Ellsworth A. Sylvaria, Jr.
1966 - 2020
On Tuesday, March 3, 2020, Ellsworth A. Sylvaria, Jr., 53 years of age, passed away unexpectedly at St. Luke’s Hospital, New Bedford. Ellie is survived by his wife of more than 25 years, Debra (Audette) Sylvaria and their son, Alex Sylvaria. He was a dedicated husband and loving father.
Born in New Bedford on May 6th, he was the son of, and is survived by, Ellsworth and Violet (West) Sylvaria and his in-laws, Paul and Elizabeth Audette. He is also survived by his brothers, Dean Sylvaria and his wife Michelle, Keith Sylvaria and his girlfriend Casey, and Toby Sylvaria. Ellie leaves behind many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews who will miss him dearly.
After graduating from Fairhaven High School with the class of 1984, Ellie went on to work at K-Mart in Fairhaven for more than 27 years. Following his time at K-Mart, Ellie finished his career at Mattress Firm.
Ellie was a devoted father to his son Alex with whom he shared a close connection through Boy Scouts. As the Assistant Scoutmaster, he helped his son earn his Eagle Scout badge following a community service project that they completed together. Ellie was always extremely proud of Alex and they enjoyed many adventures together at various scouting events.
Having served for a number of years in the Fairhaven Village Militia, Ellie eventually earned the title of Commander. He also served as a cannoneer, one of his favorite pastimes. He was passionate about sharing his love for local history and his hometown during events and encampments at Fort Phoenix where he entertained crowds of spectators with his knowledge and expertise.
In addition to his passion for local history, Ellie enjoyed researching his family’s lineage back to England, including their relation to John Cook who came over on the Mayflower. He even managed to locate the infamous West family bible at its current home in England after it had been taken from Fairhaven during the raid of 1778.
Although he rarely ever had a shirt or shoes on, Ellie was the kind of person that would give you the shirt off his back. He was kind, generous and faithful to his many friends and family. He was known for his quick wit and boisterous sense of humor. In his last act of generosity, Ellie made the decision to donate his organs so that others may benefit.
His family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Fairhaven Village Militia: Fairhaven Village Militia c/o Wayne Oliveira, 125 Bridge Street Fairhaven, MA 02719. Arrangements are with the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Mattapoisett. For online guestbook, visitwww.saundersdwyer.com.