Antone (Tony) Sylvia, 89, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his loving family on Friday, September 13, 2013. He was the husband of Norma (Carreiro) Sylvia, they were married for 68 years.
Born in Dartmouth, MA, the son of the late John Sylvia and the late Hilda (Alves) Sylvia, he resided in New Bedford and Westport throughout his life.
A humble man with many talents, he could create, craft, and repair almost anything. His loves were gardening, which has been passed on to several generations, creating extraordinary handcrafted gifts as a display of his love for his entire family, and laughing with those he loved.
Antone was a T4 Tech Sergeant and radio operator on the “Thomas H. Barry” during WWII. His employment included: Sylvia’s Auto Parts, the City of New Bedford, and the U.S. Postal Service from which he retired in 1986. He was a graduate of the RI School of Electronics and a member of the American Legion Post 145 of Westport.
In addition to his loving wife he is survived by his daughter Brenda Furtado and her husband Kenneth, his son Daniel Sylvia, all of Westport; daughter Shirley Jaye and her husband Wayne of Freetown; daughter Norma Jean Makara and her husband David, Elaine Alcaidinho and her husband Joseph, daughter Lori Nichols and her husband Stephen all of Orlando, FL., son Antone Sylvia Jr. and his wife Alma of East Greenwich, RI. He is also survived by 25 grandchildren and 28 and soon to be 30 great grandchildren, as well as many nieces and nephews.
He was the father of the late Kenneth Sylvia, grandfather of the late Anthony Brazil and brother of the late Frank Silvia, John Sylvia, Hilda Barzekowski and Mary Vieira.
Funeral to which relatives and friends are invited will be Sunday, September 15, 2013 at 7:30 P.M. at the Potter Funeral Home.
Calling hours will be 5-7:30 P.M. prior to the service.
Interment will be private and at the convenience of the family.
In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, P.O. Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, TN, 38101 as a testimony to his love of children.