Sylvia L. Coleman

Sylvia L. Coleman, 68, of Monrovia, California, died January 1, 2011, at Methodist Hospital surrounded by her doting granddaughters. She was born January 21, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois, the only daughter of the late Herschel and Jerry McKnight. She was the second of three children. She married her childhood sweetheart, the late Johnnie L. Coleman, on March 20, 1960, in Chicago, Illinois. One child, Karen Coleman-Burton, was born to this union. The couple divorced in 1967 but remained good friends up until his death in 1997. She received her Bachelors in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire in 1977, relocated to California, and settled down in Monrovia, where she has since resided. She served as a member of the PTA and was an active parent volunteer while her granddaughters, whom she raised, advanced within the public school system. She was employed up until her death by Sheraton Pasadena Hotel for 28 years, a job she truly enjoyed. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Karen and Johnny Burton of Chicago, IL; granddaughters, Sylvia S. Coleman of Chicago, IL and Sherionne L. Coleman of Los Angeles, CA; great granddaughter, Khalaya L. Coleman; and a host of relatives and dear friends. Her two brothers, Herschel Jr. and Clarence, precede her in death. A visitation and viewing will be held at Douglass and Zook Chapel of Remembrance in Monrovia on Thursday, January 6, 2011, from 2:00-8:00 pm.