To my shock and dismay, I discovered my mom’s long time floral teacher and mentor died on Feb. 21. My mom met Silverio Casabar when he gave a class at the flower market and they bonded quickly over being Filipino. Working with Silverio was a shot of creativity for both my mom and myself — he was so incredibly creative and talented. I remember looking at a cake table with a few yards of fabric in one hand, trying to figure out what I should do. He came by and, in just a few minutes, twisted it into a new technique that I began to use at later weddings.

From the obituary that I found from thedesertsun.com:

Silverio Casabar (1924 – 2010)

Silverio Casabar AIFD, former owner of Silverio’s Flower in Palm Desert, Calif., passed away on Sunday, February 21, 2010. Silverio was born in the Philippines in 1924, and moved to Hawaii at a young age. An American family, the Suttons, adopted him. Bill Sutton, his father, was the head gardener at the famed Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Honolulu, Hawaii. Silverio loved working with flowers and foliages and in his early teens became a full time
employee at his fathers flower shop. In the early 50’s, the family moved to Santa Monica, Calif. where Silverio opened his own flower shop. For many years, Silverio was the head designer at the Hollywood Park Race Track.

Silverio was a charter member of the American Institute of Floral Designers and he won many design awards and trophies including an International Gold Medal, and a Sweepstakes prize in the Tournament of Roses Parade and the Las Floristas Headdress Ball. In the late 70’s, Silverio moved to Palm Desert and opened Silverio’s Flowers. In the late 90’s, Silverio co-published Tropical and Contemporary Floral Design with Phil Rulloda AAF, AIFD, CFD, PFCI. Silverio was famous for his unique foliage techniques and use of tropical flowers in creating large scale “works of art.”

Silverio is survived by many family members, who want to thank Barrett Betschart, Patty Curtiss and the ElderCaring (in-home senior services) staff for taking him into their hearts and being his family for the last 13 months. He will be deeply missed by the floral community, friends, family and clients. His legacy will be continuing through his many floral students. Please make donations in his name to Hope for Housing or American Cancer Society.

I regret that I’d not kept in touch with Silverio; the last time I spoke to him was when I called him last summer to tell him I was expecting. And I only found out about his passing because I was searching for his address to send him a birth announcement.

Here is one of Silverio’s more memorable creations, done at my friend Moonie’s wedding. Silverio was with us at so many weddings, I can’t even remember them all. And he was in amazing health — lived 85 years, I believe, thanks to his daily habit of playing tennis.

He’ll be missed.