Ralph S. Sylvester Sr. 1943-2024

Ralph was born Feb. 3, 1943, in Youngstown, to Peter P. and Julia Halasz Sylvester. On Jan. 23, 1965, he married his high school sweetheart, Cheryl Giampietro Sylvester, also of Youngstown. Ralph attended Youngstown’s East High School, where he was a multiyear letterman in football, a sport he loved, and then carried on to play in college at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

After graduation, his football career ended as he was competing for a position with the Cleveland Browns, only to be injured while tackling NFL legend Jim Brown. This ended his dreams of playing professionally.

He then began his true professional passion — education — first as a teacher, principal and then administrator. He earned master’s degrees in physics and chemistry. Throughout his education career he worked for the Youngstown City Schools and Hubbard schools, finally retiring from Poland Local Schools, where he spent the vast majority of his career, all in Northeast Ohio.

He was beloved by his students, particularly his physics students, who once honored him by all showing up to class one day wearing “Educated by Ralph” T-shirts, complete with his caricature on it. He also coached multiple high school sports, including football, track and field, cross-country and wrestling. Ralph also became interested in the early 1980s with a then-new technology called “personal computers.” He ultimately founded Sylcom Systems, serving numerous personal, corporate and public entity clients for multiple decades.

He was a member of St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Canfield, and later St. James Episcopal Church in Boardman. He shared, with his mother, and sister Marianne, the gift of having a beautiful voice. He was a member of the choirs at both churches.

But more than anything, Ralph loved his family and friends. He was a loving, compassionate man to anyone in need, even those not close to him, as long as they had a need.

He will be greatly missed by family and friends.

He is survived by his dear and loving wife of 58 years, Cheryl Ann Giampietro Sylvester, from Youngstown and now Powell; sons, Brian, (Renee) of Ostrander and Ralph Jr. (Karen) of Dublin; grandchildren Anna, Michael, Madeleine, Avery, Elizabeth, Isabella, Caroline and Oliver; great-grandsons, Theo and Winston; and many cousins and other relatives.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Marianne Yeager; mother-in-law, Philomena Giampietro; father-in-law, Charles Giampietro; and many uncles, aunts and other relatives.

A service of remembrance and celebration of his life will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024, at St. Peter Episcopal Church, 45 W. Winter St., Delaware, OH 43015. The services will be livestreamed and can be viewed by visiting www.Facebook.com/StPetersDelawareOH.

The Snyder-Rodman Funeral Center is honored to assist the family. To share a fond memory of Ralph or to offer a condolence to his family, please visit www.snyderfuneralhomes.com.

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