Keith Lyle Sylvester

October 24, 1921 - July 1, 2014

Keith Lyle Sylvester, 92, passed from this life on July 1, 2014 at Floyd County Memorial Hospital due to complications after falling at home in early June. On October 24, 1921 Keith was born in Charles City to August and Alta Sylvester. After graduating from CCHS in 1939 he went to work for locally owned Siefkes & Anderson Furniture where he learned to install linoleum, tile and carpeting. He went to Los Angles in 1941 to attend technical school for aviation mechanics. He received a Master Aircraft Mechanics certificate in 1942 and worked as a mechanic in Cheyenne, Wyoming. In the fall of 1942 he returned to Charles City to enlist in the Navy. He served aboard the destroyer USS Sampson patrolling the South Pacific and the Atlantic until his discharge in 1945. Keith married Marietta Bradley from Greene on October 15, 1945 in Philadelphia, PA. They returned to Charles City where Keith went back to work at Siefkes & Anderson Furniture mastering his skills installing floors & tile until he and Marietta opened Sylvester Interiors in 1951 at 89 S. Main Street. Their floor covering and drapery business expanded to include furniture in 1961. When the downtown location was badly damaged by the 1968 tornado, they rebuilt at 101 9th Street. From 1977 to 1982 Keith operated a second store in Waverly. Keith and Marietta retired in 1986 after selling Sylvester’s Furniture & Floors to Dennis Haahr. Keith gave back much to his community. He was involved with Kiwanis, served as president of the Charles City Chamber of Commerce, was an active member of the Chamber’s Ambassadors and served on the city council. He was an active life-long member of St. John Lutheran Church where he served on the church council and many committees over the years as well as being a scout master. Keith grew up fishing and hunting and later learned golf. In addition to his floor and tile installing skills he was a talented carpenter and remodeled several older homes in Charles City. He is preceded in death by his parents, August Carl Sylvester and Alta Thompson Sylvester, and brother Robert Carl Sylvester. He is survived by his wife Marietta, daughters Dawn Sylvester (Charles Nardin) of Mesa, AZ, Joy (Daniel) O’Bresky of Minneapolis and Linda Olson of Minneapolis, grandsons Eric (Gail) Newton and Thomas (April) Newton and great-grandson Weston Newton. Keith’s funeral service will be held 11:00 am, Tuesday July 15, 2014 at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church with visitation 1 hour prior to service and a luncheon following in the church fellowship hall. Officiating will be The Rev. James Carpenter. Inurnment services will occur at a later time. Those planning an expression of sympathy may wish to consider memorials to the Keith Sylvester memorial fund. Fullerton Hage Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 401 Blunt, Charles City, Iowa 50616 641-228-4211, www.Fullertonfh.com.