Sylvia Grace Fenn Greene went to be with her Lord, Jesus Christ, on October 21, 2022. Sylvia was born on October 19,1942 to the late Bart Howard Fenn and Frances Shipman Fenn in Panama City, FL. She was the oldest of four sisters Reba Lovejoy, Beverly Allan, and Aletha Densmore. Sylvia spent her early years in Millville before her family moved to the Cove area. She graduated from Bay High School in 1960 and worked at her father’s business, Millville Auto Parts, until graduation from Gulf Coast Community College. She completed her education with a degree from Troy State University in Elementary Education. In March of 1964 Sylvia married her college sweetheart, James Lewis Greene,a native of Clayton, at the church where she grew up, Immanuel Baptist Church.
Sylvia’s parents greatest influence in her life was their Christian faith. She learned from them to always put her trust in God and to be patient and wait on Him and He would provide all her needs. She carried that great faith into her own family. Sylvia and James started their family in Montgomery, AL. They moved around the South as their family grew before returning to Panama City in 1977. Upon moving back to Panama City, they rejoined Immanuel Baptist Church and raised their five children under the spiritual leadership of Rev. Adolph Bedsole and later Rev. Randy Kuhn. Sylvia loved her church and was very active in children and youth activities and volunteered as the nursery coordinator for many years. She also worked for several years in the Child Development Center at Tyndall AFB, the Mother’s Day Out Program at Messiah Lutheran and as a personal child caregiver. She enjoyed hosting pool parties and other activities for the youth, was a chaperone on mission trips and helped with Vacation Bible Schools. She was well known for her creative planning and decorating skills for special church events.
A passage from Proverbs exemplified her life: “Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her”. Sylvia loved her family and was very proud of their accomplishments. She made sure her children were always involved in church activities and hosted many parties at her home for them and their friends. Her children and grandchildren loved and respected her and gladly provided loving care during her illness. Sylvia enjoyed traveling and visited most of the states while making cross-country trips visiting family members, national parks and monuments. Some of her favorite family trips included the New York World’s Fair, Washington D.C., Niagara Falls, Mammoth Cave, Smoky Mountains, Yellowstone, Sequoya, Mt Rushmore, Grand Canyon, California and the Alamo. She also visited Canada, Mexico, London, Paris, Brussels, Rome, Venice, locations in Germany and enjoyed several cruises including an Alaskan and Mediterranean Cruise. Sylvia also enjoyed traveling with the Immanuel Senior Adults.
Survivors are her husband James Greene, her children Daphne Watts (Tom), Marcia Wasserman (Rick), Jamie Greene (Amy), Cary Greene and Jeremy Greene (Heather). Sylvia loved her six grandchildren Alexa Wasserman, Christina Watts Myers (Keegan), Thomas Watts, Chad Watts, Jack Greene, Ellie Greene, her sisters, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. James is the oldest of nine siblings and Sylvia loved all the Greene family and the many reunions in Alabama . Her smile and laughter will be missed, but her love will remain in the hearts of her family forever.
The family received relatives and friends at Immanuel Baptist Church at 1:00 PM on October 25. Funeral service followed at 2:00 PM. The burial was at Evergreen Memorial Gardens. Serving as pall bearers were Thomas Watts, Chad Watts, Keegan Myers, Bart Kennedy, Russell Lovejoy and Andrew Moseley. Her family would like to thank Emerald Coast Hospice and caregivers Wanda Morris and Jan Jordan who gave her so much love and care. If desired, flowers were acceptable or a contribution to Immanuel Baptist Church (www.immanuelchurchpc. com) or the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org) in memory of Sylvia would be appreciated.
