Sylva Flora

Sylva Joy Flora, 88, passed away unexpectedly at home in Bluewater Bay in Niceville, FL on December 30, 2025. She was born in Elizavilla, Kentucky on November 3, 1937, to Harry and Mae Owens. Harry was a minister, so the family moved a few times. Sylva was in elementary school when they settled in San Antonio, Texas and they lived there until she finished 11th grade. While in San Antonio, she learned to sing, play the piano and organ for her church.

In 1954, Sylva and her mother moved back to Kentucky where she graduated from Carlisle High School in 1955. After one semester of college, she went to business school and became a legal secretary in a law firm in Lexington, Kentucky.

In 1956, Sylva met Gary Flora (who, along with his dad and brother, had graduated from Carlisle High) while he was on home leave from the U.S. Naval Academy. They got engaged in June 1957 and married in June 1958, two weeks after he graduated as a 2nd LT in the USAF. Sylva didn’t know much about military life but adapted quickly; well enough for them to have a wonderful Air Force military/civilian career lasting 40 years.

During all those years, she found lots of opportunities to sing and play church music. The first one was very soon after they married, when they were at Lowry AFB, Colorado (1959-1963). She played the organ at two chapel services while also working as a legal secretary in downtown Denver. The second was at Gunter AFB, Alabama in 1963. Other opportunities were singing in the Community Center Chapel choir at the Air Force Academy 1967-1971, directing the choir at Maxwell AFB, Hawaii, and serving as director of music at a church in Honolulu (1972-1977). While in Hawaii, she worked to improve her skills by taking private organ and singing lessons and obtaining a BA in Music at the University of Hawaii.

Back on the mainland in 1977, living in Annandale, Virginia, Sylva found a church job in McLean playing the organ until she moved to Redlands, California in 1980. She immediately went to work as church organist and choir director for the next five years. Another move, this time to Vienna, Virginia, she found a position as director of music with several choirs of all ages and she really loved it. But, after 40 years of federal service (the last 10 of that at the Pentagon) and 13 moves, Gary said that was enough: it was time to head South. Sylva balked for a time but finally gave in. That decision turned out to be perfect.

They moved to Bluewater Bay in Niceville, Florida in 1995 and, except for hurricanes, it was paradise. While they built their house, Sylva took some time off. It wasn’t for long. She was the director of music at a church in Destin for five years and directed the choir at Hurlburt AFB for two years.

And then, a miracle: a chaplain representing Air Force Enlisted Village asked Sylva and Mary Jo Horner to form a choir and alternate Sundays playing the piano to accompany them. They were a great team, but after a few years Mary Jo was asked to serve elsewhere and Sylva stayed as the director of music.

So, for 20 years the AFEV Chapel was a second home for Sylva. She loved the congregation and the choir. As a musician, she considered it the most rewarding position in her life. Her team work with Pastor Bethel Bateson the last 10 years were truly special.

Sylva’s life wasn’t one dimensional. She liked historical novels, conversation, and traveling. The Floras were in all 50 states, Canada, Mexico, several European countries, Thailand, Taiwan, Australia, Israel, saw the Great Wall in China, and the Pyramids in Egypt.

Sylva had a life well lived as a Church Musician. She is survived by her husband Gary, cousins Rita Green (Dwaine) and Jack Dayton, sister-in-law Dottle Flora, three nephews, and two nieces.

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