Sylvia Hilary Halley (nee Elbourn) passed away Friday August 26th at her Wildwood, MO home after a courageously fought, 10 year battle with breast cancer. At the time she was surrounded by her husband Geoffrey M Halley, her sons Ian A Halley of Chesterfield MO and Stuart M Halley of Brownsville WI, and her daughter Jayne E Vickrey of Naperville IL.

Sylvia was born in St. Albans, England, the third daughter of Edwin Harry Elbourn and Violet (Simmons) Elbourn on March 22nd 1937. She graduated from Beaumont School in St. Albans, and subsequently entered a nursing program at St. Albans City Hospital. In 1956 she was introduced to Geoffrey and they became instant best friends. Three years later, on July 25, 1959, after Geoffrey graduated from engineering school, they were married in Harpenden, England, and started their journey together.

Sylvia loved to travel and meet people, and by the time of her marriage she had traveled extensively in Europe.

In 1966 Sylvia and the young family migrated to the United States, when Geoffrey was offered a position working on the Apollo program. Initially the family lived in Ransomville, NY. They then moved to Kewanee, IL, where they lived for 18 years, during which time Sylvia taught handicrafts, as part of an adult education program. Finally with their children married they arrived in the St. Louis area in 1986, and built a home in Wildwood. Since that time she has traveled with Geoffrey around much of the United States and Canada, meeting people and making friends wherever she went. With the new home came the challenge of converting a rock strewn hillside into beautiful gardens. Sylvia tackled this with her usual tremendous energy, and the result has been greatly admired, and it was during this period that she became a long time member of The Garden Society of Wildwood, making many good friends in the process.

Sylvia was very proud of her family and their achievements, including her grandchildren and the most recent addition, a great grandson with whom she spent many pleasurable times.

Sylvia was preceded in death by her mother and father, a sister Audrey (Elbourn) Dunlop of Belfast, N Ireland and two grandsons Derek and Graham Halley of Chesterfield, MO, who were taken much too soon. In addition to her husband, her sons and daughter, she leaves a sister Lesley (Elbourn) Adams of Berwickshire, Scotland, six grandchildren: Nicole (Vickrey) Cook, of Elwood IL; Ross Halley of St Charles, MO; Megan Halley of Warsaw IN; Brandon Vickrey of Seattle WA; Alayna Halley of Brownsville WI; Ellyn Halley of Brownsville WI and a great grandson Parker Cook of Elwood IL, plus several spousal relations.

In lieu of flowers Sylvia had suggested that friends wishing to honor her life, make donations to her favorite charity, the St Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, in Memphis, TN.

A “Celebration of Sylvia’s Life” has been planned for Sunday September 18th from 12:00 PM until 4:00 PM in the Wildwood Hotel, 2801 Fountain Place, Wildwood, MO. All friends and relatives are invited to share their memories.