Heather Phyllis Silcox

Heather Phyllis (Penhale) Silcox, 75, died Monday, August 9, 2010, at Cayuga Medical Center. A much beloved wife, mother and grandmother who deeply loved her family. Heather is greatly missed by her husband, John; daughters, Heather Jane Andelora (Ron) of Tucson, Arizona, Allison Tamar Silcox of New York City and Laurie Elizabeth Clarke (Jonathan) of Portland Oregon; and grandchildren Joshua, Tristan and Grace. (Her letters and parcels were avidly opened with great anticipation.) Also surviving are two sisters, Peggy Penhale of Totnes, Devon, England and Eva Wilkins of Kingswood, Bristol, England, a sister-in-law, Ann Silcox, of Tavistock, Devon, England, a niece, Rose Clark (Adam) and nephew Robert Wilkins (Keren) also of England. Born in Totnes, Devon, England on November 10, 1934 to Kate and Ernest Penhale, she was educated at the Totnes High School for Girls where she played on the school field hockey and tennis teams. She was heavily involved in girl guide and ranger activities (equivalent to girl scouts) as well as youth activities of the Anglican Church of St. Mary. A strong interest in wildlife, birds and wild flowers and a love of young children led her to a career in early childhood education. She trained as a teacher at the St Matthias Teachers Training College at Fishponds, Bristol, U.K. where she played for the college teams in field hockey and tennis. After graduation, she taught at the elementary school level in the cities of Exeter and Cambridge in England.
She married John Silcox in 1960 while he was completing his Ph.D. at Cambridge University and they came to Ithaca in August 1961 when he was appointed as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Engineering Physics at Cornell. They traveled on the ocean liner Empress of Canada, a transportation mode that soon disappeared. Their original plan to stay for three years turned into forty nine and they celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary earlier this year. After raising their family of three daughters, Heather went on to be a Teaching Aide in the Ithaca City School District for nearly a decade. During this time, she taught "English as a Second Language."
Heather remained very passionate and connected to her English roots and corresponded weekly with her sisters and often with friends. She spent much of her free time gardening, reading and knitting, all of which were lifetime hobbies. She was a long-standing member of the Thimble Club, one of the oldest clubs associated with Cornell. She also volunteered with other organizations at Cornell and within the Ithaca community; such as the Ithaca Swim Club, the Sciencenter and The Service League where she served on the board for several years, having served a term as president and another term as secretary. She had a wonderful command of the English language and was never hesitant to share her clear, concise and thoughtful opinions with others, at the same time being honest, tactful, sensitive and caring. In 2007 she was The Service League honoree for the "Women Making History Award," conferred by the City Federation of Womens' Organizations.