Sylvia Weber

Born and raised in the Bronx, NY, Sylvia was a tried and true New Yorker.

She was a character, she was funny, she was spirited, and she certainly had chutzpah. Her childhood growing up, there was always music in the home. Her mother Lily had a beautiful voice, and her father Harry loved to sing any chance he got. Sylvia and her sister Paula relished time singing songs together at night in their shared bedroom.

It was inevitable that music and singing would be a big part of Sylvia’s life. Sylvia attended the noted Bronx High School of Science, but her heart was more in song and dance than science and math. She received an Associates Degree at the City College of NY, and during her high school and college years, she would go folk dancing with friends in front of the UN, and it was around that time that she learned to play guitar. In 1948, at 16 years old, she bought her first guitar, a 00-18 Martin that is still in the family to this day. During her time at City College, Sylvia was in a trio that included her and two guys, Phil Gittelman and Larry Levy. A bit of a risque name at the time, they called their group “Two Chords and a G-String”. The trio played gigs all around NYC including places like The Ethical Culture Society. There was a college version of the USO they were part of called the CCSO, and they played for the soldiers at Fort Dix, who were most appreciative. A press clipping from one of their shows reads, “The group played before a packed house of 1200 servicemen, who received the performance with great enthusiasm.” During gigs at more conservative venues like a temple or church, they went by the name, “The Lavender Trio”.

Always singing, Sylvia was affectionately known later in life as the “human jukebox” because she pretty much had a song for any topic. Sylvia also loved acting. She was active in community theater, lots of improv, the occasional commercial or voiceover, and even worked as an extra in the well known movie “The Bodyguard.” Sylvia performed on and off stage, either singing or acting throughout her entire life, until the very end. Some of her signature songs were, “Cigarettes & Whiskey”, “Plenty of Men in My Life”, and “Won’t You Come Home Bill Bailey.” When her daughters were young, Sylvia spent a lot of time singing at piano bars bringing them along to watch the performance and join in the singing. Sylvia took her impressionable girls to see Duke Ellington at a church in NYC, telling them what a legend he was and that they would always remember – and into adulthood they never forgot that momentous experience.

Sylvia had a long career. Early on she was a buyer of department store notions in NYC. In the 1960’s, she worked at the Zola Decorators furniture and décor store that her first husband had in Brooklyn. Moving on after divorce, she worked as a dental assistant, and eventually she landed in sales. Before the term “GPS” existed, Sylvia was the human equivalent. She was in hospital supplies / pharmaceutical sales for about 20 years and her territory included hospitals in all five boroughs of New York City. She knew every route around every traffic jam like the back of her hand. It was the 1970’s, a time when there were very few women in her profession, and she broke the glass ceiling. Sylvia lived on Long Island for about 40 years, including Bethpage, Freeport, and the bucolic village of Sea Cliff. After snow-birding for several years, she and her longtime partner Bill Wunder eventually moved to Florida full time, where she spent another couple of decades working in pet nutrition sales where she loved getting to see dogs and cats all the time. She was still working into her mid 80’s.

Sylvia was involved in politics starting in the 1960’s, volunteering for Congressional campaigns including George McGovern and Al Lowenstein, and participating in sit-ins during Vietnam – her older daughter Carol fondly remembers the times her girls joined her singing folk songs to protest. She and her younger daughter LisaBeth went to the Anti-Nuclear Rally and Concert at Central Park in 1982. Sylvia continued the legacy of her parents and espoused the importance of voting to the next generation. She did her best as a single working mother, helping to found the organization “Encore” for separated and divorced women when that was a topic not even really talked about. She was a feminist, was an early subscriber to Ms. Magazine, and raised her girls to be strong independent women. In her 70’s and 80’s Sylvia served on the Board of Directors in her community of Cypress Lakes in West Palm Beach, and was a member of the Democratic Club there as well.

Sylvia loved dogs a LOT and the two she had the longest were Puffer the mutt, and Sharnie (silent R) the husky-shepherd, both rescues. Later in life, mom had cats, which she loved. In her heart she was always partial to dogs and would stop to pet every dog she saw, no matter what. Sylvia loved sailing, and also “sale-ing”, as in yard sales, thrift stores, auctions, and flea markets. She and Bill spent many years filling the house with color and creativity. Their décor style could be described as “eclectic museum a la yard sale.” The house was always interesting to walk around where unique and interesting items could be found at any turn.

Sylvia was a creative thinker and a force of nature. Whether it was inspiring her older daughter Carol to pursue theater and art, or inspiring her younger daughter LisaBeth to be a musician, or inspiring her granddaughter Hannah to find her own passions in everything ocean-related, Sylvia left her mark, and will continue to do so for generations to come. She was vivacious, animated, bold, and silly, which is why she had the moniker “Grandma Sylly” for her granddaughter and other youngsters. She was the life of the party and is likely singing her heart out in the great beyond, while playing with all the dogs and other animals.

Sylvia is survived by daughters Carol Ruth Weber and LisaBeth Weber, granddaughter Hannah Rose Arnholt (daughter to Carol), and son-in-law John Telese (Carol’s husband), as well as her 35 year-long life-partner Bill Wunder and his daughter Jeanie Wunder - and Sylvia’s kittycat Shirley. Sylvia is also survived by beloved nieces, nephews, and grand-nieces, grand-nephews, and her first great grand-niece.

In lieu of flowers, if anyone wishes, donations can be made to Best Friends Animal Society - www.bestfriends.org