Charles Silverberg

Charles Neal Silverberg, 72, of Kingston passed away peacefully at Health Alliance Hospital on April 29th, 2023 surrounded by loving members of his family.

Born September 27th, 1950 in Bayside Queens, Charlie is the son of the late Seymour Silverberg and Harriet Silverberg Haftel and stepson of Ray Haftel. He attended VanBuren High School in Queens where he was involved with sports, primarily basketball and baseball. He went on to attend SUNY New Paltz where he continued to play both sports for the Hawks, and it was during this time that the city boy fell in love with the Hudson Valley. Upon graduating from New Paltz, he spent some time in the restaurant industry as a cook at McGuinn’s and went on to open two other establishments with partners, Wardsbridge Inn and Speakers. Finally, at the age of 30, he decided to follow his father’s footsteps and go back to school for his Master’s in Social Work. He attended SUNY Albany, earned that MSW, and spent the next 35 years proudly serving Ulster County as one of its finest Social Workers.

Charlie remained athletic during his adult life, and spent much time running outdoors through the streets of Kingston, participating in many local road races and even organizing his own-the Woodstock Classic-with close friend Leo Amari. He was an avid boxing enthusiast and loved hosting “fight nights” at home. You could often find Charlie at Dietz Stadium or the YMCA where he loved the old days of Boot Camp, the steam room, and more recently, taking his daughter’s dance fitness class. He had also taken up swing dance lessons and loved the camaraderie within this community. He idolized Jerry Lee Lewis, aka “The Killer” and James Brown aka “The Godfather of Soul” and would mimic their dance moves. When he was trying to take things easy, you could find Charlie basking in the sun at a local swimming spot and spending time cooking for his family, who were fond of his grilling skills and buffalo shrimp.

Predeceased by his parents and many beloved aunts, uncles and cousins, Charlie is survived by his daughter Lainie (Rich) Boler, daughter Jill Silverberg, brother Jay Silverberg and his partner Larry Ricci, nephews Cory (Emily) Silverberg and Dean Silverberg, his favorite ex-wife Karen Furey (Larry), and tons of cousins and friends who love Charlie deeply. Please join the family in a celebration of Charlie’s life on Sunday, May 7th, at Keyser Funeral & Cremation Service, 326 Albany Ave, Kingston, NY 12401 from 1:00pm to 4:00pm with a time of sharing at 3:00pm. Charlie dedicated his life to helping others, so in lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Ulster County Mental Health Association (https://www.mhainulster.com/), Hudson Valley Hospice (https://www.hvhospice.org/), or another charity of your choice. The family would also like to thank the tremendous medical staff at Health Alliance Hospital in Kingston and Hudson Valley Hospice for ensuring Charlie’s comfort during his final days. A tribute for Charles can be found at www.KeyserFuneralService.com, where you may leave memories and expressions of sympathy for his family.