On behalf of all the members of the Friends of Oak Bluffs we are sorry for the passing of Priscilla Sylvia, and more importantly, we will miss her many contributions.

She devoted her life to public service: 35 years as an elementary teacher at the Oak Bluffs School, many years as a member of the Oak Bluffs school committee after her retirement, 50 years as treasurer of the Friends of Oak Bluffs and decades as a commissioner for the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank.

In addition to being the treasurer of the Friends of Oak Bluffs, she oversaw the creation of all benches in the parks and on public land in Oak Bluffs — from receiving the order for a bench, ordering the commemorative plaque to go on the bench, working with the Oak Bluffs highway department obtaining the materials to create the bench, putting the bench together and with the highway and park departments, placing the bench.

When you see the benches around town please think of her and be thankful for all of her public service.

Duncan Ross

Oak Bluffs

The writer is president of the Friends of Oak Bluffs.