CHESHIRE – Mary Louise Sylvester, teacher, 94, passed away Thursday, December 1, 2016, at Masonicare Health Center in Wallingford.
Mrs. Sylvester was born September 21, 1922, in Syracuse, New York, to the late Joseph M. and Lena F. (Stevener) Penney. Mary Louise attended Syracuse University and received her BS and MS degrees from SCSU, New Haven. She was a teacher in the Cheshire school system from 1958 until her retirement from her position as Reading Consultant in 1991. She was a vibrant social person all her life: a Rainbow Girl (Worthy Advisor), member of the Order of the Eastern Star, and member of the Cheshire Congregational Church Colonizers, Choir, and Music Committee. In later years, she played bridge and participated in Senior Center and Red Hat activities. Her smile was an inspiration and a blessing to many.
Mary Louise is survived by her daughter, Ruth Ann Sylvester of Cheshire; her son, Gary Sylvester of Rome, NY; her sister, Florence “Penny” Adams of Miramar, FL; her granddaughter, Elizabeth Marie Thorman Sylvester; and her niece, Karen Pierson of Harrisburg, NC.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 22, 2017 at the Cheshire Congregational Church, 111 Church Dr., Cheshire. Private burial will be at the Oakwood Morningside Cemetery, Syracuse, NY. Memorial contributions may be made to any disabled veterans’ organization or to The Masonic Charity Foundation of Connecticut, P.O. Box 70, Wallingford, CT, 06492.