Sarah Smyth {Sylvia} McFerran was born on June 28 1936 at 6 Victoria Road Belfast Northern Ireland to Robert [Bobby] and Isobel {Isa} McFerran. She grew up there and attended Strand Public Elementary School as did her parents. She then enrolled in Business School where she learned shorthand and typewriting. In 1952 she started work at The Cooperative Insurance Company where she worked until her marriage.
In 1950 Sylvia met Maurice Booth and they married in 1957 and emigrated to Toronto Canada immediately after the reception.
A daughter Suzanne was born on April 9 1961 and a son Stephen completed their family on April 27 1963. This was also the year the family moved to Vancouver British Columbia where they lived until 1968 when they emigrated to Bellevue Washington and have lived here ever since.
Sylvia was competitive in sports. She was the Captain of the Girl’s grass hockey team in grade school; she played soccer in her thirties and forties until sidelined by open heart surgery in 1981. She quickly rejoined the team “The Villa Vixens” after a mandatory 90 day layoff. She learned to ski when her children learned to ski so that we could ski as a family. She took up snorkeling so that she could enjoy that pastime with her family during vacations.
Sylvia took the children back to Belfast to visit grandparents several times. She traveled to South Africa to see her sister and the family spent several vacations in Hawaii. After the children had grown up Sylvia and Maurice travelled to Australia on two occasions and had vacations in Puerto Vallarta Mexico.
Stephen was married in 1990 and when Sylvia found out that she was to become a grandmother in 1995 she was ecstatic. She wanted to emulate her Gran Graham whom she adored and who played a large role in Sylvia’s early days. She not only achieved that goal she exceeded it.
Sylvia’s life was centered on her extended family. In her new role as Nana she couldn’t wait to have the new baby Darcie stay overnight and when Danielle was born in 1997 Sylvia was “beyond the moon”.
Sylvia was involved with the girls throughout their entire lives – the early years; public school; high school; club swimming; university which included both girls swimming for Pacific Lutheran University and beyond. For this she has been amply rewarded by their love of Nana . . . and that love continues.
Sylvia leaves behind her husband of almost 63 years, Maurice: daughter Suzanne Booth; Son Stephen and his wife Susan; granddaughters Darcie Hartman [Cody], and Danielle Booth: brother Alan in Belfast; sister Patricia in Kent England and numerous extended family and friends.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donations in memory of Sylvia made to ALZ at www.alz.org
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