Sylvia Crotsley (nee Jones) went home to her Lord on Dec. 20, 2018 after a very brief battle with a rare disease. Sylvia was a one-in-a-million woman who lost her life to a disease that strikes one in a million of us.
Sylvia was the daughter of the late Benjamin H. and Anna Jones. Sylvia was the wife of Joseph Crotsley Sr., with whom she shared over 58 wonderful years of marriage. She was the mother of Gwynedd (Douglas) Tkacik and the late Joseph Crotsley Jr. She was the grandmother of Sheena, Seth, Moriah and Saige Gabrielli and Katrina Crotsley, and a great-grandmother to Christian, all of whom affectionately referred to her as “Oma.” She was the former mother-in-law to Anne Marie Crotsley.
Sylvia served her community as a school bus driver for the Wilson Area School District for over 42 years. She was frequently approached by people who were driven by her and was thanked for her humor and kindness. She was an amazing caregiver for many family and friends. The community knows that Sylvia’s house was always a place for family and friends to gather to find good food, laughter and comfort. Sylvia was not a person of words, but of action. Numerous extended family members spent weeks, months or years living and being cared for in Sylvia’s home. Sylvia always made everyone smile. She was known for her good humor and sharp wit.
Joe and Sylvia were amazing together. They shared a marriage that was envied by many. They did everything together, from yard work to traveling. Everyone who was fortunate enough to cross paths with the Crotsleys knows they are blessed to know them.
Sylvia will be missed by her family and friends. She is survived by her sister Gwendolyn Jones of Bethlehem and Benjamin Jones of Nazareth. She was predeceased by her sister Lenore Reto of Bangor, who died on Dec. 12 of this year.
SERVICE
Family and friends are invited to a Celebration of Life service at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 5, 2019 at Life Church, 4609 Newburg Road, Nazareth. There will be no calling hours. Online expressions of sympathy can be made at www.heintzelmancares.com. Arrangements are by the Heintzelman Funeral Home Inc., Hellertown.
CONTRIBUTIONS
The family asks those who knew Sylvia to share a moment of kindness with a family member, neighbor or stranger, or to volunteer at a local charity. Doing so will continue the good work that Sylvia did during her lifetime, and will help you understand just a little bit of how Sylvia lived her life. Memorials can be made to the National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center Research Institute in Cleveland, Ohio, at 2085 Adelbert Road, Cleveland, OH 44106.
