Sylva Marie Denney

Sylva Marie Denney passed on August 16th, 2025 in the way that she lived her life, with beauty, grace and surrounded by her loving family. Sylva was born in Glendive Montana in 1932. Her father, Walter, was a store owner in the small farming community of Richey, MT with the help of Sylva’s mother Edna and her older brother Alden who went on to become a successful lawyer in Billings, MT.

Syvla and family moved to Billings, MT to finish high school and later she was a member of Delta, Delta, Delta at the University of Montana in Missoula. Sylva spent her college summers as a waitress at the Old Faithful Lodge in Yellowstone NP, enjoying many adventures and the wonders of nature. That adventurous spirit led Sylva to move to Portland, OR with a girlfriend in 1953.

Shortly after moving to Portland, Sylva met, and married, a WWII US Army veteran Robert (Bob) More. Sylva and Bob had three children together. Bob was a builder of boats and a craftsman of houses and the family lived in a house built by Bob and spent many summer weekends on the “Sylva Marie”, a boat built by Bob. The couple were divorced in 1974.

Sylva inspired others as a single parent through the 70’s and 80’s working tirelessly to make sure her children had pathways and opportunities for success. Sylva was the type of person that no one would ever say a bad word about, and who would make sure you were taken care of before taking care of herself.

Sylva found a second love in 2003 when she met Bob Denney, an icon of Portland Nursery, and spent the happiest days of her life with Bob hosting many friends and family in their Mt. Tabor home before Bob passed in 2012.

Sylva spent her remaining days enjoying her garden and family in her home in Vancouver, WA supported by an amazing caregiver, Sally Mills, during her final years. This woman of the Silent Generation embodied the best of those traits from that time; an inherent frugality born of the Great Depression, a great respect for her community, devotion to her church and faith, a strong loyalty to family and friends, a determination to help others, a strong work-ethic that was instilled in her children, and a sense of grace that was always clear in her smile and in the way others felt in her presence. Such sweetness will be sorely missed.

Sylva is survived by her daughter Stephanie More with grandchildren Garrett and Taylor, daughter Denise Aldridge with husband Bill, grandchildren Tim Atkinson and Paul Atkinson with great-grandchildren Henry and George, and son, Robert More and wife Jennifer.