Sylvia passed away peacefully on November 16, 2021. Born in Prince Rupert, BC, and moving to Vancouver Island with her family as a young child, she attended Lampson Street School in Esquimalt and Mt. Newton High School in Central Saanich. She often recalled her happy teen years swimming at Todd Inlet and Prospect Lake in summer and skating on the frozen lake in winter. Those carefree years were interrupted by WWII, to which she lost a brother and a number of close friends. In the mid-1940’s she attended nursing school at the Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria.
She married Thomas Bruce Wilson in 1947 and they moved to Port Alberni before settling in Vancouver in 1953. She lived in the same house for almost 70 years. She enjoyed travel in BC, the US and Europe. In later years she and Tom enjoyed relaxing at their weekend retreat on Whidbey Island in Washington State. Sylvia was a staunch advocate for children with learning disabilities, animal rights and the environment. She was a skilled seamstress, had a passion for gardening and connecting with people, especially her neighbours. One neighbour described her as “the glue that held the neighbourhood together.” Her door was always open. She was a loving parent who would do anything for her children and was beloved by all who knew her. She was pre-deceased by her husband Tom, her parents, Philip and Lavender Monckton and her brothers, John and George. She is survived by her children: Kathleen, Jean, and Pat, her grandchildren: Morgan, Keir, Garrett and Paige and her great-grandchildren, Ella, Erik, Jack and Ryan. A special thank-you to Sherilyn for all the tender love and care she gave so generously to our dear Mum.
“I’ll be seeing you in all the old familiar places
That this heart of mine embraces
All day through”