Sylvia Salwen Rosen, a beloved and celebrated resident of Springfield for over 7 decades, passed away on March 28, surrounded by the love of her family. At age 107, she was the matriarch who instilled her life-long thirst for knowledge and her strong faith into everything she did and everyone whose lives she touched.

Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1918 to David and Bessie Salwen, Sylvia's love of education was evident at an early age. She skipped several class levels, graduating from Girls Commercial High School at age 16. Fellow classmates included several who went to Hollywood including Oscar winner Susan Hayward and a boy down the block everyone had a crush on - John Forsythe (Dynasty)

She loved music and had a beautiful coloratura soprano voice. Studying opera was her dream, but it was the middle of the Great Depression and she went right to work in a law firm. She told stories of lunches at the Automat and sitting at a counter with "tomato soup", in reality, hot water and ketchup.

Sylvia met her husband Harry in their Brooklyn neighborhood, and by the start of WWII they were a couple. Harry went off to war and Sylvia did her patriotic duty serving as an air raid warden in her community and she enrolled in nursing school. Her studies were interrupted as the war ended and she needed to earn a living wage to save for her upcoming marriage.

Their first home was a basement apartment in Brooklyn, followed by a couple of years in their starter home in Long Island, NY and then they packed up and headed to New England, where Harry had gotten a new job. Residing first in the Winchester Square District of Springfield, she became a loyal patron of the Winchester Square Library and joined Congregation Kodimoh. In addition to being an active member of its Mr. and Mrs. Club. Sylvia directed their musical productions, sewed costumes and created props. It was at that time she started her Jewish Studies with the Rabbis which became a lifelong participation in Adult Education. Knowledge! Knowledge! And More Knowledge! was her mantra. One can never stop learning she'd say. Descended from a long line of rabbinical scholars, it was in her genes.

A second move to the Forest Park area brought Sylvia to her forever home. When husband Harry purchased Pynchon Press Co. , she helped run the office. She worked in the Kodimoh office as well, helping to craft the weekly bulletin. For several years she wrote a popular Household Hints column for the Jewish Weekly News. And, Sylvia was a fashionista! Each day she would get up and dress, pearls included, in beautiful tailored outfits, many of which she made herself for many years.

In her 60's, Sylvia returned to college, completing her undergraduate and Master programs at American International College, receiving a degree in Special Education. She graduated as Salutatorian and then substitute taught at several local schools including East Longmeadow and Ludlow High schools and for a decade was the primary special ed teacher for one remarkable young man.

For 11 years, Sylvia wrote a column for the Springfield Republican -"Off My Rocker" where she wrote true to life anecdotes of present day and shared stories of her experiences - creating an oral history of her life for us all to cherish.

She was an active member of the women's business group Zonta and she inaugurated Winter Coat Collections for those in need . She produced the yearly Summer Adult Education Lectures - New Horizons - for the Jewish Community Center. But Sylvia found her true passion in writing and teaching. For 30 years she taught a Creative Writing class at the JCC, retiring at age 100 becoming a beloved mentor to her students who were inspired to write their stories. Even after her retirement, Sylvia hosted her students - now friends - at home so they could share their writing and listen to her wise comments, perhaps a small edit!

It's not easy to condense 107 years of life into a few paragraphs, but for all who were privileged to have known her, she leaves an indelible history book filled with pages of wisdom, heart and much love.

Sylvia was predeceased by her beloved husband, Harry, parents David and Bessie Salwen, her brother Dr. Martin J. Salwen and her sister Nita Cohen, as well as her own grandmother Anna Shriman, who was her touchstone growing up and in adulthood and who lived to 101.

She leaves behind her loving children Bonnye (Rosen)Lenczner, Allen (Linda) Rosen, Elayne Rosen and David (Naomi) Rosen, daughters in law Joyce and Gwyn, grandchildren Nathalie (Mathew) , Shellie(William) ,Ben, Aliza (Greg) , Danny, Mindy (Steve), Laurel(Mike ), and great grandchildren: Braden,Emma,Addison, Kayla, Kylei, Joel, Elliott, Liam, Liberty, Cody and Lana, as well as a global family of nieces, nephews, cousins and good friends. Special thanks to Brittany, Kayla, Beth, Sheryl, Tina and Kathy who helped keep Sylvia safe at home.

Donations in Sylvia's memory may be made to Congregation Bnai Torah, 2 Eunice Dr., Longmeadow, Mass.