Glenn Silva, iconic painter of MIT door signs, dies at 78
Silva: “My mind is just focused on what I’m doing.”
Photo Courtesy of Lillie Paquette
Glenn A. Silva, a longtime painter of door signs across the MIT campus, passed away on Feb. 12, 2025 at the age of 78. Joining the Institute in 1994, Silva was a familiar fixture for students and faculty alike, who often watched as he hand-lettered office entrances and classroom doors.
Silva was born on Sept. 25, 1946, in Plymouth, MA and graduated from Plymouth Carver High School. After serving in the National Guard and working at the Quincy General Dynamics Shipyard, Silva enrolled in the Butera School of Art in Boston to further his interest in lettering. He taught there for ten years after his graduation, before starting Glensign, his sign fabrication company. These signs remain all over his Plymouth hometown and the greater Boston area.
Throughout his three decades at MIT, Silva found his work fulfilling. “My mind is just focused on what I’m doing,” Silva said in a 2017 MIT School of Engineering video. “And that’s what I enjoy. Maybe that’s why I just don’t retire.”
It’s true that the painstaking process of lettering — from mixing paint to tracing with pencil and ruler to delicately applying brush pressure — sometimes led Silva to frustration. Most of the time, however, he recalled having “a lot of peace” within himself. In a 2017 Boston Globe interview, Silva said that he could “drown the whole world out” when properly engrossed in his craft, often failing to notice the curious passersby around him.
Silva usually kept himself busy, hauling his supplies from door to door and installing vinyl signs whenever he wasn’t painting. “That is what gives you the drive to keep going,” Silva said. “I’m here every day.”
Reflecting on a trade that some consider antiquated, Silva said that he is glad his craftsmanship remains appreciated at the Institute. However, he also laments the slow loss of hand-lettering. “No one does it anymore, very few people,” Silva said. “And I’m very fortunate that here I get the opportunity to do it.”
Outside of sign-making, Silva was remembered as a loving grandfather and selfless friend. He “appreciat[ed] nature,” “collect[ed] trinkets,” and had a penchant for photography. A “man of great faith,” Silva enjoyed bowling, telling stories, playing the saxophone, and documenting his grandchildrens’ life milestones.
Silva is survived by his brother, four children, four grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren, along with countless nieces, nephews, and cousins. His cause of death was not given. Funeral services at the New Hope Chapel were held on March 1. Silva’s legacy, etched in meticulous black Serif text, will undoubtedly adorn Institute walls for many future generations of students to come.