Sylvia Sigrid Gardner

Sylvia was born in Worthington, Minnesota. She was the second youngest of 12 children. Her oldest sister, Audrey, passed away a few days before Sylvia at the age of 99. Sylvia graduated from Worthington High School in 1958. She was married to David Gardner, also from Worthington, that same year.

Sylvia and David moved to Minneapolis the following year where David attended the University of Minnesota and Sylvia went to work in the Claims Department at Aetna Insurance Company. Following graduation, the couple moved to Duluth, Minnesota where David joined the Duluth News Tribune and Sylvia, along with a second child, became a full-time mother.

After 4 years, Sylvia and David moved to a small mining town in northern Minnesota where David joined a large iron ore mining company and Sylvia went to work for a local Ben Franklin’s store. During the next 12 years Sylvia brought two more children into the world. In 1977 the couple moved to Cleveland, Ohio to the headquarters of David’s company. After a period, Sylvia went to work for the city of North Olmsted, a Cleveland suburb. She worked for the city for 20 years, rising to the position of executive secretary to the building commissioner. She retired in 2001 and moved with David to The Villages.

Sylvia made friends easily and maintained lifetime friendships in every place she lived. She was an avid card player and played bridge for most of her adult life. She loved playing golf and served as secretary of her golf league. She was active in her church in all the communities in which we lived. She was church secretary for 10 years at New Covenant United Methodist Church in the Villages, was active in women’s groups at the church and served as an usher for 20 years. She loved to travel and visited many countries, including Italy, France, Greece and her ancestral country of Sweden where she met many family members.

She was a volunteer for several organizations, including Ye Olde Thrift Shop, the Villages hospital gift shop and Love Inc.

She loved her large family deeply and was deeply loved in return. She is survived by her husband, David, daughter, Lynne Bury, son, Paul, son, Scott, son in law, Joel Bury, daughter-in-law, Kim Gardner, and grandchildren, Madison and Lauren Gardner. She was proceeded in death by oldest son Michael, brothers James, Thomas and Jerry and sister Audrey Duffy. She is survived by sisters, Donna Hedman, Janice Baker, Nancy Pakko, Marylin Webber, Joanne Krengel, Janet Roberts and brother, Harold Roberts.

A celebration of Sylvia’s life is scheduled for 11 am, July 23, at New Covenant United Methodist Church, followed by a luncheon at Lake Miona Recreation Center at 1:30 pm.