Dr. Sylvia G. Merfeld, (Graham), age 90, of Boston, formerly of Lexington, died on Sunday, November 1, 2015, from complications of Alzheimer’s disease. Sylvia was born in her parents’ home in Methuen in 1925. She described her youth as “magical years when we had the freedom to be wild if we wanted, to be creative, and to stretch our minds as well as our bodies. My wish is for all children to have a few years of such magic!”
Sylvia earned her BS in biology from UNH in 1945 and her MD from Tufts Medical School in 1949. After internship and residencies at Boston Lying-In Hospital (now Brigham and Women’s Hospital), she trained at the Free Hospital for Women, Lawrence General Hospital, New England Hospital, and the New Britain General Hospital. Specializing in Obstetrics, she became a Teaching Fellow at Harvard College, and, in 1954, started a private practice in Boston. Her meticulous notes describe the details of her delivery of 286 babies. She enjoyed the camaraderie and feeling of joyful expectancy of the labor and delivery room.
In 1955, Sylvia Graham met Eugene Merfeld, then an MIT student. Though they were from vastly different worlds – he a Polish refugee, she a descendant of a family that came to America over 300 years ago – he swept her off her feet. They married in 1956, moved to Lexington, and raised two children.
Over a marriage of almost 60 years, they retained their newlywed spirit, tenderly holding hands and writing each other love notes.
When presented with the chance, she left medicine to pursue her true passions: motherhood, art, and volunteerism.
Their quiet Lexington street was filled with young families much like their own, and Sylvia soon had a tight community of mothers and children around her. She made doll clothes; built igloos in the snow; and loaded the neighborhood kids into her station wagon for a day at the beach or a hike up Mt. Monadnock. As her children grew, she pursued activities she could share with them. With David, she led many biking, skiing, and hiking trips through the American Youth Hostels. With Sue, she made art in many media.
A versatile artist, Sylvia mastered enameling, metal sculpting, quilting, and stained glass. No artistic endeavor intimidated her. When she wanted to build metal sculptures, she bought an oxy-acetylene torch and learned to use it; when she needed to accommodate the delicate timing required to lay down multiple layers of enamel, she installed a kiln in the basement. Over the years, she received multiple awards for her work, from Best Halloween Costumes to the Viewer’s Choice Award at the New England Quilt Show.
Though she described herself as shy, Sylvia was always ready to assume leadership roles involving the people and causes she cared about: leading a Girl Scout troop, where she shared her love of camping and crafts; starting and running the Meals on Wheels program in Lexington; volunteering at the school library, the Little Brothers - Friends of the Elderly, and at MGH. For many years, she and Eugene hosted foreign students attending MIT, building friendships that still endure, decades after they graduated.
In 1983, she and Eugene moved to Beacon Hill, in Boston. In the ensuing years, they traveled to almost every continent. However, her favorite vacations were the twice-a-year trips with four generations of her extended family.
Sylvia will be remembered as a woman who accomplished much and spoke of it little; who couldn’t help but make friends and create communities; who never wasted time, but instead used her time to improve her mind and talents; who created beautiful things and spaces; who knew how to laugh at
herself as heartily as she laughed with others; and who, more than anything else, cherished time with her ever-widening family.
She is survived by her husband, Eugene Merfeld; son, David Merfeld, and his wife, Bonnie Friedman, of Belmont, MA; daughter, Sue Merfeld, and her husband, Bruce Richmond, of Portland, OR; grandchildren: Heather Merfeld, Johanna Merfeld, John Richmond, Gordon Richmond, Cate Merfeld, and Emily Merfeld; great-grandchildren: Noah, Henry, Fiona, Liberty, and Irene.
A Celebration of Life will be held at the Wyndham Boston Beacon Hill on Saturday, November, 28th at 10:00 a.m. Donations in Sylvia’s memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association: www.alz.org.
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