Sylvia Price-Brooks

March 1, 1947 - April 28, 2021

Child of God, Wife/Widow, Mother, Daughter, Grandmother, Great-Grandmother, Sister, Aunt, Cousin, Surrogate-Mother/Grandmother, Mother In-Law, Sister In-Law, Friend, Teacher, Student, Author, Speaker, Poet, Sylvia Brooks was all of this and more. But without a doubt, the title she most cherished was that of being a born again believer in Jesus Christ as the Son of the true and living God. Born Sylvia Paulette Fletcher on March 1, 1947 to the late Marion and Elizabeth Fletcher, Sylvia was known for being kind, funny, strong, courageous, and full of adventure. She was reared by two God fearing parents and received her early training in Christian beliefs and doctrines from her paternal grandmother, Minnie Fletcher. The church was always a strong presence in her life and she began her membership at Waters AME Church until becoming a founding member of Church of God Ministries where she faithfully served for the past 21 years. Her strong faith carried her through many difficult times and she loved God with all her heart. She was a fighter and a champion for many causes so it made perfect sense that she would become a soldier in God’s army. Sylvia is the mother of four wonderful daughters and raised them to become phenomenal women, each possessing aspects of their mother’s fearless, loving, caring, faithful spirit. As the grandmother of nine and great grandmother of eight, she was everyone’s favorite “MaMa” whether they were just learning to walk, walking across a graduation stage, or walking down the aisle. She loved to travel, especially with the grandkids and her nephew and each one of them could easily tell you a funny vacation story that only MaMa or Aunt Cookie could have been a part of. Everyone just loved being around her, especially hanging out at her house telling jokes, playing games, eating, and reminiscing. In fact, one of the joys of Thanksgiving and Christmas was to be able to gather at her house celebrating the holidays together with a delicious home cooked meal. She brought fun and joy to every situation and person that crossed her path and nothing pleased her more than helping others. She was also a loving, supportive sister, aunt, cousin, mother in-law, sister in-law, surrogate mother/grandmother, and friend who was always there when you needed her. Her family and close friends affectionately knew her as “Cookie.” Sylvia loved to teach as well as learn and throughout her life she was always doing one or the other. As a teacher, she inspired many students with the ‘joy of learning’ ranging from middle and high school to adult education in community colleges and prisons. As a student, she earned a bachelor’s degree and two masters degrees and was a life-long student of the Bible. As an author and poet, she published three books of poetry where she shared her many life lessons, faith and words of encouragement. She also had her own brand of wisdom nuggets that she willingly shared when asked, or sometimes, when not asked. So as we mourn our loss, we must celebrate her life and legacy and remember the joy she brought to each of us. She will be remembered for her love of God and others, faithfulness, strength, sacrificial and giving spirit, travel experiences, words of wisdom, and sense of humor. Left to cherish Sylvia’s fond memories are: her four daughters, Nina, Edith, Mona and Josetta; son in-law John; nine grandchildren, Michael (Sharon), Keshawna (Jasmond), Brandon, Rachel, Andre (Stephanie), Dominick, Justin, Crystel, and Danielle; eight great grandchildren, Michael Michael, Jasmine, Trinity, Jonah, Jayden, Lily, Ariana, and Ezra; one sister Lynette, two brothers Roland and Kenneth; two-sister in-law Yvonne and Arlette; five nieces and nephews, Michele, Marcia, Josh, Joel and Marcus; her Cousin Nicky; and many dear friends.