Sylvia Anne Pittman

Sylvia Anne Poole, age 90, formerly of Winter Park, FL, passed away July 18, 2024, at Brentwood Assisted Living, Ocala, FL. Sylvia was born on January 26, 1934, at 63 Russell Street, Bedford, England. She was the third child of Harold Poole and Phyllis May Pilgrim of Bedford. She attended Harpur Central High School and graduated around 1950. When she was younger, she worked as a confectioner for Peek Freans, a cookie company. Sylvia loved to sing and performed on stage at the Bedford Corn Exchange multiple times, singing songs such as 'Goodnight Irene' and 'Come Back to Sorrento.' 

Throughout her teenage years, Sylvia was an avid fan of American movies, especially the musicals. In her free time, she would disappear for hours. Her family was never worried, as they all knew she would be sitting in one of the local cinemas watching a movie not once, but twice over. It seems that she was destined to meet, fall in love with and marry a handsome American serviceman. She met her future husband on the phone when he was manning the switchboards, and he invited her to the Bedford Corn Exchange Dance. His name was Harvey Clark Pittman of the US Air Force, the son of Benjamin Hayes Pittman & Evelyn Virgila Ayers, both of Pennsylvania. Harvey & Sylvia courted for 3 years before getting married on May 22, 1953, at St. Martin’s Church, Bedford. The newlyweds lived in an apartment on the River Ouse Embankment in Bedford for about a year. In July 1954, they moved to Philadelphia, PA, as her husband took a break from military service. In 1957, Sylvia became a naturalized citizen of the United States in Philadelphia. In the next two decades they had 4 children: Laura Jean Pittman (Dowler) 1955, David Clark Pittman 1958, Carol Lee Pittman (Busche) 1968, and Victoria Lynn Pittman (Courte) 1969.

The Air Force made the family move many times: Patrick AFB, FL; Westover AFB, Massachusetts; Offutt AFB, Nebraska; Anderson AFB, Guam; and Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio. When Harvey retired in 1977, they moved to Northorpe, Lincolnshire in England with their two youngest children so that Sylvia could be near her family. After 6 years in England, Sylvia and family moved to Winter Park, FL in 1982. In the mid 1980’s, Sylvia worked as a cook in the Navy Officer’s Club at the Orlando Naval Training Center. Sylvia and Harvey lived in the same house in Winter Park, FL from 1982 until 2024, and then moved to assisted living in Ocala. 

Sylvia enjoyed cooking, sewing, working in her garden, classic movies, and visiting with family. She leaves behind children: Laura, David, Carol & Vicky; grandsons, Andrew & Benjamin Dowler, Ian Pittman, and Michael Davis; granddaughters Kendall, Samantha, & Sarah Pittman; also, great-granddaughters Alice Benson and Adeline Davis. Harvey, her husband of 71 years, passed away by her side just one week ago on July 10. She also leaves behind her remaining family in England: sisters Eva Poole (Gould), and Brenda Poole (Johnson), as well as many loved nieces, nephews and cousins.

She will be greatly missed.