Sylvia HILDNER

Musician, athlete, and teacher, multi-talented Sylvia Wecker Hildner, 86, of Glen Arm, MD, moved forward on August 24 to the next stage of eternity. Sylvia graced the tennis court of life with integrity and zest. She thrilled to theater and stilled to twilight. She loved books and math and Mozart, Linda Ronstadt, Ocean City, and Dr. Zhivago (yep, Omar Sharif made her swoon). And wow, could she play the piano. Before graduating from the University of Michigan, she studied at The Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where she met her future husband, Philip. Sylvia infused music with precision and passion. But most of all, she infused the lives of family and friends with her brave melody of empathy, sunshine, and wisdom. Blessed with the warm heart of a teacher and a radiant blend of control and soul, she directed plays and taught math, science, and English in the public school systems of Baltimore and Baltimore County for 32 years, and throughout her adult life, she gave private piano lessons to grown-ups and children. A faithful member for over 50 years of the Christian Science church in Towson, Sylvia turned inward to Spirit for inspiration and strength. She leaned on Mind to architect her human experience. She approached life as a metaphysicist. She marched to a different drummer. And Sylvia inspired her three sons, Jeffrey, Mark, and Paul, to do the same. Thank you, Mom. Songwriters Mindy Jostyn & Jacob Brackman say it right: "In His eyes, you're a fire that never goes out / A light on the top of a hill." Predeceased by her faithful husband, Philip, Sylvia's surviving family members include her three sons, her brother Norman, and his children, Ted, Miranda, and Bruce, and Sylvia's grandchildren, Emily and Evan. The family will hold a private ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.