Sylvia Peiros Kessler died on Sunday, December 16th, 2018, in Lantana, three months before her 100th birthday. She had lived in South Florida since 1944 except for three years in the early 1950’s and returned to live in Miami and Broward County ever since except for a few recent years in which she stayed temporarily with her daughter in McCaysville, GA. She was the daughter of the late Florence and Solomon Peiros and the beloved wife of Milton Kessler, who died in 1983. She is survived by three children: Stan (Ellen Levy Widen) Kessler of New Orleans; Jack (Susie) Kessler of Barranquila, Colombia: and Susan (Bob) Greene of McCaysville, Georgia. She was the loving and supportive grandmother of Randy (Valerie) Kessler and Cory (Julie) Kessler; Josh, Avra, and Duane Kessler and Melissa (Steve) Staversen; and Derek (Michelle) Abrams and Alex Abrams; and the great-grandmother of Jolie and Evan and Owen Kessler; Zachery and Sophia Kessler; Chris Kessler; James Staverson; and Harold Abrams. Her sister, Helen Peirsos Sickerman, and her dear niece, Beverly Rotman, predeceased her but she is survived by Blanche Peirsos Rotman, her sister; and many nieces and nephews, including her dearly loved Shelley and Fred Holmstock, who cared for her as if she was their mother; Roberta Sickerman, and Ann Rotman Greenhause and their brothers, Stephen (Caroline) Sickerman and Stuart (Jodie) Rotman, and all of their children.
Sylvia had a love for her family and a zest for life. She was always involved in local and national politics and entertained for candidates in her home. A lifelong Democrat, she once introduced President Clinton in a long speech, and he complained, amused, that she upstaged him! She was an avid and friendly flea-market and thrift store enthusiast and well known by others she met there as she curated her beautiful finds and unusual treasures, and she enthusiastically crocheted and dressed dolls. She served as a volunteer for the Israeli Defense Force when she was in her 70’s and traveled to Colombia well into her 90’s to spend some weeks with Jack and Susie and Susie’s lovely family. She was an intelligent and interesting woman, and she will be missed by all who cared about her.
