Sylvia Jane Wafler

On Monday, December 29, 2025, Sylvia Jane Wafler, loving grandmother and beloved mother, was freed from her earthly body and lifted into heaven. Jane was born on February 23, 1947 in Queens, New York to Marion Corcoran (deceased) and Thaddeues Walsh (deceased). Jane was blessed with a large family, her siblings Mary Francis (Tony), Thaddeus, Mark (Tina) and Linus (Wendy) grew up in New York surrounded by 19 cousins and many aunts and uncles.

As a child, Jane’s weekends were about spending time with family; cards on Friday night and dinner on Sunday night. Those evenings were filled with cousins playing, lots of laughter and cake! The closeness of Jane’s extended family lasted her lifetime through reunions, birthday parties, anniversaries, and trips to Long Island in the summers.

As a young adult, Jane attended Stony Brook University on Long Island and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history. After college, Jane reconnected with a family friend, Ray Wafler. Jane and Ray met each other as children while summering at a cottage in upstate New York. They connected again in 1970 while on vacation in the Florida Keys visiting mutual family. This meeting sealed their lifelong connection and they were married on February 24, 1973 in Pompano Beach, Florida. This year, they celebrated their 53rd wedding anniversary, a true testament to their love and devotion to each other.

After growing up in New York, Jane and Ray left the cold of the northeast to start the next chapter of their life together in sunny Florida. Life in Florida was filled with hard work in the family orange groves and raising a family. Ray and Jane were blessed with three children, Lance (Neysa), Laura (Wesley) and Patrick, and six grandchildren Kobie, Ryah, Treyson, Raylan, Devin and Kaleb. They purchased a condo on Bonita Beach and spent many weekends floating in the Gulf, looking for dolphins, collecting shells, boating and fishing. These fun beach weekends continued through the years with their grandchildren who love going to the beach with Ama and Pop Pop, swimming in the condo pool, and checking the “weather rock” to see if it was raining.

Jane was a loving and devoted mother and grandmother. She supported her children and grandchildren with unwavering resolve. She always knew when they needed a hug, a warm smile or a valuable piece of advice. She felt very blessed to be a mother and would frequently tell her children and grandchildren, “I was a lucky girl when God sent me you.”

Jane’s work life consisted of teaching and managing the family business. First as a substitute and then as a permanent teacher, Jane taught at Lehigh Elementary School and Mirror Lakes Elementary School in Lehigh for a number of years. She was a perfectionist and that came through in her role as a teacher, grading papers for hours in the evening and working on the weekends to make sure everything was textbook for her students.

While Jane’s main focus was always her family and friends, she knew the importance of helping others. She was extremely charitable, giving to those organizations she valued, and dedicated much of her free time to the Al-Anon program. As a leader, she offered guidance and support to family and friends of people struggling with addiction. She provided a compassionate environment to group members and led with sympathy and understanding. She was also a devoted member of the Catholic church all her life. She attended mass regularly, and when she could no longer attend in person, she watched from the comfort of home.

If Jane’s life could be summarized into one word, it would be “family”. Her love and support for her family had no bounds, and she was the conduit keeping them connected. To say that she will be missed does not describe the enormity of the loss to her family and friends. She was a warm, loving and compassionate force to everyone around her.

A visitation will be held at Hodges Funeral Home at Lee Memorial Park, located at 12777 State Road 82, Fort Myers, Florida, 33913, on January 8, 2026, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

The funeral mass will take place at St Leo Catholic Church, located at 28290 Beaumont Rd, Bonita Springs, FL, on January 9, 2026, from 9:00 am to 10:00 am.