The Long and Winding Road, from the album Let It Be, The Beatles, 1969

Happy 50th Birthday

Mark J. Silvestri

Mark Joseph Silvestri, July 1955

born December 31, 1954

 

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You Must Have Been a

Beautiful Baby....

[We're able to see that because Mark's mother, Helen Radzelovage Silvestri, kept all of these pictures and then shared copies of them with the rest of us.]

Mark, July 1955

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Mark, February 1956

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Mark

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Mark

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Mark, July 1955

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Mark with cousin Gloria Radzelovage Black

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Siblings

Mark and Loui, February 1956

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Mark and Loui, July 1955

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Paul and Mark, May 1958

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Mark and Loui

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Pat Radzelovage Cheslock, Mark, Linda Mustashio

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The Three Musketeers

Mark, Paul and Loui, February 1959

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Loui, Paul and Mark

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Mark, Paul and Loui, March 1958

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Paul, Loui and Mark, November 1960

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Loui, Paul and Mark, November 1960

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Loui (standing), Paul and Mark

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Loui, Paul and Mark

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The Family

Helen, Mark, Loui and Loui Silvestri

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Loui, Helen and Mark Silvestri

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Tony Alco, Loui Silvestri, Mark and Elizabeth Sylvester, Edward Sr. and Frances Radzelovage;

Patricia Radzelovage, Alice Alco, Paul Radzelvoage

Loui and Mark Silvestri, 1956

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Loui, Helen and Paul Silvestri

Mark, Amelia Silvestri (Paul's daughter), Frances Radzelovage, circa 1988

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Workers

Mark, August 1958

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Loui and Mark Silvestri, August 1958

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Mark and Loui Silvestri, August 1958

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Loui and Mark Silvestri, August 1958

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Loui and Mark, Summer 1956

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Holidays

Paul, Loui and Mark

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Mark and Loui

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Mark and Loui, December 1955

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Mark, December 1956

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Loui and Mark, Halloween 1957

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Water Babies

Loui and Mark, July 1955

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Mark, Summer 1957

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Mark, Summer 1957

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Wildwood, New Jersey, circa 1970

AR Alco, Duane Silvestri, Jimmy Saslo, Paul Silvestri (Mark Silvestri, standing)

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School Days

Riverside Elementary School 1960-1961

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Mark, 1961

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Mark, 1963

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Mark, 1964

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Religious Education

Mark, circa 1964

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Now this is what I'm talkin' about....

MJS Senior Portrait

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Mark, circa 1974, Altoona, PA

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Our wedding day

Barbara Beck-Ramsay and Mark Joseph Silvestri, August 30, 1975

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That was then, this is now....

cake 1956 cake 2004

Our daughter Heather made this cake for her father.  The "50" candle reads: "Here lies my youth."

 

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mark and helen silvestri

Mark with his mother, Helen Radzelovage Silvestri

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paul and mark silvestri

...with younger brother Paul

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erik, jason and mark silvestri

... our twins Erik and Jason Silvestri

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heather and mark silvestri

... our daughter Heather Silvestri

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adam and mark silvestri

...our son Adam Silvestri

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rene stanley, chloe rene silvestri and mark

...granddaughter Chloe Rene Silvestri and her mother, Rene Stanley

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bbr, justin, carrie, mom, mark

Barbara Beck-Ramsay (BBR); grandson Justin Noseworthy; daughter Carrie Silvestri Noseworthy; Mark's mother Helen

 

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Birthday Greetings....

Hey Barb and the ole man who is Marked,

I wish y'all the best!  Paul will be there for the celebration and is extremely happy to be.  I'm on cheerful overload, but nonetheless wish everyone the best and happiest--especially my exceptionally wonderful godly child, ADAM.  Please give him an enormous hug from me and tell him that I am extremely proud of him!  He has endless potential in this 21st century.  Come to college in Georgia and try something different... 

I love Mark of all the brothers (this is in relationship to familial humor).  I'm told we have the same torturous sense of humor.  I miss our 4th of July campouts or not.  I wish that our families lived in closer proximity.  I like Boston and Vermont , so I guess I mean that I wish that I lived in the Northeast.

Happy Birthday!  You are loved!

Love, Di (Di Silvestri, sister-in-law)

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Congratulations Marko,

The Master of Pool Opening, The bandana man who conquers any job, large or small, the man who could build a pyramid using milk crates, the man whose vision is helped along by stringing yellow lines all over his back yard, (I thought you lost it) is finally 50! Always young at heart and always younger than us, has hit middle age, just like us. It feels good. It seems we are on even ground now, and we like that too! Have fun, don't worry, be happy Man, as they say in Jamaica . Good luck for the next 50 years!

