Sylvia Anita Crews, age 78 of Dover, Delaware passed away on July 6, 2018 surrounded by her loving family. Sylvia was born in New York City, NY on November 7, 1939 and was the youngest child of Isaac “Gilbert” Irvis and Gladys Griffin Irvis.
Sylvia’s early years were spent in New York City; where she attended New York City Public Schools graduating from Central Commercial High School in 1957, achieving perfect attendance for kindergarten through twelfth grade. After graduation Sylvia worked at Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and took college classes at night school.
On November 2, 1958 she married Donald A.
Crews. Upon his college graduation, Donald was commissioned and entered the U.S. Air Force; at this time Sylvia happily began her “service” as an Air Force wife. She proudly continued in this role for many years, with the family moving to Texas, California, Guam and ultimately settling in Dover, Delaware in July 1968. Upon moving to Dover, Sylvia and her family joined Holy Cross Church. She was an active participant; volunteering with the Ladies Sodality Annual Christmas Bazaars, church cleaning and in various roles at Holy Cross Elementary School.
Sylvia enjoyed traveling and visited Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Europe, Asia, the Caribbean and many U.S states. She especially enjoyed cruises to the Caribbean
with her husband, children and grandchildren. Sylvia was an avid reader and had been a member of several book clubs. Sylvia also enjoyed the Chinese tile game of Mahjong and played for many years. As a child she was a New York Yankees fan and continued to enjoy baseball throughout her life. While Sylvia was a homemaker, she was a Blue Bird (Camp Fire Girls) leader and supported her daughters in Girl Scouts, including one year allowing her home to be used as the cookie warehouse for all the cookies ordered by Dover-area Girl Scouts during that year’s cookie sale. She was a member of the Officers’ Wives Clubs at Travis Air Force Base, CA, Andersen AFB, Guam and Dover AFB, DE and she participated in many of the clubs’ community-service and charitable causes. Sylvia was appointed to the State of Delaware’s Foster Review Board and served for many years, helping ensure the safety and well-being of children in foster care. Additionally, she provided comfort
and support to others as an American Cancer Society Reach-to-Recovery volunteer for ten years.
Sylvia liked going to tea at various venues in the state with her daughters and granddaughters; she also enjoyed collecting teapots amassing a collection of over 100 teapots of various designs, colors, themes and sizes.
After 25 years of being a wife and mother, Sylvia returned to college and obtained a B.S in Education from Delaware State University and began her career as a 4th and 5th grade school teacher in Millington, MD and Galena, MD. A few years later she returned to Delaware State University and earned a Master’s in Education. After 18 years of teaching elementary school she retired.
Sylvia is survived by Donald, her husband of more than 59½ years, daughters, Dawn Crews-Seams (Wallace), Leslie Cote (Chris) and Julie Crews; grandchildren Alexandra Bydlon (Mark), Spencer, Christopher and Lindsay and great-granddaughters, Emma and Hanna. Sylvia is also survived by her sister Gladys Irvis of Los Angeles, California and several nieces and nephews. Sylvia was predeceased by siblings Teresa Studivant, Milton Irvis, Gilbert Irvis and Ruth Gardner.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, or St. Jude’s Research Hospital for Children.
Visitation with the family will be from 9-11 am at Holy Cross Church, Dover, DE on Thursday, July 12, 2018 followed by Mass of Christian Burial at 11 am.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Sylvia Anita Crews (Irvis), please visit our
Heartfelt Sympathies Store.
