Sylvia Elvin

July 21, 1933 — February 16, 2018

Sylvia Elvin of Needham, Mass., formerly of Princeton, February 16, 2018. Beloved mother of Professor Claire Fontijn of Wellesley, Mass., cherished mother-in-law of Professor John Arcaro of Dover, Mass., loving grandmother of Amica Fontijn-Harris of Wellesley, Mass., and ex-wife of Dr. Arthur Fontijn of Watervliet, N.Y., formerly of Princeton.

Sylvia was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada on July 21, 1933 to Florrie Violet (Wroot) Elvin of Saskatoon and Lewis Vernon Elvin of London, England. She married Arthur Fontijn of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on January 5, 1957, and subsequently lived in Amsterdam and in Montreal, and Quebec, Canada until 1960 when Sylvia, Arthur, and Claire immigrated to Princeton. Sylvia lived in Princeton until 2007, when she moved to Needham to be near Claire and Amica.

Sylvia excelled as a mother, seamstress, editor, musician, artist, poet, actress, massage therapist, friend, and gardener. After completing her education at City Park High School, she was first employed by the Canadian Railroad in Saskatoon, then as an announcer with the Canadian Broadcasting Company in Montreal. In Princeton, she worked as an editor for Theology Today, The Papers of Woodrow Wilson, and for the Journal of Brain and Behavioral Sciences. From 1980-2007, she worked as a massage therapist, making countless people happy with her loving touch.

Her funeral was held on Tuesday, February 20 at 10 a.m. at Christ Episcopal Church, 1132 Highland Avenue, Needham, MA. Interment followed at Woodlawn Cemetery, Wellesley, Mass.