Sylvia Matthews Pearce

Our beloved, Sylvia Lee Pearce, went to be with the Lord on 01/10/2024 surrounded by her family in Lakeland, FL. She was 86 years old.

Sylvia was born in Raleigh, NC on January 20, 1937 to Mary Adaphne Matthews (Mary) and William Paul Matthews (Bill); she was the oldest of the four children. Sylvia spent most of her childhood in Kinston and Raleigh, NC with a brief period of time spent in Mobile, AL where her father worked for the Lance Corporation. She graduated from Kinston High School in Kinston, NC in 1955 and then continued her education at East Carolina in Greenville, NC where she graduated with a B.S degree in Primary Education in 1959. She taught the youngest of school-aged children for four years before marrying the love of her life, Robert Jackson Pearce Jr (Rob) from Greensboro, NC in 1963. They lived in several eastern states while Rob worked in the transportation industry before settling in Lakeland, FL in 1976. While in Lakeland, Sylvia was a homemaker to her two daughters until opening Robyn Lynne, a ladies clothing store, in 1978 in the Grove Park Shopping Center. Other than her husband, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, Robyn Lynne was her greatest accomplishment. She cherished owning Robyn Lynne for 30 years and continued to work on the sales floor in her seventies for an additional 10 years dressing the women of Lakeland until its’ closure in 2018.

Sylvia was preceded in death by: her parents (Mary and Bill) Raleigh, NC, her sister (Mary) Lakeland, FL and her brother (Billy) Lakeland, FL.

Sylvia is survived by: her husband Robert Jackson Pearce Jr, Lakeland, FL; her daughters Robyn Pearce Flick (Andy) Port St Lucie, FL and Dena Lynne Pearce-Cox (Kyle) Bartow, FL; her 4 grandchildren Scott Edward Williams Jr (Scotty) of Bartow, FL, Michael Pearce Turner (Pearce) of Nashville FL, Morgan Lynne Stovall of Winter Haven, FL and Robert Walter Williams of Bartow, FL; 4 great grandchildren (Sophia, Carter, Annabel and Aurora); and her brother (Patrick) of Lakeland, FL.

Sylvia’s celebration of life service will be held on March 9th, 2024, at 10am at The First United Methodist Church at 72 Lake Morton Dr., Lakeland, FL. 33801.

Her ashes will be placed in the Columbarium Niche at the First United Methodist Church on Lake Morton Drive in Lakeland, FL for those who wish to visit her final resting place.

Rob, Robyn and Dena would like to thank Sylvia’s family, friends and coworkers who made her life feel “so lucky” as she stated over and over in her final days. You know who you are. She loved you with all her heart.