Sylvia was very dear to me and my family; we have all been thinking of her every day. We’ve been remembering all the times we had fun and laughter, parties, with her. She was the perfect hostess and the kindest employer when running the Playgroup. These past months must have been very tough for you. Alzheimers is very cruel in its unrelenting course. I feel blessed to call Sylvia my friend and hope you know how much she loved you.

My Friend Sylvie I first met Sylvie soon after moving to Halesworth, North Suffolk to where my late husband Alby, and I retired in 2001. I was keeping my first appointment with a new hairdresser - I suspect I was somewhat early as I needed to wait whilst Stella was attending to her previous client whom I soon learnt was Sylvie. They were discussing Sylvie’s preparations for her daughter Sam’s upcoming 21st birthday. I was soon involved in the conversation, offering to help with serving and washing up so Sylvie would be free to attend to her guests, which was a concern for her at the time. Before I knew it, I was invited to Sam’s party along with my husband, not as kitchen helpers but as guests! This kindness proved to be typical of Sylvia’s personality. Sylvie and Mo’s home was the first we were invited into since moving to Halesworth and of course we remained friends from then on. Sylvie also invited me to join the Halesworth Flower Arranging Club which met once a month. We both loved the beautiful flowers used in the arrangements, and appreciated the amazing talent of the demonstrators, but sometimes the formality of the administration of the Club proved a challenge for us both - especially for Sylvie’s exuberant personality! We were anxious to help in any way so were assigned the task of folding the many raffle tickets. Of necessity we had to carry this duty out during the announcements and introductions by Madam Chairman, so we were usually right at the back folding and giggling like naughty schoolgirls. Sylvie’s sense of humour was infectious – had I known her in school years I fear she may have led me astray! Sylvie’s kindness was a great comfort to me following my loss of Alby in 2011, when she showed her loving sympathy in many ways. Later I was able to empathise with her sad loss of Mo. However, I learned of her friendship with a man named Andy who was daily visiting his partner together with his partner’s mother, Ruby, in the Hospice where Mo was also in palliative care. I believe Sylvie and Ruby became good friends, a testament to Sylvie’s lovely nature. No one could have been more delighted than me for both Sylvie and Andy when they married a year or so later. I am saddened that they didn’t have a longer time in which to share their love in good health and wellbeing. The world will never be the same without Sylvie – her love of life, her garden, her music and her infectious giggle. My sincere sympathy goes to Andy, her most devoted, loving husband who shared the last six years of her life, and to Sam, Sylvie’s precious, beloved daughter. May God bless and comfort you and all who are grieving for Sylvie.

I remember when we got to know Sylvie on Christmas Eve 2016 at Andy’s place in North Walsham and after a long chat it was amazing to find that Sylvie had lived at the top of my road in Hutton and that she had been involved with the play school that my daughter Hannah went to in the 1990's. It just showed what a small place the world really is. Sylvie will be much missed.