RIP Aunt Sylvia

Born in Poland in 1919 she came to America in 1927 and never knew her real birthday so she picked one. Fiercely independent, maddeningly stubborn, charming, abusive, gracious, infuriating, highly intelligent and cultured and engaging and full of life, she was adamant things were the way she said they were and there was no telling her otherwise no matter the consequences. She was ahead of her time; leaving home to work and support herself, she traveled the world going to Asia and on safari. Sylvia loved art, the theater and culture, and was a prolific painter taking art classes in the City. She was politically engaged and an active social democrat. Only learning to drive late in life she had (read: caused) one accident after another (“I couldn’t see!” “Well then you don’t go.” “But I couldn’t see!”). She managed to break her phone in more ways than are humanly possible. Exasperatingly difficult but devoted to family and friends, she was an indiscriminate matchmaker as long as he was single and Jewish, always trying to get the unmarried nieces to come meet some guy in her Queens living room. (“Remember that guy I talked to in the supermarket? Well he got married! MARRIED!! I told you he was a catch!”) She wanted to know every titillating detail of everyone’s relationships but wouldn’t talk about her medical issues or any difficulties. Proud and proper, she lied about her age so she’d be younger than her second husband (we think he knew), which later cost her in delayed social security benefits. She was her own worst enemy - she penny-pinched, chose the least expensive (and most often bad) option or would go without even when it made her life more difficult or ended up costing her a fortune later to do it right, and refused to move into assisted living even though it would have enabled her to be more independent. Even at 105 she was almost as sharp as a slightly dulled tack. She was the best family I ever had and the only one who looked out for me. I love you too.

She is survived by her sister Shirley, a boatload of nieces and a few nephews, and her really good friends.

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