To: The University community
From: Joel K. Haack, Head, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science
Date: July 30, 1992
We regret to announce that Ina Mae Silvey, Professor Emeritus of Mathematics, passed away at age 81 in Des Moines on Friday, July 17, 1992. She had been in failing health for several years. She was born August 18, 1910, in Tarsney, Missouri, daughter of James Calvin and Ruby Fern Bennett Brown. She married Wray D. Silvey on July 9, 1937; he also taught at UNI, serving as Professor of Education and Head of the Department of School Administration and Personnel Services. Wray Silvey died in 1973.
Ina Mae Silvey earned her bachelor's degree from Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg, and her master's degree from the University of Northern Iowa. She taught in the Mathematics Department at UNI from 1954 until her retirement in 1978. She was a dedicated and forthright teacher and colleague who will be remembered with fondness and respect by all who knew her.
She taught a variety of elementary mathematics education courses both on and off-campus, and was well-known to many Iowa teachers through her frequent extension visits in the schools. In addition, she taught the old Mathematics for General Education course (now evolved into Mathematics in Decision Making) on closed-circuit television for well over a decade: this assignment alone brought her into contact with at least 15,000 students. She also wrote numerous articles for professional journals and was the author and co-author of four mathematics textbooks.
Survivors include a daughter, Phyllis S. Hansell of Des Moines: two grandsons: a sister, Ella Nelson of San Antonio, Texas; and two brothers, Edward Brown and J. C. Brown, both of Leeton, Missouri. Private graveside services were conducted on July 21 in Des Moines. A public memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 23 at Dunn's Funeral Home, 2121 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa. Memorial contributions in memory of Prof. Silvey may be made to the Mathematics Fund in care of the UNI Foundation.