Long-time Maya Society member Sylvia Elrod passed away on December 28, 2022. Always
active, Sylvia was out walking her dog when she collapsed. We remember Sylvia’s
determination and joy of learning. She participated in every Maya Society trip to Mexico
and Guatemala, and was especially glad to return to Guatemala many years after she had
been a Peace Corps volunteer there (and where she met her husband Duane). Sylvia always
had a smile on her face during those trips, and was the first to volunteer to continue on,
whether it was through ankle-deep mud on the way to Cancuen or into the more
challenging part of the Candelaria Caves! She had registered for the 2023 trip to lesser-
known sites in the region; the group of MSM travelers will sincerely miss her.
Sylvia had other sides of her life as well. She was trilingual (German, English and Spanish),
worked on St. Paul’s West Side as a social worker with Spanish speakers, and served as an
interpreter for the Mano a Mano teacher trip to Bolivia. At home, she loved biking, hiking
and identifying the flora and fauna, by Latin name, along the way. She was a long-time
choir member at Unity Church in Minneapolis and participated in a number of choir bike
trips to Lanesboro, Minnesota. She enjoyed simulcast operas in the theater and
participated in activities at the German American Institute. She leaves a big hole in our
hearts.
A memorial service at Unity Church will be held at a later date.
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