Sylvia Marie Suba

Suba, Sylvia Marie (nee Karl)

has passed away peacefully: Born 92 years ago into the farming community of Ste. Genevieve, MO, and raised with her three brothers in a home, as she would occasionally recall, that had lacked internal plumbing or electricity.

She headed to college in St. Louis and earned a degree there in 1953, the first in her family to do so, with a B.S. in Economics during an era when such studies were less-common for women to pursue. She would meet an aspiring surgeon, our dad Tony Suba, and in 1956 the two were married in the Catholic Church. They remained married for nearly sixty years, until Tony's passing in 2015. During those decades, Sylvia managed a sizeable household and its logistics, which included preparing a dinner each night for eight people as she raised her 6 children: Steven (Charlene; Fort Worth, TX), Eric (San Francisco, CA), Laurinda Brown (Jerry; Kansas City, MO), Greg (Heidi; Roseville, CA), Tim (San Francisco, CA), Mimi Bender (Tom; Chesterfield, MO). She later welcomed 8 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren into her family.

Sylvia encouraged each of her kids to explore their individual interests, while prompting us to learn how to swim, play the piano and ride a bicycle, although she could do none of these things herself. As a solidly pragmatic person, she was an accomplished seamstress and much of her ample wardrobe was made, by hand, within the refuge of her Sewing Room - the only space in the entire house that seemed exempt from her general mandate of tidiness, sometimes wildly so. Her gardening skills were even more prolific, as evidenced by the dozens of hearty rose bushes as well as the numerous annual flower beds that flourished around our home, under her care. Beyond managing this household, Sylvia also took satisfaction in supporting her children's school activities, even serving as president of the Priory School's Mothers Club.

Sylvia and Tony were keen to travel when the opportunity arose, and Sylvia even worked for a time as a travel agent to remain informed about trip options, long before the internet made such things easy to accomplish. She has now departed to join her husband on another adventure, as they both enjoy their well-earned rest.

Services: A celebration of Sylvia's life will be held by the family at a future date. www.boppchapel.com