Dana Eric Silies

Dana "Dan" Eric Silies quietly passed away on July 15, 2024. In life, he always said he believed that Jesus was his Lord and Savior: "Jesus is my life! Everything else is just football." He often mentioned he was looking forward to the time when he would finally be able to meet Jesus where there would certainly be no struggles anymore and definitely no more pain. As a devout and gentle Christian, Dan is most assuredly at Peace before Jesus now.

He cherished his happy childhood growing up, thankful and grateful for the large loving family that surrounded him; family life was paramount to him. He really enjoyed romping around in the woods near the family home in Wilderness, VA, relishing the time he was part of the local hunt club as they raised Walker hounds for deer, rabbit and squirrel hunts. Brought up in the Baptist faith, during his adult life, Dan would attend churches that "felt right" to him wherever he lived, since his career had him relocating to different parts of the U.S.

Dan was very -- but quietly -- intelligent, catching on to computer processes as a teenager just by watching programmers as he sat in his mother's office, eventually making it his life's work. He was a self-made man as an independent contractor, specializing in accounting software systems, excelling at corporations such as Ball and IBM, to name a few. His last contract was with Averitt, a position leaving him feeling gratified, knowing what he had accomplished there.

He loved the outdoors, traveling, hiking, and camping, his trusty cameras always with him so he could take (some of them award-winning) photographs, capturing the beauty of the world around him. His favorite sports were football and NASCAR, but his wife, Dori, also got him interested in baseball and hockey.

Dan fiercely loved ALL his children and was very proud of the good young people they became, each with their own unique and wonderful characteristics. When he became a grandfather, he felt complete, beaming with pride talking about his five outstanding grandchildren.

Math, science, and especially physics, were of special interest to Dan. He considered himself a reasonably proficient hobbyist in these areas, passionately explaining methodology and theories in such a way that made these topics interesting, especially to Dori, while they were settled into a cozy life in Kodak, TN.

Dan is preceded in death by his dear maternal grandmother, Lottie P. Del Jones of Spotsylvania, VA; his beloved mother, Delores "Chickie" Eileen Garland of Spotsylvania, VA; and his military father, Donald Eugene Silies of St. Louis, MO.

He is survived by his wife, Doris Brügger Silies and her daughters, Emily and Helen Porter; by his brother, Donald E. Silies II and wife Carol and their daughters, Kallye and Courtney; his sister, Britten Ellen White and husband Warren and their children, Christian, Joseph, Joshua, Isaac, and Anthony.

Dan is also survived by his son London Silies and wife Jenni; his son Otto Silies, and his daughter-in-law, Julie Silies, and their children, Navah, Bailey, Kai, and Aaron; his son, Nick Silies and wife Jules; and his daughter Hannah Silies and husband Zech Fardette and their daughter, Cosette Silies; as well as cousins, a favorite being Leigh “Scooter” Reamy of Fredericksburg, VA.

Dan's obituary was submitted by his loving family.

Circle of Life Cremation is honored to serve the family of Dana Eric Silies. 

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