Silvano “Sil” Achiro
November 21, 1934 – August 11, 2021
Silvano “Sil” Achiro, 86, passed away peacefully on August 11, 2021 at home in the presence of his loving family. Sil had fought a long and brave battle with heart disease. Sil will be remembered with great respect as a core member of the local business community, having founded and built the Tahoe Truckee Sierra Disposal Company, providing waste collection, recycling, and related processing to the local community for over fifty years.
Sil was born in the small coastal town of Sestri Levante, Italy in 1934, during a time of severe economic strife, followed by world war. He grew up the third of three children, a happy and strong-minded child more interested in soccer than school. At a young age he played professional soccer for Sampdoria, but was ultimately forced to pursue better financial opportunity in America. At age 20 he landed in New York and quickly lost his only money to a New York cab driver. When he arrived in San Francisco, he began work as a garbage collector for Sunset Scavenger Company. He later joined the Army and Reserves, serving for three years. In 1960, he honeymooned with his bride Carol to briefly view the Olympics and Tahoe for the first time. In 1964, they borrowed and scraped together everything they had in order to purchase the Tahoe City garbage company. Through long hours and hard work, they gradually grew the small, independent company to encompass Kings Beach, Truckee and surrounding areas.
Professionally, Sil will be remembered for his remarkable integrity, commitment to community, hard-working leadership, and common-sense business acumen. He will personally be remembered kindly for his love of life and profound generosity towards others. He would say, “It’s only paper,” believing genuinely that the fruits of our earthly labors are best enjoyed in the company of others. Many who remember him will recall parties filled with song and laughter, wine and dancing, and more food than can possibly be imagined (prepared in generous portions by Carol). In later years, Sil spent much time in Dutch Flat, CA where he and family members personally tended to a small vineyard and garden. He and Carol entertained frequently and made regular trips to Italy to visit loving friends and family there.
In June, 2016, at the “Festa dell’emigrante” at Favale di Malvaro, Sil was awarded “il premio Radici,” appearing in Italian newspapers and television. The prestigious award honors emigrants who, through their own good example, represent Italy well in the world and are committed to maintaining their ties with Italy.
Sil is survived by his wife Carol Ann Achiro (married 61 years), his son David Achiro and daughter-in-law Julie Achiro, his daughter Mary Collins and son-in-law Jeff Collins, brother Renato Achiro, and grandchildren Ryan Collins, Marcella Collins, Gabriella Achiro, Jacob Collins, and Sabrina Achiro.
Services will be held Wednesday 8/18/21 at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Tahoe City, CA with reception to follow at Granlibakken, Tahoe City. Schedule as follows: Rosary 11AM, Mass 11:30, followed by burial at Trails End Cemetery in Tahoe City. Reception and eulogies at 1:00 in the Granlibakken Mountain Room. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the UC Davis Dept. of Internal Medicine for the cure and treatment of Amyloidosis.