Sylvia G. (Josey) Bolden, wife of Edward S. Bolden, mother to Teresa A. Bolden-Shepard and Anita E. Bolden, grandmother to the late Brandon S. Galloway-Bolden and Nylah A. Bolden.
Sylvia Genevieve (Josey) Bolden was born in Boston, MA on October 16, 1922, she was the sixth of eleven children to Mary (Chesley) and William Josey.
When she was 2 years old, the family moved to West Medford, MA where she lived the rest of her life. Sylvia matriculated through the Medford public school system and graduated in 1942 from Medford High School. Upon graduation, she spent a brief time in New York City, residing a the YMCA with the intent to pursue a nursing career. Though she did not become a nurse, she had a long career as a Key Punch Operator, known today as data entry work.
In the ‘50s, Sylvia became a member os the Zeta Amicae and worked at such places as the John Hancock building, Hanscom Air Force Base, Schraff’s Candy Company and Tufts University. While working at a meat packing company in the North End, she worked with Frank of the Frank’s Red Hot sauce family. She also met Tony Curtis while working there, he was in town filming “The Boston Strangler.”
In her free time, Sylvia collected many trophies as an avid bowler. She took piano lessons, crocheted and enjoyed going to concerts and plays. She saw Faye Adams on her first date with her future husband, Edward and saw Pearl Bailey and Cab Calloway in “Hello Dolly” when the show came to Boston.
Being so worldly allotted, Sylvia had the pleasure of meeting quite a few famous people, including Maya Angelou, Patti LaBelle and Terry McMillan. In the 1970’s while attending weekend classes at Brandies University with her daughters Sylvia with Rose Russell, wife of Celtics legend Bill Russell. She and Edward would attend parties at their home from time to time.
As an active member of the NAACP, Sylvia took her daughters to meet Civil Rights leader and Georgia State Rep. Julian Bond. Sylvia loved to travel, especially with her family. Some of the trips she took were to the World’s Fair in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 1967, West Africa in 1972 and many Caribbean islands. She also traveled to Hawaii and took yearly trips with her granddaughter to the Sight and Sound theater in Pennsylvania to see religious plays. In 2015, while on one of their trips to Pennsylvania, the group went on a cave tour and Sylvia at the age of 93 insisted on taking the in person tour instead of the virtual option, even though it required her to walk down 72 steps into the cave and then take those same 72 steps back up and she loved the whole thing.
Sylvia was an active member of the Shiloh Baptist Church where in the late 60’s she converted from Catholic to Baptist. She was a member of the church choir, served on both the Finance and Trustee ministries and was a Deaconess before being ordained as a Deacon.
Sylvia is survived by her husband, Edward S. Bolden, her daughters Teresa A. Bolden-Shepard and Anita E. Bolden, granddaughter, Nylah A. Bolden and her sister Mabel G. Jersey, as well as a host of nieces, nephews, family and friends. Sylvia was predeceased by her grandson Brandon S. Galloway-Bolden, her brothers William T. Josey Sr., Alphonsas G. Josey, Bernard C. Josey, Coleridge M. Josey, James S. Josey and her sisters, Charlotte L. Collins, Magdalene S. Josey, Mary E. Brown and Leona C. Fleming.
Arrangements were entrusted to the Beals-Geake-Magliozzi Funeral Home of Medford. For additional information, please visit, www.magliozzifuneralhome.com.