Sylvia A. Gordon

Sylvia Gordon, whose career as a registered nurse epitomized her lifelong passion for being a nurturing presence for her large family and countless friends, died on Saturday, April 4, at her home in Greenwich, where she lived for 72 years. Surrounded by three generations of loving family, she was 92.

Whether entertaining at home, where her baked goods were a constant staple of her generosity of service, or in her many activities and associations in Greenwich, Syl, as she was affectionately known, was forever determined to foster a festive, loving and charitable community.

“Sylvia dedicated her life to helping everyone else,” said her daughter, Anne, noting that as a nurse she was forever dispensing nuggets of health-related wisdom--for example, “If you smoke, you croak.” But as a woman with an appreciation for life’s more tempting delicacies, she would also say, “Life is short, eat dessert!”

She was born Sylvia Adrienne Shapiro on March 27, 1934, to Frieda and Irving Shapiro in Port Chester, N.Y., where she attended high school before graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Connecticut School of Nursing in 1955. She worked at Greenwich Hospital and for the Greenwich Public School System and the Greenwich Health Department. She also taught at the University of Bridgeport.

She married Bruce Gordon, a Greenwich-based accountant, on September 25, 1954. They had four children and were married for 54 years until his death in 2008.

In addition to her professional work, Sylvia was a devoted volunteer for the Sisterhood and Hadassah at Temple Sholom in Greenwich, to which she belonged for 60-plus years, and for Meals on Wheels and the Greenwich Lions Club, among others.

Her friendship network was large and long lasting, as evidenced by her attendance in annual gatherings over 50 years with a Greenwich Hospital nursing alumni group. When they last met in 2025, Sylvia told the Greenwich Sentinel, “Being a nurse is like being a mother.”

As her family grew, Sylvia rejoiced, beyond motherhood, in becoming a grandmother and great-grandmother.

She is survived by her children, Steven of Greenwich; Michael (Carol) of Guilford, Conn.; Barry (Pam) of West Hartford; and Anne Gordon of Libertyville, Ill; grandchildren Sarah (Eric Mandell), David, Matthew (Margi Bhatt), Emily (Joshua Ephraim), Zachary (Sara Franke), Jacob, Rebecca (Anthony Gchachu), Jared, Jeffrey, Jayson and Ellie; great-grandchildren Charles, Rishi, Benjamin, Sophia, Caleb and Annarose.

In addition to her husband, Sylvia was preceded in death by an older brother, Jerry Shapiro, and a sister-in-law, Joanne.

Funeral services will be Tuesday, April 7, 2 pm, at Temple Sholom, 300 E. Putnam Ave., Greenwich. Interment to follow at Temple Sholom Cemetery, Memory Lane, Greenwich. The family will receive visitors on Tuesday and Wednesday, 5-8 pm, at 23 Clover Place, Cos Cob. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Greenwich Lions Club, Jewish Family Services and Temple Sholom.