Sylvia Holland Norman

Sylvia Norman, beloved wife, mother, grandmother and friend passed away peacefully on March 13, 2016, surrounded by her family. She is survived by her husband of 47 years, Roger, her son Bart, daughter-in-law Cathy, grandsons Eli and Sam, brother-in-law Ron Norman, and brothers Terry Holland and Joel Holland.

Sylvia was born in Lincolnton, N.C. She met her husband and high school sweetheart, Roger, in study hall. They married in 1968 and moved to Raleigh for Roger to finish his senior year at N.C. State University. They moved to Charlotte for four years after Roger graduated, returning to Raleigh in 1973.

Sylvia attended Kings Business College in Charlotte. Over the years she held multiple administrative positions, and she started her own business to provide contract data entry services. She, along with two partners and friends, also formed Clutter Pros, which was a home organizational service that often acted as a ministry to seniors downsizing their lives to assisted living or nursing facilities. Her last position before retirement was recruiting for the North Carolina Wildlife Commission.

Sylvia was active in her church. She was a deacon, elder, and caregiver in the Presbyterian Church, and was honored to serve on the search committee that brought Rev. Bob Walkup to Saint Andrews Presbyterian in Raleigh in 1987. She served as president of the Women of the Church at Grace Community Church and was a devoted Bible Study leader.

Sylvia was really thankful for her family and friends, and she loved to be with them. She enjoyed taking her grandsons to the beach, having them over for sleepovers and attending their activities. She loved to travel, and her favorite traveling companion was Roger (she was his favorite, too). Favorite trips were to Alaska and New England, and also to Hawaii and many cruises in the Caribbean where she enjoyed snorkeling in clear waters. She went to Disney World with Roger, Bart, Cathy, Eli and Sam in 2010, and it was wonderful. She enjoyed spending time at the beach and mountains. She never met a stranger and Roger joked that she could dial the wrong phone number and talk for 15 minutes. She helped start couples and women’s bridge groups with neighbors in the 1980s that still meet today, and she always enjoyed her annual couples beach trip with her and Roger’s friends. She left her mark on the world through all that she did, through the beautiful family she has left and through the many people who called her friend. We will all miss her very much.

Sylvia’s life started with the struggle of polio and ended with the struggle of ovarian cancer but in between she lived a full and joy-filled life, and she was grateful for all the blessings in it. She gave her all to everything she did including work, volunteering and fighting cancer. The disease won the fight over her body, but it never took anything from her spirit or faith. It only made them stronger. Sylvia received wonderful medical care from Dr. Mark Yoffe, MD, Alison Casey, FNP and the nursing team at Rex (Blue Ridge), and we’re all grateful for them.

We are grateful to our family and friends for all the prayers, cards, food, phone calls and other support given to us during Sylvia's illness and passing.

A memorial service will be held at Grace Community Church at 6561 Meridian Dr., Raleigh, N.C. at 1:00 pm on Thursday, March 17, 2016. A reception will immediately follow. A private burial at Oakwood Cemetery will precede the memorial service.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Duke Cancer Institute. Checks can be mailed to the Duke Cancer Institute Office of Development, 710 West Main St., Suite 200, Durham, N.C. 27701. Online donations can be made at www.gifts.duke.edu/dci (add “ovarian cancer” to the unlisted designation box). Please mark all donations in memory of Sylvia Norman.

Condolences may be sent through www.brownwynne.com