Syvia was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada in 1921 and raised in Chicago, a city she loved and knew well. During the 1940s war years Syvia reported for its local newspapers. She married Albert Siegel in 1945. In 1963 they moved to Palo Alto with their three children. He pre-deceased her in 2009.
Syvia was employed at several Stanford libraries and was especially proud of having worked on the Index to The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr. Her volunteer work included Jewish Family Services, Stanford Hillel, Hadassah, English tutoring, and a local soup kitchen.
She pursued her passion for lifelong learning through her own program of audited classes at Foothill College and Stanford. Nourished by a love of music and literature, she enjoyed the symphony and chamber music concerts as well as a music appreciation club she and Albert helped establish. Theater and art museums gave her much joy and a lifetime of reading sustained her. She was a lifelong Democrat and supporter of Israel.
Syvia was enriched by her love of family - immediate and extended - and is survived by many who hold her dear: her loving children Gretta, Shepherd, Adena, and son-in-law Steven; devoted grandson Leo; her beloved brother Harvey Pyes and treasured sister-in-law Lois; as well as sister-in-law Natalie, nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Funeral Services will be held on Thursday, November 16, 2017 at 11:00 am at Congregation Beth Jacob, 1550 Alameda de las Pulgas, Redwood City with burial following at Hills of Eternity Memorial Park, Colma.