Sylvia (O'Donnell) Grace

North Greenbush - Sylvia O'Donnell Grace of North Greenbush passed away Saturday, June 13, 2015 at Eddy Memorial Geriatric Center in Troy. 

Born in Amesbury, MA, she was the daughter of the late Sarah Vaughan O'Donnell and Francis O'Donnell.  Sylvia was raised in New Bedford and Bay View,  MA and graduated from Holy Family High School in New Bedford MA and earned her Bachelor of Arts from Regis College in Weston Massachusetts.  She was married for over fifty years to Richard Grace who passed away in 2010. She survived a heart breaking loss of her son, Richard Stephen Grace of Saratoga Springs in 1999 ; and her sister Margaret Irene O'Donnell of New Bedford, MA.

She and her husband, owned and operated the Tid-Bit Photo Classified for over ten years and until her recent illness she was the Event Coordinator and Manager of Sterup Square, SJM in Raymertown.

Sylvia delighted in being a member of the Van Schaick Island Yacht Club and boating on the Hudson River.

She was survived by her daughter, Lisa Grace Dehnert and her husband Chris Dehnert of  Brunswick, along with her cherished grandchildren, C. Austin Dehnert, Sarah Heidi Dehnert and Hannah Dehnert; her cousin, Joan Brakman of Port Washington, NY, Sarah Vaughan Brakman Youakim, PhD and her husband, James Youakim, MD, their daughters, Grace and Julia Youakim of PA, William Brakman II and his son, William Brakman III of Port Washington, NY, Katy and Arthur Marney and their children, Lisa and Keith of Osterville, Ma.  Also survived by her beloved two rescue "babies" dogs, Tinker and Belle.

A special thank you is sent to the loving, supportive and expert care of the nursing staff on the Courtyard of the Eddy Memorial Geriatric Center.

Relatives and friends may call at the Bryce Funeral Home, Inc.  276 Pawling Avenue Troy on Tuesday from 4-7 PM. 

Funeral service will be held Wednesday at 9 AM at the funeral home and at 9:30AM at Our Lady of Victory Church Troy where a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by Rev. Randall Patterson , Pastor.

Interment  will be in  Holy Sepluchre Cemetery Rensselaer.

In lieu of flowers we respectful request you consider two organizations that truly touched Sylvia's heart. The Center for Disability Services, 314 South Manning Blvd. Albany, New York 12208 or The Animal Support Project , PO Box 68, Cropseyville, New York 12052. Sylvia delighted in singing an inspirational song on the Center for Disability Services Telethon each year. The Center is an organization that embodied her love of life and positive thinking. She found great joy, comfort and love in the two dogs that The Animal Support Project team rescued from hurricane Katrina.  

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