Sylvia Louise Cafferata

Sylvia Louise Cafferata, 83, passed away unexpectedly while surrounded by the love of her children on Friday, February 20, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. She now joins her dear Louis in Heaven, who traveled there only months before.

Sylvia was born on September 20, 1942 to the late Helena Kaminski and William Mroz in Lackawanna, New York. At the age of one, Sylvia and her family moved to Chicago where they lived for four years above a grocery store on Ashland Avenue, and then spent the next decade on Bernice Avenue. Sylvia’s family moved one more time to Leland Avenue where she remained until she married.

After high school, Sylvia attended Wright Business School and upon finishing was placed with ABC Studios in Chicago where she worked until she married and started a family. While working at ABC Studios, Sylvia was set up on a blind date with a man who later became the love of her life, Louis Cafferata. From that point on, Sylvia Louise and Louis were affectionately referred to by their friend as Lou and Lou.

Sylvia and her husband, Louis, were married and made homes first in Harwood Heights, Illinois, then in Addison, Illinois, and later in the tree streets of Corinth, Mississippi before settling in Clearwater, Florida for their final chapter together.

Sylvia welcomed her first two children, Mary and Joseph, into the world in Arlington Heights, Illinois and continued to expand her family with a third child, Jean, and a fourth child, Thomas, when living in Addison, Illinois.

Sylvia’s religion was very important to her. She was sure to take her family to mass every Sunday, and fell asleep each night praying for her children and saying the rosary. Sylvia devoted her life to her husband and raising her family. She not only enjoyed her family, but enjoyed people, in general. She enjoyed reading about people’s lives, talking with people, and just getting to know someone new each day. She could strike up a conversation with anyone she met and would leave the interaction as new best friends.

Sylvia kept a beautiful and welcoming home and she enjoyed hosting and entertaining in it. Something was always cooking in the kitchen, and music was always playing when you entered her home. You might hear Michael Bolton, Bocelli, and Neil Diamond one day, and visit another day only to hear Josh Grobin, Elvis, Alan Jackson, and Yanni. Not only did you enter her home to the smells of homemade goodness, but her home was also a feast for the eyes.

Sylvia was a meticulous person and was sure to present her best always. She did a beautiful job decorating her home which always looked magazine worthy. She did just as lovely a job when presenting herself. Her hair was just so, her skin flawless, and she was dressed to the nines.

In Sylvia and Louis’ home, you would see evidence of many of Sylvia’s interests. There were always books. Sylvia loved reading. She read quotes and sayings to her children often, even throughout their adulthood and would spend hours on Sunday afternoons at Barnes & Noble looking at books and magazines as she enjoyed a cup of Starbucks coffee. Sylvia loved reading biographies and learning the stories of peoples’ lives. And she loved words. Sylvia’s vocabulary was impressive and it didn’t come without effort. She learned a new word every day. As a grown adult, she still looked up vocabulary words and wrote definitions to those words, much like an elementary school assignment. And she put those words into practice too by playing games to learn and practice them. Scrabble, Wordscapes and Word Collect were some of her favorites. She also enjoyed Bubble Shooter, Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy. Sylvia, Louis, and a friend next door learned the trick to succeeding at Jeopardy… pausing the television after the answer is read so you have time to come up with the question.

Sylvia had a love of cooking. She considered it one of her greatest accomplishments as she didn’t know how to cook when she and Louis married, but was making both simple delicious dishes and intricate gourmet dishes as the years progressed. Sylvia not only cooked feasts for the holidays, but put a hot meal on the dinner table each night, baked monkey bread and breakfast pizza for church gatherings, and made her highly requested fried rice dish for Louis’ work events as well. Sylvia loved all things cooking, including reading recipes and watching cooking shows. She loved learning about new foods, their origins, and the cultures associated with specific recipes.

Because Sylvia was Polish, the first generation in her family that was born in this country, she enjoyed several Polish traditions. Sylvia loved the tradition of the Blessing of the Baskets at Easter time and created the most beautiful baskets complete with meats, traditional Makowiec Polish Poppy Seed Roll, and especially butter in the shape of a lamb. As a young child, Sylvia dressed in traditional Polish costume and marched in parades for annual events and festivals. Sylvia was bilingual. She went to school for both English and Polish and received separate report cards for each.

Like her mother, Sylvia learned to sew. Rather than sewing drapery though, Sylvia’s interest was in making clothes and later alterations. Sylvia started a small alteration business out of her home as the children grew older. That alteration business led to new acquaintances that later became lifelong friends.

Sylvia had a knack for making things pretty and that extended to gardening. She had quite a green thumb for plants both indoors and outdoors. As she aged and her knees stopped cooperating as they once did, Louis gave her a gardening table so she could continue tending to her flowers and plants without having to bend to the ground. She always had beautiful plants to enjoy.

In Sylvia’s younger years, her interests were different. Sylvia enjoyed roller skating, Girl Scouts, ballet, jogging at the YMCA, bowling, volleyball, cats, journaling, and rollercoasters. She even took her son, Tom, on his first ever upside-down rollercoaster ride. Shopping was also a favorite and although she loved finding unique, one-of-a-kind items, a purchase wasn’t always necessary. Sylvia just loved to feel the textures, check out the stitching on clothing, and walk the many stores in the mall.

But her favorite time spent always involved her love, Louis. Sylvia looked forward to getting dressed up and going to see plays together at the Orpheum. Decorating for Christmas was also a shared love between her and Louis and without fail the house was sure to look spectacular inside and out for the celebration of Jesus’ birth. In her final years, watching Dancing with the Stars, playing Dominoes, and doing anything with Louis were activities she truly cherished.

Sylvia is preceded in death by her parents William Mroz, and Helena Kaminski Mroz, her sisters Sophie Mroz and Lucia Mroz, and her husband of 61 years, Louis John Cafferata.

Sylvia is survived by her four children, Mary Anderson (Brad), Joseph Cafferata (Darlene), Jean Sauls (Johnny), and Thomas Cafferata (Nicole); and by her cherished grandchildren Patrick Sauls, Nicholas Cafferata, Caleb Sauls, Lily Cafferata, Louis Anderson, Camryn Heidenreich, and Emily Cafferata.

Espiritu Santo Catholic Church will open its doors to friends and family of Sylvia Cafferata who would like to stop by and pay their respects on Saturday, March 7, 2026 at 9:00 a.m., and a mass for Sylvia Cafferata will follow at 10:00 a.m.

The cremains of Sylvia will remain with the Cafferata family until the urns of both of their beloved parents are escorted to their family plot at Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Evanston, Illinois.

Flowers can be sent to Sylvan Abbey, or in lieu of flowers, the family invites you to consider making a donation in Sylvia Cafferata’s name to St. Jude, the Heart Association, or St. Joseph’s Indian School in Chamberlain, South Dakota, three of the many causes that Sylvia supported.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Sylvan Abbey Funeral Home, and kind condolences may be offered at www.sylvanabbey.com.

Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers for Sylvia and the Cafferata family, and a special thanks to Dr. John Prather, Dr. Douglas Spriggs, Drs. Osvaldo and Marta Hans, Dr. James Gilmore, Dr. Ed Garrett, Dr. Barry Bertolet, Dr. Al Pacifico, nurse Kim Marlar and nurse Jessie who kept her loving Louis with her for so many years.