Sylvan Silberg, of Encinitas, California, passed away peacefully on September 15, 2020. Sylvan was born in Chicago on July 13, 1933, to Isadore and Fannie Silberg (née Cohn). Sylvan’s mother died in 1942 after a long illness, and Sylvan lived in an orphanage and foster homes from 1940 until his father remarried in 1949. He became an entrepreneur at age six, collecting bottles and selling them for a penny. He worked through his youth, delivering newspapers, bagging and carrying groceries, and cutting onions for a hot dog stand. He was bold, assertive, and independent. He could go anywhere on street cars and his bicycle. He was fun-loving, spontaneous, and mischievous and loved to tease. He did not suffer fools gladly and could have a short fuse, but he did not hold grudges. Sylvan graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1951 and married his high school sweetheart, Judith Liss z”l in 1953. He and Judith had three children, Francine, Jeffrey, and Sherri. Sylvan obtained two engineering degrees from Illinois Institute of Technology and an MBA from the University of Chicago. Sylvan worked for over 50 years in the telecom industry, earning several patents and, in 1969, forming a company with partners that became DataCap, Inc., designing and marketing communication components that Sylvan humorously named “Goesintas,”—“this goes inta that.” Sylvan and Judith divorced in 1980, and Sylvan fulfilled a life-long dream of moving to San Diego. He brought DataCap with him. Sylvan married Rosemary Ridgeway in 1981 and they were married for nine years. In 1990, he re-met, courted, and married a childhood crush, Judith Saltz Schor. They enjoyed nearly 30 years of marriage filled with wonderful travels and adventures. Sylvan also gained a second family in Judith’s daughters, Hilary, Barbara, and Renée. Sylvan partially retired from DataCap in 2017 at the age of 83. He had a big smile and loved helping those he loved. Every problem was solvable. That positive attitude carried Sylvan through the many challenges of his own life, including health challenges that he faced with great strength and optimism. He loved his family and friends and kept in close contact, never missing a birthday phone call. Sylvan had many interests outside of work and family. He was an avid tennis player, jogger, swimmer, and gardener. He enjoyed fixing things. He had many beloved dogs. He was passionate about travel and loved to read. Just as he shared his love with family, he shared the rich bounty of his garden, creating healthy vegetarian recipes, especially his own versions of eggplant lasagna. Sylvan is survived by his wife Judith Silberg, children Francine Shetterly (Lane), Jeffrey Silberg (Terri), Sherri Silberg, step-daughters Hilary Schor, Barbara Schor (Kirby Winn), and Renée Schor (Ben Boyd), and grandchildren Elizabeth Silberg (Joel Turney), Joel Shetterly, Lauren Shetterly, and Dora Pierce. Gifts in Sylvan’s memory may be made to the Seacrest Foundation’s Employee Recognition Fund https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx... or to Junior Achievement, USA, https://jausa.ja.org/