Dr. Richard Silvan Carvalho
Dr. Richard Silvan Carvalho, 84, of Peterborough, New Hampshire, died May 28, 2020.
Wonderful father / father-in-law of son Bruce Carvalho and his wife Regina Cosnowsky, of daughter Lynne Carvalho Adamian and her husband David Adamian. Loving grandfather of Nathaniel, Maia, Louis, Daniel, and Eleanor.
Devoted brother to Charles Carvalho and wife Pauline, sister, Judy Dallaire and husband Roland, sister, Beverly Garcia and husband Manny and brother-in-law, Robert Pachico. He leaves former wife and friend, Audrey Carvalho. He is predeceased by his sister Jeanne Pachico and niece Deborah Paulo.
Accomplished radiologist; devoted friend; lover of oceans, aquatic life and underwater photography; inveterate prankster and joker; and quintessential grandfather, Dick had a long and generous life characterized by warmth and kindness. He reminded us, more and more recently, that he would rather be diving, and enjoyed reliving his decades of scuba treks and undersea encounters across the South Pacific, the Caribbean and the Florida Keys. He was passionate about marine science, particularly whales, dolphins and sharks and referred to them as artistic inspiration in his wood shop.
Richard (Dick) grew up between his parents’ and grandparents’ households in Fall River and Somerset, Massachusetts and Newport, Rhode Island. After attending The University of Rhode Island and George Washington University Medical School through the US Army, he and his young family were first stationed in Texas for his radiology residency at Brooke Army Hospital in San Antonio and later as a radiologist at Fort Hood. From there, he took his family to Germany where he served as a radiologist at the US Army Hospital in Nuremberg. In 1973, Dick retired from the Army as a Lt. Colonel and joined a private radiology practice at St. Joseph’s hospital, in Nashua, New Hampshire. His focus was general radiology with special interest in mammography. During this period, Nashua was experiencing tremendous growth and Dick helped secure the first CAT scan machine in New Hampshire. In 1989, Dick moved to Peterborough looking for a smaller community experience. He led the radiology practice at Monadnock Community Hospital until 2002 and served as president of the medical staff in 1997-1998.
Dick embraced his role as the family patriarch, taking pride in family accomplishments and cultivating connections across generations. Over the past twenty years, he took particular joy in his role as grandfather and could often be found on the floor playing with one or more of his grandchildren. Dick reveled in his grandchildren’s curiosity and varied interests and was always ready with jokes, fake teeth and slapstick props.
Dick maintained a lifelong connection with his fraternity brothers from Sigma Chi and reminded us all that his first position as fraternity dishwasher, which afforded him his meals and housing through college, assured him the title of the family’s most experienced dishwasher.
He enjoyed a lifelong enthusiasm for skiing with both family and friends from the slopes of the Alps, Sun Valley and Crotched Mountain. He was happiest in their company whether that was skiing, hiking in the woods near his home, checking in via Skype, traveling, SCUBA diving or tinkering in his woodshop.
His warmth, and lifelong kindness will be missed by family and a close and wide network of friends.
If you wish to make a donation in Dick’s memory, please consider giving to Monadnock Community Hospital or the RiverMead Staff Appreciation Fund, both in Peterborough. A memorial service will be planned at a later date.