviess County deserved the investment.

Years later, David continued to find ways to bring people together. In 2009, he helped organize the enormously successful Owensboro appearance of new University of Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari, raising funds for the Owensboro Family YMCA and Cliff Hagan Boys & Girls Club. In 2010, as program chairman of the Owensboro Rotary Club, he organized and moderated a public forum on the proposed merger of Owensboro and Daviess County governments.

But David's greatest accomplishments were not found on a résumé.

He was insanely charming—in business, in life and, especially, on the dance floor. He loved a good joke, and if he found one particularly funny, there was a very good chance everyone he knew would hear it at least twice. Nothing made him laugh quite like a Mel Brooks movie, many of which he introduced to his children and grandchildren at an age that was probably far too young.

While baseball was David’s first love, he also loved golf, although his relationship with the sport was considerably less successful. He played several times a week despite being, by any objective measure, a terrible golfer. His difficulties may have been related to the fact that he was left-handed but insisted on playing with right-handed clubs. He was perhaps the only golfer capable of putting enough backspin on a ball that it could actually travel backward from the tee box. None of this diminished his enthusiasm. David understood something important about life: you did not have to be particularly good at something to have a great time doing it.

For 60 years, David shared his life with his wife, Mary Fair Thacker Silvert. Together they built a family and a life in Owensboro filled with friendships, laughter, traditions and stories that will continue long after him. He took the most pride in his family: his children, Stan Silvert and his wife Cindy of McDonough, Georgia; Beth Wilmes and her husband Mike of Prospect, Kentucky; and Madison Silvert and his wife Amy of Owensboro; and his grandchildren, Harrison Wilmes; Ellie Baker and her husband Tyler; Bridget Silvert; Emma Silvert and her fiancé Robbie Harper; Lilly Silvert; and John Silvert.

David is also survived by his sister, Susan Hutchison.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Arnold and Anna Ruth Silvert.

He leaves behind a family who knew him as something more important than a broadcaster, businessman or community leader. They simply knew him as Dad, husband, Papa, brother and friend. While the people of Owensboro knew David as someone who showed up. His family knew something more. He showed up for them— and he usually had a story to tell when he got there.

Visitation will be held from 4 to7 p.m. Thursday, September 17th at Glenn Funeral Home and Crematory. Visitation will continue at 9 a.m. Friday, September 18th at Glenn Funeral Home and Crematory with a funeral service to follow at 10 a.m. Entombment will be in Christ Chapel at Owensboro Memorial Gardens.

Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to First Baptist Church Benevolence Fund, PO Box 904, Owensboro, KY 42302, or Girls Inc., 2130 E 19th St G, Owensboro, KY 42303

Memories and condolences for the family may be offered at www.glennfuneralhome.com