Silvia Trinidad Marinilli Perez, bright, generous soul

Silvia Trinidad Marinilli Perez, 65, passed away peacefully Monday, Aug. 18, 2025, in her family’s Rehoboth Beach home after a long illness.  

She was a former resident of Washington, D.C., where she moved after graduating from Mount Holyoke College in Amherst, Mass., in 1982. For several years, she applied her love of political science in her work as a paralegal for large law firms and her love for social gatherings by hosting many events and parties for her large circle of friends in the nation’s capital. Silvia also loved music and worked for several years at a Washington-area FM radio station. Later, Silvia moved to Annapolis, where she had positions at a local law firm and a financial advisor company. She loved mountain biking, sailing, and activities, where she could indulge in her love of nature. An artist by continuous training and natural inclination, Silvia was always in the midst of creation, whether it was painting, sculpting, or pottery. She leaves behind a large body of artwork.

Silvia was born in Caracas, Venezuela, and emigrated to the United States as a young child with her parents, Liberato and Gladys, and sister, Gina. The family, joined by younger sisters Sheila and Shirley, lived in Boston, Maine, Florida, and New Jersey. Always generous and bright, Silvia made friends easily and would extend herself to help friends, neighbors, and animals, especially dogs, in need.

Silvia was diagnosed with frontotemporal degeneration in 2011. Her parents became her primary caregivers and surrounded her with joy, music, and laughter.

Silvia is survived by her loving mother, Gladys Perez Marinilli; and her three devoted sisters, Gina Marinilli and Sheila Marinilli, both of Philadelphia, Pa., and Shirley Marinilli Gago and Wilson Gago of New York.

The family thanks the healthcare professionals, particularly Beth, of Compassionate Care Hospice, as well as Renee Cartwright, for helping to create a tender and supportive environment.

Services are private.

For those who wish, donations in Silvia’s memory can be made to the Johns Hopkins FTD and Young-Onset Dementias Clinic or Mount Holyoke College.

Online condolences may be sent by visiting melsonfuneralservices.com.