Obituary of Sylvia L. Forster

Sylvia L. Forster 89 residing at the NYS Veterans Home at Oxford passed away peacefully on May 17, 2023. Sylvia Louise was born in Rockford, Illinois to Oral & Mildred Cunningham on July 5, 1933. She attended Las Vegas High School in Las Vegas NM and graduated on May 18, 1951. She attended college for a year and then entered the US Navy on August 24th 1953. She attended boot camp at the US Naval Training Center in Bainbridge, MD. She went on to be stationed in Norfolk VA. She was honorably discharged from the Navy on November 26, 1954. Sylvia always shared fond memories of her boot camp training and valued her time in the service of her country. Sylvia was faced with the diagnosis of Insulin dependent Diabetes in the mid-1950's but went on to manage it meticulously for over 65 years with minimal complications. She met and married David R Forster in June 1967 and raised her family in Cooperstown NY for many years. She resided in Stuart FL until her husband's death in 2009 and resided in Des Moines WA for a few years until 2014 when she returned to upstate NY to be near her middle daughter. She spent her last 5 years of life at the NYS Veterans Home at Oxford connecting with many staff and residents, enjoying her movie collections, ambulating the halls, attending to the menu and her nutrition, visiting the library and commissary, attending Red Hat Luncheons, playing Bingo or very skillfully playing Corn Hole. Preceded in death were her husband of 42 years David R Forster and youngest daughter Mary A. Forster who passed in 2013. Sylvia is survived by her two daughters. Her oldest daughter Dr. Carol A Cunningham of Bucks, England. Grandchildren: Kirsti A. Bagger, Astrid E. Baggar and Erik K. Bagger. Her middle daughter Lynnette S. (Bradley) Gray of Unadilla NY and Grandchildren Jacob S.(Naomi) Gray & Marisa D. (Stephen) Deforest. Her three Great Grandchildren are Leland E Gray, Meredith E Gray and Elise E. Deforest. Memorial Donations may be made to the American Diabetes Association in her name. The family wishes to extend their gratitude to all of the staff of the NYS Veterans Home at Oxford for the excellent care and support and friendships that she had in her time there. The family is planning a private time of memorial. We Thank you and Welcome your contacts or condolences online. C.H. Landers Funeral Chapel of Sidney will be handling the burial arrangements.