Sylvia M. Jackson

Sylvia Maria was born in Manhattan, NY, the daughter of Joseph and Anna (Bianchi) Berti of San Marino, Italy. She met her husband, E. William “Bill” Kiss, at Arnold Constable Department Store where they were employed during their high school years. They were married after Bill’s graduation from the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, NY. They were married for 31 years when Bill passed in 1983. She married Tracey Jackson of Wakefield, RI, in 1991. They were married for 13 years. She was the mother of two loving daughters, Laura Eliason of Sturbridge, MA, Pamela Lyons and her husband, Robert, of Charlestown, RI; three grandchildren: Valerie Eliason of Boston, MA, Jonathan Lyons of Narragansett, Elizabeth Lyons Shaw and her husband, Jesse Shaw of NY, NY. She is survived by two sisters and brothers-in-law: Lydia Tabone and her husband, Thomas, and Luciana Pietrafesa and her husband Michael. She also is survived by her nephews and nieces; Frank Tabone, Dorothea Norton, Joseph Tabone, and their spouses, all of Long Island, NY. Sylvia was a volunteer at the American School for the Deaf in West Hartford, while residing in Avon, CT, from 1960-84. After she moved to Rhode Island, she enjoyed working for many years at Food for Thought in Wakefield. Known as “Syl” to her friends, she considered her colleagues as extended family. Her passion was in genealogy, tracing her family tree and meeting many cousins and family members during her frequent trips to Italy with her husband, Tracey, late in her life. She pursued her dream of becoming a citizen of San Marino, Italy, and was given citizenship in 2010. Visiting hours are respectfully omitted. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, April 18 at 11:00 AM at the Church of St. Francis of Assisi, 114 High Street, Wakefield. A reception will immediately follow. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations made to the Salesian Missions at www.salesianmissions.org, Sylvia’s choice, will be appreciated by her family.