Born in Asheboro, N.C., Sylvia was a longtime resident of Hampton, Virginia. She was a graduate of Hampton High School and often attended the Crabbers’ football games on Friday nights with her husband. Both were avid Yankee and Redskins fans.
Sylvia was preceded in death by her husband, Wilbert Irvin Guilford, her parents, Bruce Morgan and Louise Davis, and her beloved dog, Pretty Girl. She is survived by her three children and their spouses: Linda Irby and Robert Irby, Bruce Guilford and Vicki Guilford, and Charlene Stump and Jack Stump II, all of Yorktown, Virginia. Other surviving family include a brother, Harold Morgan and his wife Darla of Greenville, South Carolina, seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Sylvia was a 44 year employee of Hampton City Schools’ Food and Nutrition Services. She served as a school lunch lady at Wythe Elementary, Lee Elementary, and Lindsay Middle School. She loved her students and always encouraged them to read and do their best. She volunteered as a mentor and chaperone for YWCA, Y-Teens for many years.
A strong supporter of the military, Sylvia volunteered at the VA Hospital on weekends. Helping the wounded warriors was a civic responsibility she took seriously. It was her way of giving back to the community.
As an avid reader and lover of history, Sylvia was a supporter of the Hampton History Museum, the Air and Space Museum, and the Hampton Library. She spent most summers working at Busch Gardens teaching others to do brass rubbings to preserve some of history’s fading records.
Sylvia combined that love of history with a zest for travel. Accompanied by her best friend Kitty Fay, the two traveled the world well into their seventies. The two could out-pace many of the younger tourists travelling with them.
Always a lover of animals, Sylvia always had a dog. She fed the squirrels and birds in her yard all year long. Sylvia also loved the Snoopy character from Peanuts and had a stuffed Snoopy with her when she passed.
The family would like to thank the medical staff who cared for her in her final days: St. Francis Nursing Center, Mary Immaculate Hospital, and the Bon Secours Hospice nurses and doctors.
The family invites family and friends to come celebrate the life of Sylvia Guilford with a gathering from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Saturday, April 6, 2019 at Parklawn-Wood Funeral Home 2551 N. Armistead Ave Hampton, VA 23666.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks donations be made to the School Nutrition Foundation at www.schoolnutrition.org/snf/ or the Peninsula SPCA program Pets for Patriots at www.petsforpatriots.org/partner/peninsula=spca/
Friends are encouraged to visit www.parklawn-woodfh.com to share memories and offer words of condolence with the family.