Your best friends,

Love, Bobby and Judy (Peloquin)

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From Teri (Silvestri, sister-in-law): Happy 50th. Wish we could be there to help you celebrate. We send lots of love.

From nephew Aiden: "Ka, Ka, Cake please?

From niece Jenna: "Ja ja ja ja".burp, fart, plaaaa, "waaaaaaa"

From Boogie the bird: "SQUAWK!....SQUAWK!"

From Gorbanzo: (our Beta fish). "Blurp.Blurp"

From Duane (brother): "Teri, where's my tie? Teri, did you send that e-mail to Barb for Mark's birthday? Teri, don't send that check to Mark unless you're sure it'll bounce."

Also from Duane:

Once upon a midnight dreary
While mom pondered weak and weary
Over many a quaint and curious
Volumes of pornographic prose

There she nodded nearly napping
Then dad started tapping
As if he were gently rapping, rapping on her “chambered door”
“Tis a horny husband” she muttered,
“tapping on my ‘chamber door.' “Only this and nothing more.”

Ah distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December;
And with daddy's hardened member caused the Stork to come to their door
Nine months later and none more
Little Mark was borne and pure

Eagerly Mark wished for morrow; vainly he had sought to borrow
From his smut books surcease of sorrow—sorrow for a wife unknown
For a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels had only known
Met he Barb for evermore

And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each trailer curtain
Thrilled Mark—filled Mark with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of his heart, he stood repeating
“'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my trailer door—
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my trailer door; --
This it is and nothing more”

Suddenly Mark flung his putter, when, with much glimmer and shutter,
In there stepped a stately sibling as if of the saintly days of yore.
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute slumped or shady;
But, with mien of lord did stay he, proud upon Mark's trailer floor
Stood upon Mark's dirty socks, centered on his trailer floor
Burped then flatulent and nothing more.

Then this proud man beguiling Mark's sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance he bore,
“Though thy head is shorn and shaven, thou,” Mark said, “are surely saving
my sad ass from hell you're braving ancient soul wandering from the Nightly shore—
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!”
Quoth the brave man, “Marine Corps”

Much Mark marveled this handsome hero to hear discourse so plainly,
Though his answer little meaning—little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blessed with seeing this Marine upon his trailer floor
King or knight upon the smelly undees, strewn across the trailer floor
With such name as “Marine Corps”

But the gentleman, standing solely, on the unwashed clothes so holy
Spoke only of the “Corps”, as if his soul in that one word did outpour,
Nothing farther then he uttered—
Till Mark scarcely more than muttered “Are thee friend or foe?”
Still he said but, “Marine Corps”

Years did pass for Mark begotten
Surely he had best forgotten
Of this Mean and Stately fellow, perched upon his trailer floor
50 years now divining, Mark reposed at ease, reclining
On the cushion's velvet lining in Avon where he doth now dwell

At this ripe age he wonders deeply, “who hath haunted me so creepy?”
“Will he be here to now see me and stand upon my Malley floor?
To celebrate my 50 th , I implore?
This Mark wondered and nothing more.
Where is this man, “Marine Corps?”

(Semper Fi, and happy 50th , Brother. Sorry I couldn't be there. Duane)

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Mark,

 I wish you a very happy Fiftieth Birthday.

From the e-mails from Barbara I know you must be a happy and lucky man with your family.

Congratulations, best wishes, and may you have many many more birthdays.

And when you let out the year you were born and somebody does the math and says "Oh, that means you are XXXX years old, you can smile smugly and say "Not until the VERY end of the year."  Since my birthday is December 30, I know that feeling well.

Donald A. Holloway (Barb's cousin)

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Best Wishes, Mark, on your 50th Birthday!!

We wish you an easy, relaxing, downhill coast for the 2nd half of your life!!!

Love,

Lyn, Amber, Kim and Danielle (Silvestri, sister-in-law and nieces)

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Brother...how do I put into words the thanks I feel for your love, friendship, sense of humor, and positive influence over the years?  You've been like a fine wine or well aged cheese, both overpowering and enjoyable at the same time. Thank you is a start.  As you round the corner for the second half,  I hope you continue to mature and ripen  like the old, stinky, cheese you truly are ;-) .... Happy birthday brother! 

Paul Silvestri (brother)

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HAPPY 50 th BIRTHDAY, DAD/PAP! We love you and hope you have a wonderful day! YOU DESERVE IT!

Carrie, Graeme and Justin Noseworthy (daughter, son-in-law, grandson)

If you like, you can leave a birthday greeting for Mark in my guestbook and I'll see that he gets it.