Sylvia Jensen (nee Salerno), 101, a beloved friend to many in the North Royalton community, passed away May 13, at the age of 101.
Sylvia had been a part of the North Royalton beauty pageant since the year North Royalton celebrated its sesquicentennial in 1968. In addition to running the North Royalton pageant for 50 years, she also served as executive director of the Miss Greater Cleveland and Miss Cuyahoga County pageants. Throughout those years, Sylvia put her heart and soul into coaching beauty pageant contestants. She was their mentor, their teacher and their friend.
Sylvia was an accomplished opera singer and performed with the American Opera Company in Chicago. She also ran her own vocal studio in North Royalton for many years. She received her training in vocals and theater art at The University of Akron and also studied at the Chicago College of Music.
In 1943 Sylvia married Harvey Jensen. He was a pilot and flew B-29 missions in World War II. They married on Christmas Eve, and raised two sons and a daughter. Her beloved husband of 73 years passed away in November 2016.
In 2008 Sylvia was honored by being inducted into the Miss Ohio Scholarship Program Hall of Fame. During the 2014 North Royalton Community Festival Pageant, she was presented with flowers and gifts from her adoring fans. Past pageant winners recalled how Sylvia had helped them through the pageant process. They thanked her for helping them gain self confidence and reach for the stars to attain their goals in life.
Thank you, Sylvia, for your many years of love, devotion and dedication to our city and the North Royalton pageant. You were a wonderful example of what we all aspire to be.
Sylvia was the loving mother of Ronald Lee Jensen, Jamie Louis (Gayla) Jensen and Jolene Gail (Scott) McPherson; dearest grandmother of Andrea Michelle (Steve) Reinhardt, Shawna Christine (Ryan) Hicks, Jordan Christian Jensen and Dane Alexander Jensen; adoring great-grandmother of four; devoted sister of Sara Salerno and the late Helen and Nick Gallucci, Armano and Bonnie Salerno, Aluara and Aloyse Danski and Delia and Floyd Smith. Funeral services were held at St. Basil The Great Church.

By MARIA MAGNELLI
Recorder Editor