Remembering Sylvia Sandeman

Sylvia Sandeman died peacefully at 6:31pm on Thursday 29th May 2025 in the Cabrini Hospital, the same place she had spent 34 years working as a Radiographer until her retirement. Although she had enjoyed robust good health for most of her life, her last three months were spent almost entirely in hospital with multiple medical conditions all complicating each other. Her brothers, John and Peter, took turns flying into Melbourne to keep vigil at her bedside, and both were with her when she died.

Sylvia had a long and active, simultaneous involvement in two churches, the Rosanna Baptist Church and the South Yarra Community Baptist Church, and the three services to mark her passing and honour her life will involve the pastors and congregations of both, as well as family and friends from elsewhere. Details are below.

An Online Prayer Vigil

7:30pm on Tuesday, 3rd June
This preliminary gathering to prayerfully express our grief and share thoughts and memories of Sylvia was held in the South Yarra Community Baptist Cyber Chapel. Click on the image to open a video recording of the liturgy.

An Online Funeral Eucharist

7:30pm on Thursday, 5th June
A Christian liturgy celebrating Christ’s resurrection victory over death. Although this service of worship responds to the death of Sylvia, it does not include eulogies or stories of her life, and therefore is best experienced with the other two rather than instead of them. It was held in the South Yarra Community Baptist Cyber Chapel. Click on the image to open a video recording of the liturgy.

A Thanksgiving Service Celebrating Sylvia’s Life

11:00am on Thursday, 12th June
This is the main public gathering to remember and celebrate Sylvia’s life, and it is what most people expect of a funeral nowadays. It was held, physically gathered, at the Rosanna Baptist Church.

For those unable to physically attend, this service was live-streamed, and the recording is available at https://www.vividstream.com.au/live/sylvia-sandeman