BOOTHE, Sylvia M. (DeHart)

Sylvia Marlene DeHart was born on March 24, 1936, to Mildred and Clyde DeHart in Chickasha, Oklahoma. Sylvia grew up attending First Baptist Church, Chickasha. She loved music, especially piano and voice, from a very early age. During her high school days, Sylvia sang in a popular trio called The Mellowtones. They frequently performed at local events, including brush arbor revivals with several young preachers. Sylvia and Dwain were childhood acquaintances. They started dating when Sylvia was a junior in high school and Dwain was a senior. Sylvia attended her freshman year of college at Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, and returned to Chickasha to continue her music studies at Oklahoma College for Women. Sylvia became Mrs. Dwain Holt Boothe on August 10, 1956, at First Baptist Church in Chickasha. They lived in Norman until Dwain graduated from the OU School of Pharmacy in May of 1957, then, moved to San Antonio, Texas, for Dwain's service in the Army Medical Corps at Ft. Sam Houston. Later that year, Sylvia and Dwain were blessed with a set of twins, Stephanie Dawn and Stephan Dwain. Following Dwain's Army tenure, they moved back to Chickasha where Dwain joined his father's pharmacy business, The Rexall Drug Store. Several years later, Sylvia and Dwain had another child, Jeffery Alan. Sylvia and Dwain were called to the mission field in 1965 and moved to Ft. Worth, Texas, to attend Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and to study church music. They were appointed as missionaries by the Foreign Mission Board in Richmond, Virginia, in December of 1968, and sailed to Thailand aboard the S.S. President Wilson in January of 1969. They served in Thailand until the summer of 1972. Sylvia and Dwain returned to Chickasha and served at First Baptist Church in Chickasha in the music and student ministries. During that time, Sylvia completed her higher education studies. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Performance from Oklahoma College of Liberal Arts, Chickasha, in August of 1974, and achieved her Master of Arts Degree in Vocal Performance from Texas Women's University in Denton, Texas, in August of 1975. They were appointed by the Foreign Mission Board in August of 1976 to serve in France as missionaries of music, also serving in the pastorate at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Paris, returning to reside in Oklahoma City in 1983. Sylvia was employed as director of the first Crisis Pregnancy Center established by Oklahoma Baptists in Oklahoma City in 1986, under the leadership of Dr. Anthony Jordan and Dr. Alan Day. During that time, they attended Northwest Baptist Church. In 1988, The Home Mission Board in Atlanta employed Sylvia to help churches develop ministries to women with crisis pregnancies across the country. She and Dwain resided in Fayetteville, Georgia, where Dwain served as minister to Senior Adults at New Hope Baptist Church. Sylvia and Dwain moved to Edmond and entered retirement in 2000. They attended Henderson Hills Baptist Church for a time, during which Sylvia participated in Freedom Ministries, Women's Ministries and Vacation Bible School. In recent years, they have been faithful members of Quail Springs Baptist Church enjoying a broad range of ministries, but most dear to their hearts is the music ministry. Sylvia and Dwain enjoyed sitting next to each other in the worship choir and in the Silvertones Senior Adult Choir. Sylvia has fought a long battle with her health since entering the hospital for surgery on November 15th. She entered her new Home in Heaven on February 8, 2012. Sylvia is survived by her husband of 56 years, Dwain Holt Boothe; daughter, Stephanie Dawn Boothe Miller and husband, Les Starland Robinson Miller; son, Stephan Dwain Boothe; and son, Jeffery Alan Boothe and wife, Sandra Harmon Boothe. She is also survived by six grandchildren: Aaron Christopher Robinson Miller and wife, Kelli; Timothy Ryan Robinson Miller and wife, Natalie; Anna Elizabeth Boothe Kelough and husband, Kolt; Amanda Kathleen Boothe; Haleigh Elise Robinson Miller; Micheal Tennyson Harmon Boothe and Seraphina Epiphany Boothe. She is also survived by three great grandchildren: Liam Holt Robinson Miller, Serenity Rhiannon Kelough and Lilah Christine Blevins. She is also survived by brother, Clyde Martin DeHart, Jr. and wife Kaye; brother, James Blake DeHart and wife, Sue Nelle; sisters, Nellie Elizabeth DeHart Miller and husband, Bill; Betty DeHart Stamps and husband, Neil; and numerous beloved extended family members. A memorial service for Sylvia will be held at 2:00 p.m., on Saturday, February 11, 2012, at Quail Springs Baptist Church, 14613 N. May Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73134. Funeral services provided by Sevier Funeral Home, Chickasha, OK.