Candelaria Norma Silva-Collins, a former Dorchester resident, author, and civic “connector,” died in North Carolina on March 24 of complications from cancer.. She was 71.
A native of St. Louis, Missouri, she was one of the first African American students to integrate and graduate from University City High School. She put down roots in Boston after attending Northeastern University and leaving in her second year to start a family.
As a writer and poet, her works appeared in publications including Ebony Junior, The Bay State Banner, Roxbury Literary Annual, the School Library Journal, and The Boston Globe.
Among the many organizations and institutions that Candelaria worked for in her more than five decades in Boston were the Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity (METCO), Roxbury Community College, Boston City Hospital (now Boston Medical Center), Families First, and Madison Park Development Corporation (MPDC).
It was at MPDC, while serving for 10 years as the first Director of Arts, Culture & Trade (ACT) Roxbury, a cultural-economic development program, Candelaria created and established the Roxbury (Dudley) Film Festival, Roxbury Literary Annual, and Roxbury Open Studios. Her motto, “Roxbury is Rich,” inspired her work.
Her vision of spotlighting the bourgeoning artistic creativity within the city’s African-American community brought her to lead the redevelopment and transformation of Hibernian Hall, a long shuttered Irish dance venue building in Roxbury into a gathering place for music, dance, theater, and office space.
And as coordinator of the membership community program at the Huntington Theatre Company, Candelaria increased theater engagement between Boston’s inner-city residents and the venerable theatre.
She served as program manager of the Boston Public Library’s Fellowes Athenaeum Trust from 2014 until her move to North Carolina last July.
A champion of libraries, she was able to realize a dream of her own when the children’s books she authored and published were placed on BPL shelves as well as libraries and bookstores across the country.
Candelaria’s many awards include the Arts and Community Leadership Award, Martinis and Masterpieces from the Arts and Business Council of Greater Boston, as well as the Community Service Award from the John D. O’Bryant African-American Institute at Northeastern University and the Roxbury Puddingstone Award from Discover Roxbury.
Her book “Jump, Jump, Jump Stacey” was named one of 2025’s Best Indie Books by Kirkus Reviews.
She leaves her beloved husband Tessil John Collins, daughter Amber Rashida McQueen, son Cyrus Malik McQueen, mother Norma Jean Thompson, sister Nina Gardner, brother Glenn Ellis, daughter-in-love Dionna Collins, daughter-in-law Leanne McQueen, brother-in-law Christopher Gardner, and a host of grandchildren who affectionately refer to her as “Grandi”:
Saige Boone, Unique McQueen, Thomas McQueen, Darian Bogie-McQueen, Madison McElroy and Molly Jean McQueen, along with her dear niece Christina Gardner and nephew Anthony Gardner as well as maternal aunts Jewelle Reynolds, Sharon Ramey Williams, Deborah Pippins and siblings, Vicki Silva, Maribel Silva, Nimar Silva, cousins and cherished friends.
A memorial service to celebrate Candelaria Silva-Collins’s life will be held on Thurs., April 23, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m, at Sardis Baptist Church, 5811 Sardis Rd., Charlotte, NC.
The above was adapted from a longer obituary submitted by the family.
