Sylvia Salloway Arian

1936 - 2018

April 6, 1936 - April 22, 2018 We mourn the passing and celebrate the life of Sylvia Arian, Ph.D. She was the devoted wife of 53 years to Jack Arian, mother to Frank, Michele, and Gary, grandmother to Jack, and sister to Marcia. She passed away quietly and comfortably at Tarzana Hospital from complications of pneumonia related to her status as a renal transplant patient, surrounded by her family and friends and beloved Cairn terrier, Abby, who was smuggled in to see her one last time. Sylvia was born on April 6, 1936 in Brooklyn, NY, to parents Michael and Margery Salloway and grew up in Mt. Vernon. She has one older sister, Marcia. Sadly, her father Michael died very young from complications of cancer and the family was moved to Los Angeles in the early 1950s to start again and be closer to Margery's family. Sylvia attended Beverly Hills High, graduating Class of 1954. Following graduation, Sylvia travelled extensively with her mother, sister, and grandparents, visiting many exotic destinations such as Havana, Cuba; Beirut, Lebanon; Casablanca, Algeria; and Marrakesh, Morocco. In 1959, at age 23, she was set up on a blind date to an up and coming businessman by the name of Jack Arian, who owned a chain of Army Surplus stores called The Supply Sergeant. They were married on September 10, 1959 just nine months after their introduction, eloping to Las Vegas. They adopted three children in the 1960s and came to reside in Studio City where they raised their family. She was a devoted mother seeing to the daily duties a family of three had. She was also a devoted wife ready for her husband's late return from work with a meal and a kiss. Yet over the years she grew restless and knew there had to be more to life than just housework and kids. She began a search for the satisfaction she craved. She learned pottery making at Fred Wilson's Muddy Wheel on Ventura Blvd. She took up painting, macramé, and quilting and became a serious student of those arts. She volunteered as a docent at the Los Angeles Zoo for several years in the early 1970s. Finally, through a series of exposures and seminars, she came to make the pivotal decision that would shape the remainder of her life; she returned to college. In 1976 she enrolled in Immaculate Heart College which had a special program for Reentry Women - women who had other lives but wished to pursue formal education. She selected Psychology as her major and she excelled. It was at Immaculate Heart College where she met her lifelong and closest friend, Dorothy Gach, Ph.D., with whom she completed a joint dissertation. She went on to complete her master's degree, M.F.C.C certification, and finally completed her Ph.D. from Laverne College in 1985. She was trained as an intern by Larry Ryan, MD with whom she became lifelong friends. She opened a small private practice on Sepulveda and Ventura and worked as a private practice psychologist for over 20 years. She was enormously successful and maintained a clientele of some of Hollywood's biggest stars. She closed her private practice in 2005 because of an anticipated move to Palm Springs. She had intended to do volunteer work with war veterans in Palm Springs, but, as life would have it, her husband Jack had cardiac problems that kept them mostly in Los Angeles. From 2005 to 2012 she cared for her ailing husband until his death. Not long after his death, she went into renal failure and required a renal transplant. She was rescued from dialysis and death by Mary Beth Jobe, an angel who agreed to donate a kidney. The transplant was completed at NYP/Weill Cornell Medical Center under the competent supervision of Dr. Kapur. She did fabulously for 6 years with Mary Beth's perfect kidney until she acquired a complex pneumonia with three or more organisms that was refractory to all treatments and overcame her largely because of the antirejection medications she had to take which left her with no immune system to fight her illness. On April 22, 2018, one of the brightest lights in Los Angeles was extinguished forever. Sylvia is known to all as a woman full of life and spunk. She was "daddy's little girl" from the get-go, full of piss and vinegar and more moxie and chutzpah than should be allowed. Yet her life's resume reads as any parents dream resume for their child. She supported her husband and ensured his success, and carefully shaped her children's experiences and ensured they were well-rounded and able to take on the challenges of the world. She was highly educated and could speak on any topic, and was incredibly well travelled covering the globe several times. Sylvia was dedicated to her immediate and remote family and was in touch with them almost daily. She was a successful psychologist and business woman; and she was a generous philanthropist and animal lover and advocate. Sylvia was an eclectic and impeccable art collector. And one damn good human being. The best wife and mother ever… Mom, your passing has left a giant hole in all of us which can never be filled. We will keep your memory alive by telling your stories, toasting you every time we have the opportunity, and striving to be successful and HAPPY which is all you ever wanted for us. We will never forget you. Her surviving children Frank and Michele wish to thank everyone for their support. In particular, thank you to Dr. Alina Lopo for watching over mom for over 20 years and all the challenges that had to be overcome, you are the BEST INTERNIST in LA. Thank you to Tess, mom's devoted caregiver who scarcely had a day off in 7 years while caring for her full time; mom loved you and would not have made it as far as she did without you. Thank you, Mary Beth Jobe, for the donation of your very own kidney which gave mom 6 ultra-high quality years she would have never had; your place is sure to be among angels. Thank you, Art and Julia, for serving as mom's personal assistants for over 20 years. We love you like family. Thank you, Mimi and Rande, for keeping mom's nails and hair so fabulous even when homebound. It was important for her to maintain her dignity. Thanks to Lois and the Saturday lunch crew for giving mom a place to go and someone to talk to. She cherished every Saturday with you all. And many thanks to family: her cherished grandson, Jack; her beloved sister Marcia, Harvey, Wendy, Lou, and Michael; cousins Hal, Mark, Susan, Steve, Dave, Bert, and Judy; and the rest of the crew - you were her most important focus. Finally, to Arlene Berick and Dorothy Gach, mom's best friends, we warn you she is on her way up, so break out the olives and lemon twists, the party is definitely on. And to all the rest who knew her, she thanks you for enriching her life. Memorial service will be held at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills on Tuesday, May 1, at 2:00 PM.