Sylvia Benham

Sylvia Brubacher Benham, 79, of Ephrata, PA, went to be with her Lord, a promise that she trusted in, on Friday, April 12, 2019, at Hospice - Community Care in Mount Joy, PA. Sylvia's humor, courage and faith during her yearlong battle with cancer were inspirational to many. She met wonderful and supportive doctors, nurses and staff at Sechler Cancer Center in Lebanon. She was privileged to spend her remaining journey with the wonderful, caring, empathetic and understanding staff at Hospice in Mount Joy. Her family is grateful for all of the time, effort, care and concern that you show your patients every minute of every day. Sylvia was born in Ephrata on December 11, 1939, to the late Joseph G and Louisa Sperber Brubacher. She is survived by her son, Earl B. Ostrander, Jr., husband of Debi Schneider; siblings, Lucy B. Horst, Mark Brubacher, and Fianna B. Auker; four grandchildren, Earl , Benjamin, Alexandra and Mark Jr.; one great-granddaughter, Haidyn; three special nieces, Patricia Drumheller, Diane Hartranft, and Christine Heiler. She was preceded in death by a son, Mark J. Ostrander in 2016. Having lived in Cape May County, New Jersey, most of her life, she was employed as food service director for 28 years in Wildwood Public Schools and Lower Township Elementary Schools, and retired in 1998. Sylvia enjoyed spending time at the beach while she resided in South Jersey. Once she had "sand in her shoes", she always returned. She had a deep faith and was always actively involved in her church. She was a member of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Wildwood, NJ. She returned to live in Ephrata in 2009. Sylvia was a member of the Akron Church of the Brethren. She enjoyed participating in weekly Bible studies and quilting sessions. Sylvia was known for her sense of humor and zest for life. Her smile and hearty laugh will be greatly missed by her family and friends. A memorial service celebrating her life will be held on Saturday, April 20th at 11 a.m. at Akron Church of the Brethren, 613 Main St. Akron, PA. A time of gathering and sharing stories, will be held during a meal in the fellowship hall. In Lieu of flowers, memorial contributions will be distributed to the children's ministry and the church quilting program, with checks made payable to the Akron Church of the Brethren. 0