Sylvia Lee McCabe of Walled Lake transitioned into eternal life peacefully at home in the morning hours of Sunday, October 9, 2022.  She was 85.

Born in Detroit, Michigan on October 15, 1936, daughter of Carl and Helen Zimmerman.

Beloved mother of Melissa (Edward), Jim, Brian (Rebecca), Nancy, and dear fur-baby cat Pepper.  Loving grandma of Holly, Evan and Austin, loving great grandma of Tyler.

Dear sister of Gloria Jones, Sonja Marr, the late Frank (Carl) Zimmerman, dear aunt to Claudia, Frank, Laura, Courtney, the late Linda and the late Dean.

Sylvia had many long-standing passions over her 85 years.  She was a devoted champion & lover of animals and her most closely held charities were related to the preservation and protection of animals.  Most of her adult and married life she was an adept homemaker keeping a tidy house, she did laundry and cooked meals every day for a six-person family.  Today we marvel at the effort.  Sylvia kept her children on strict schedules with firmly set rules – bed time was 830 p.m. for the younger and the elder were allowed 9:00 p.m.  Friday night was “treat night” for Sylvia’s children.  Sylvia instilled in her children an indelible sense of right & wrong so even when creating mischief, we surely were aware.  Sylvia enjoyed working puzzles, word games, crosswords and reading.  She read the Bible beginning-to-end at least three times.  When younger, Sylvia enjoyed dance and her old ballet shoes could still be found in a closet somewhere.  She was a character actor and tour guide at Greenfield Village.  Here she caught the eye of a young strapping professional football player - a halfback for the Los Angeles Rams who was killing time while in town to play the Detroit Lions.  They dated and he sent nice gifts all the way from California in a failed attempt to win her affection.  Sylvia was quite the catch.  She attended college for 3.5 years yet did not graduate choosing at the last moment to follow a different life path.  Later in life when her homemaker role began to wane and necessity came calling, Sylvia summoned the courage to join the workforce.  She became a cashier at Revco, a nearby drugstore.  We all were so very proud of her as she stood behind the counter in her smock ringing up customers.  Although the cash machine was far from a core competency, interacting with customers and people came naturally to Sylvia.  She could talk with anyone and enjoyed it.  Over time, she became proficient in her role and worked a great many years at K-Mart and Wal-Mart until her retirement.  Later in life she was given a “futuristic” iPad which she surprisingly learned to use very well and thoroughly enjoyed.  It opened a whole new world.  So much more could be told of Sylvia’s 85-year story. 

Single words evoke such powerful memories for all that knew her; iPad, Bible, Coffee, Half & Half, Chole, Mustang, Bathrobe, Lurking, Suzy, Revco, Ford Tempo, Wal-Mart, Country Squire, Hair Curlers, Cancer, Slippers, Murphy’s Oil Soap, Crossword puzzles, Gas Station Donuts, Dunkin Donuts, Any Donuts, Parliament, Montclair, Monarch, Cigarettes, Playing Cards, Fishy-Pool, Receipts, Jontue, Slim Jim, Big Boy,

She will be missed immensely here on earth.  Yet we know she is glad to be called home to Heaven to live forever in happiness and rejoice with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Services will be held Friday, October 14, 2022, at Thayer-Rock Funeral Home Downtown Farmington.  Visitation will be from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.  A commemorative service will begin at noon followed by a vehicle procession to Glen Eden Cemetery for interment. 

In lieu of flowers please consider a memorial donation to Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit

Please click here for the funeral service live stream that will begin at 11:55AM