Sylvia (Huot) Wyatt

Sylvia Huot Wyatt, age 90, passed away peacefully on Monday, July 6, 2020, at Pittsburgh’s Allegheny General Hospital due to complications from Lyme Disease. Sylvia was born on November 22, 1929, in Monterey Park, California, to Joseph and Jennie (Pearson) Huot. She was 2 when her Pittsburgh-native parents returned to their roots and settled in the Borough of Thornburg. She was a student at Thornburg School from kindergarten through the eighth grade, then attended Crafton High School and Moravian Seminary for Young Ladies in Bethlehem, Pa. Sylvia, who became a model and actress, was named first runner-up in the 1952 Miss Pittsburgh Pageant to Shirley Jones, who went on to a legendary show business career.The picture of the gracious runner-up giving a kiss to Miss Jones is easily found on social media. (Google: Miss Pittsburgh 1952) Later, Sylvia studied acting in New York City under Werner Klemperer, best known for his portrayal of Colonel Klink in Hogan’s Heroes. However, she readily surrendered her career aspirations upon meeting the man she would marry, Gerald Wyatt, on a blind date.They were married in Pittsburgh on July 11,1953. After residing for two years in his native Texas, they moved back to Thornburg for the rest of their lives. Sylvia and Gerald, who passed away in 2005, had three children: Martha Springstead (David) of Virginia Beach, Joseph (Amy) of Amarillo, and Zachary (Tammy) of Pittsburgh. All three took turns as stagehands, pulling the curtain or operating the spotlight on the many occasions when Sylvia directed productions for the Thornburg Village Players – and she directed many. Some community favorites were “The Odd Couple,” “My Fair Lady,” and “12 Angry Men.” Sylvia was active in her community beyond Thornburg. She served as president of the Crafton Meals on Wheels program for most of the 1990s and beyond. In recent years she spent Tuesday mornings with a group of friends who gathered at a local church to knit innumerable garments for charity.
She loved watching golf on television, and rarely missed a Pirates game. In fact, she was seated behind home plate at Forbes Field during the seventh game of the 1960 World Series. She believed in keeping physically active and attributed her longevity, in part, to her membership at Wright’s Gym in the Crafton-Ingram Shopping Center, where she made many friends among the body-building regulars and worked out semi-regularly even into 2020. Her dear friend Rick Buker always made sure she got safely to and from her car.Sylvia’s gratitude for the friendship and support she received from so many loving neighbors too numerous to list knew no bounds; she loved them back even more. She was a woman of deep faith in her Savior, Jesus Christ. Her final words to her doctors and family were, "Bless You All."  In addition to her parents, Joe and Jennie Huot, and husband, Gerald, Sylvia was preceded in death by her sister, Willa Huot Keiner of Columbus, Ohio. Along with her three children, Sylvia is survived by six grandchildren - Robert, David Jr., Jane (Trahan) and Paul Springstead, and Brian and Jennifer Wyatt, three great-grandchildren - Blane Case, David Springstead III, and Sawyer Wyatt. She was also loved by her three step grandchildren - Lacey Zimage, and Cara and Tierney Flodine, and two step great-grandchildren - Miles and Lila Zimage. Sylvia has donated her body to the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine as her husband did before her. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to Meals on Wheels.

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