Sylvia Doreen FAIR

FAIR, Sylvia Doreen
1928 - 2024

Peacefully in Victoria, BC on September 12, 2024, at 96 after a brief battle with lymphoma. Predeceased by husbands Jack Grant of Unionville, Ontario and Robert Fair of Victoria, and sister Judy Pechet. Survived by her sons: Jordan (Meg) of Toronto, Peter (Terrie) of Victoria, and Jeremy (Sheila) Grant of Guelph, Ont.; stepchildren Robert (Barbie), Michael (Nanci), David (Susan) Fair and Mary (Dennis) Des Chene; nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. She is also loved and remembered by her brother Larry Shapiro of Calgary.

The second of three children of Morris and Bessie Shapiro (nee Schumiatcher), Sylvia was born in Calgary. Surrounded by a musical family, the kids were encouraged to perform at huge gatherings of aunts, uncles and cousins. Sylvia attended the University of Toronto (BA in Sociology), where she starred in musicals at Hart House and Balfour Manor Camp, Gravenhurst, studied opera performance at the Royal Conservatory of Music, and met and married Jack Grant (1948).

After winning a national CBC talent competition, Sylvia Grant launched her career as a mezzo soprano with the Canadian Opera Company, playing lead roles with the Canadian, New York and Houston opera companies and performing on radio and TV. Her three sons still recall listening with childlike dismay to their mother's disciplined, daily practice of scales, and also being thrilled to watch her perform. But juggling motherhood with an international singing career proved challenging, and after 15 years she retired and took a teaching position at Derrydown PS in North York. By this time, she was parenting solo, but she somehow managed to attend summer courses in art history, and travel to Italy to study renaissance artists.

In 1973, son Peter introduced Sylvia to Bob Fair, recently-divorced dad of his best friend David. They were soon married in Stratford, Ont, and moved to Bob's nearby farm. Bob and Sylvia formed a magical partnership for nearly 50 years. In 1982 they moved to Victoria to pursue Bob's passion in golf, and built Tiger Golf which grew into Callaway Golf Canada. Sylvia played an active role, but always tempered business with pleasure, especially live theatre and musical performances, and travel to numerous far-flung ports of call.

Sylvia was a loving wife to Bob during his long illness, and always a caring mother and grandmother. She was an intent listener, a succinct and savvy purveyor of wisdom and support, and a curious life-long learner. She loved art, books, theatre, Nanaimo bars, gardens, travel and especially her homes in Oak Bay and Arizona. Her living room was a warm and welcoming gathering place for family and friends. Sylvia spent her last four years at Parkwood Place Retirement Residence. She enjoyed playing bridge and Scrabble, and keeping on top of family milestones, worldwide news and Canadian politics. She was our matriarch and our rock, and will be missed fiercely.

Many thanks to her caregivers and companions, including Coral Gomez, Sylvia's niece Sydney Kalef, Teresa Wong, and the staff of Royal Jubilee Hospital and Parkwood Place who provided extraordinary care.

A joint celebration of life for Sylvia and Bob will be held on Saturday, October 5th, 2024, 1 - 4 pm at the Victoria Golf Club. Donations in memory of Sylvia to the charity of your choice would be appreciated.-

Condolences may be offered to the family at www.mccallgardens.com