Hannah Sylvia Backshall

The time has come to celebrate the life of Syliva Backshall, who passed away peacefully on Friday, January 9, 2026, at Niagara Long Term Care Residence in Niagara-on-the-Lake, the week of her 95th birthday, and just a day after becoming a great-grandmother.

She will be deeply missed by her brother Fred (Phyllis) Smith; her children David, Donald (Donna), Douglas (Kelly), and James (Marni); her grandchildren Corbin (Dani), Bronson (Becca), Dylan, Adam, Nicolas, and Ashley; her new great-grandson, "Teddy"; her sisters-in-law Dorothy, Elaine, and Bonnie; and many nieces and nephews.

Sylvia is predeceased by her beloved husband of 70 years, Albert “Ted” Backshall (2025); her parents, William Ernest and Margaret Annie Pearl Smith; and her brothers Norman (Eva), Donald (Ina), Russell, and Kenneth Smith. She is now reunited with them in Heaven.

Born in 1931 in Amaranth Township, Dufferin County, Ontario, Sylvia grew up on a rural farm with her parents and five brothers near the tiny village of Campania. The village stood at a simple crossroads, anchored by a United Church, where Ted and Sylvia were married in 1954.

Following graduation from Victoria College at the University of Toronto, Sylvia settled in Fort Erie with Ted, where she raised her boys and devoted herself to community service, volunteering with the Bowen Road Women’s Institute, United Church Women, Lions Douglas Heights Senior Centre, and served as Librarian for the Fort Erie Public Library – Crystal Beach Branch.

Sylvia will be fondly remembered for her enduring faith, her gift for a silly saying or heartfelt song in every situation, and a warm, welcoming smile that stayed with you long after.

Benner Funeral Services have been entrusted with the arrangements. Cremation has taken place. Friends and family are invited to a Memorial Service in her honour, to take place at the funeral home on Saturday June 13th, at 11 am, with visitation starting an hour before. A Rite of Committal will follow the service at Greenwood Cemetery.