Obituary of Sylvia Eilene Hand

Sylvia E. Hand, 77, a resident of Lake Havasu for 16 years, passed on July 30th at Havasu Regional Medical Center. A memorial service will be held at 10:00am on Saturday, August 10th at Community Presbyterian Church. No flowers please. She is survived by her husband of 33 years, Ocie Hand, of Lake Havasu; daughter, Susan K. Smith, of Lakeview, OR; two grandsons, Benjamin and Gabriel; sister, Valerie Angstrom of Aurora, IL; and three nieces, Lizbeth, Vivian and Leandra and their families. Sylvia described her life as "eclectic". Born to Ford and Sylvia Witt on September 25, 1935 in Detroit, she grew up in Chicago, graduating from Lindblom HS in 1953. She became a professional dancer at age 16, joining the Shrine Circus where she met her first husband, Walter Long, who was an aerialist. They married in Tacoma, WA when she was 19. She then became a trapeze performer, doing Spec, Web and Swinging Perch as well. Sylvia danced with Ringling Bros. Circus while awaiting the birth of her only child in 1957, and returned to being an aerialist with the Flying Wards for several years. In the early 60's she worked as a television extra on the Ozzie & Harriet Show. When her daughter started school, Sylvia retired from show business, to be a full time mom. During these years she became a successful free-lance writer who was published in several national magazines, and wrote two children's books. Widowed at age 37, Sylvia began a secretarial career for companies in Burbank and Pasadena. She met Ocie at a square dance class and they married at Ports O'Call in San Pedro, CA in 1979. In her travels, Sylvia visited all 50 states, lived in Germany, toured several European countries, and enjoyed cruises to other exotic places. Her hobbies included reading, writing, cooking, needlecraft and she was a jigsaw puzzle fanatic. Thoughts and condolences can be sent to Sylvia's family at www.lietz-frazefuneralhome.com Arrangements were placed under the care of Lietz-Fraze Funeral Home & Crematory.