William A. Sylvia, 81, the beloved husband of Gail (Morel) Sylvia of Zephyrhills, Florida, passed away peacefully after a short illness with angels by his side on June 14, 2018.

Born February 13, 1937, in New London, Connecticut, he was the fifth of seven children, by Frank J. Sylvia, Sr. and Victoria Zalewski, who predeceased him.

He is survived by his devoted wife Gail, whom he adored beyond life, his daughter Beth (Sylvia) Garbo, her husband David Garbo, Sr. of Stonington, Connecticut, and their children Garrett Garborcauskas of Cambridge, Massachusetts, Catharine Garbo, and David Garbo, Jr. of Stonington, Connecticut; his son David Sylvia and his wife Caroline, and their sons William Sylvia of Preston, Connecticut, and Ryan Sylvia and his wife Blair of Milford, Connecticut; and his son Brian Sylvia of Salem, Connecticut.

He is predeceased by his brother Frank J. Sylvia,Jr. , and his sisters Elaine Schmidt and Jane Sheehan. He is survived by his sisters Fay Lloyd and her husband Phillip of Waterford, Connecticut, and Karen Peterson and her husband Terrance of East Hampton, Connecticut, and his brother Richard Sylvia and his wife Ruth Hoberman of Charleston, Illinois, and many nieces and nephews.

Bill led a long and full life. A 1956 graduate of Chapman Tech in New London, Connecticut, he married the love of his life in 1961 after serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. He and Gail celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary in May.

He retire to Florida in 1998 from the Connecticut Pipefitters Union Local 777 after 33 years and spent the last 20 years of his life doing what he loved: golf, gardening, painting flowers and landscapes, and fixing things. He was devoted to his family and spent a lifetime sharing his joy of the water with his children, fishing and boating. He was ever present while his grandchildren grew up, proudly attending little league games and school performances, and joining them on many vacations and outings.

Bill was a humble man with an immense heart. He was a charitable and forgiving man who had great faith in his Catholic heritage as a recent parishioner of St. Joseph’s Church in Zephyrhills, Florida, and previously of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Gales Ferry, Connecticut. He was proud of his Polish and Portuguese heritage and was a lifetime member of the Portuguese Holy Ghost Society formerly of New London, Connecticut.

A funeral Mass will be held at 11:00 a.m., Friday, June 22, 2018, at St. Mary Mother of the Redeemer Church, 69 Groton Long Point Road, Groton, Connecticut, with full military honors. Interment will be held at 11:00 a.m., June 27, 2018, at Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell, Florida. A Celebration of Life will be held at 12:00 noon, Thursday, June 28, 2018, at Southport Springs, Zephyrhills, Florida.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Tampa, Florida, www.stjude.org.