Sylvia Simmons Prozan

A brilliant woman who broke barriers, Sylvia Simmons Prozan passed away on August 15, 2023 of cancer. Sylvia had many careers during her lifetime - loving wife, caring mother, fierce attorney - but her first passion was journalism. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Sylvia became known as "the woman with the radio voice." This was during the 1940s, when women's roles were limited. Through the years, Sylvia would carve out a professional path full of accomplishments that exceeded the expectations of her gender.

In 1955, Sylvia earned a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies from her beloved Barnard College, where she became interested in law and politics. Her initial opportunity in television came from NBC as a staff member on a series, Producers Showcase. The following year, she had her first political opportunity serving as the Southern California office manager for the Adlai Stevenson presidential campaign. She continued her higher education and obtained a Master of Arts in History from Case Western Reserve University in 1959, after which she assumed her first position in television as Cleveland's weather girl, the first in Ohio and the second in the United States. Later, she had a segment on KQED's World Press and then became a television newscaster on KNTV in San Jose where she interviewed luminaries such as Ralph Nader, Dolores Huerta, Yitzhak Rabin, and former President Ronald Reagan and former First Lady Nancy Reagan.

In the midst of her budding television career, Sylvia's love for the law grew stronger. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, in 1975-at which point she was the oldest student in her graduating class at 42 years old. She practiced as a solo practitioner, setting up her law office in Burlingame, California and serving clients until 1988. One legal case she took involving notice of a traffic ticket led to review by the United States Supreme Court. Sylvia also taught at the John F. Kennedy University School of Law. In retirement, Sylvia worked alongside her husband, Dr. George Prozan, for the Bay Area Holocaust Oral History Project. She first lent her skills as an interviewer and then as the Chairwoman.

Sylvia Simmons Prozan will be remembered as a vibrant woman who enjoyed a good political debate, a great sale at Neiman's, always dressing her finest, cheering any Bay Area sports team, hosting parties for family and friends, enjoying musical theater, and drinking a stiff martini with olives alongside her beloved George.

She is survived by her spouse of 67 years, Dr. George Prozan, her four children, Michael Prozan and his wife Victoria Hamlin Prozan, Larry Prozan and his wife Esther Kestenbaum Prozan, Anne Prozan and her husband Gilbert Pierre-Louis, and Rebecca Prozan and her wife Julia Adams, and three grandchildren, Noah Prozan, Nicole Prozan, and Marcel Pierre-Louis.

A celebration of life will be held at Temple Beth El at 1700 Alameda de las Pulgas, San Mateo on September 1st at 11am. Gathering and Remembering Sylvia will follow at the Carlyle at 1450 Post Street, San Francisco. In lieu of flowers, please donate in Sylvia Prozan's name to the UC Berkeley Prozan Family Scholarship. Gifts to the fund can be mailed to:

University of California, Berkeley
Gift Services, UDAR
1995 University Avenue, Suite 400
Berkeley, CA 94704-1070

In the memo or gift notation, please reference, The Prozan Family Scholarship FW5360000