Diane Sylvestre

Diane Sylvestre was born in Belize, British Honduras, on February 14, 1941, and died in Mobile, Alabama on December 21, 2014. She was preceded in death by her parents, Louis Maurice and Joan Denbigh Sylvestre, and her brother, Lawrence Minto Sylvestre. She is survived by her sister Dr. Jeanne Sylvestre. Diane was a graduate of Sophie Newcomb College, receiving her Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Chemistry, and her doctoral degree from Tulane University, in Physical Chemistry. She began her career as a researcher at Courtaulds in Mobile, Alabama. Her true love was as a teacher, and she excelled in that role. She served as the chairman of the department of mathematics at the United Nations International School in New York City, for twenty-three years. During that time, her students consistently achieved the highest scores in the world on the International Baccalaureate mathematics tests. She returned to Mobile and taught in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of South Alabama for seventeen years. Diane was known by many students for her love of mathematics and her ability to share that with others. That love of teaching led Diane to endow the Diane Sylvestre Endowment Fund, which provides scholarships for students in mathematics or the sciences who are graduates of the Anglican Cathedral College in Belize and who will attend the University of Belize. Diane was a member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

Diane was an adventurer and had far-ranging interests from photography to scuba diving to being a premier philatelist. She was a champion tennis player in Belize, for which she was inducted into the Hall of Fame of Belize. She, like her brother, loved music, opera and the arts and enjoyed traveling throughout the world. Her summers were spent with friends in Aix en Provence, France. Diane was known for her British sense of humor, her great wit, dashing skill as a tennis player, her love of animals and her remarkable mind.

Her sister will receive friends in the church parlor at St. Paul’s Church, from 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m., on December 26, 2014, followed by a service at 11:00 in the Little Church. Interment will be in Old Spring Hill Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. Pallbearers are: Ernest Ladd, Greg Prescott, Brad Roberts, Robert Hope, Jr., Forbes Kilborn, Jake Kilborn, Travis Adcock and Paul Hewett. Honorary pallbearers are: Dr. Robert McGinley, Ronald A. Snider, Dr. Tom Butler, Dr. Marc Gottlieb, and Dr. Christopher Gamard.