Julius Sylvester

Julius B. “Jules” Sylvester, age 82, of Wayne, passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, January 18, 2024.

The third of Gaetano and Stella (Dezenzo) Sylvester’s three children, Jules was born in Paterson and raised in the Riverside section at 273 East 23rd Street and later at 159 East 24th Street. He was a graduate of Eastside High School, Class of 1958, where he played saxophone in the orchestra and clarinet in the marching band. 

While most teenagers in the early 1950s were tuning in to the new rock ‘n’ roll craze, Jules’ interest in music was big band and jazz. Jules saved up his birthday money to buy a new saxophone for $300 at age 11!  He also saved his money to buy record albums at the Eclipse record store on Washington Street in Downtown Paterson.  His most treasured purchase was a Stan Kenton box set.  Kenton was a distinguished orchestra leader and a master on the piano.

Jules’ love of music flourished to the point of forming his own group—Julius Sylvester and his Crown Four. Jules led the group on saxophone. The pinnacle of their musical fame came when they landed a New Year’s Eve gig headlining at the Terrace Room on 5th Avenue in Paterson. It was a paid engagement with each band member receiving twelve dollars to play for the night! 

After graduating from high school, Jules ventured into the working world with jobs at Curtiss-Wright Corporation in Wood-Ridge, Trio Dyeing and Finishing in Paterson, and Thermo Electric in Saddle Brook. He eventually settled into a forty-year career in the parts department at Brogan Cadillac-Oldsmobile in Paterson and later in Totowa.  He participated on Brogan’s softball team and in their bowling league.  Eventually, he rose to the position of Assistant Parts Manager. 

Jules met his beloved wife Marie (LePera) Sylvester at Bernie’s Candy Store on the corner of 8th Avenue and East 22nd Street in Paterson. Jules frequented the place where he played a pretty slick game on the store’s pinball machine. Attracted by his good looks, pinball skills, and his cute 1954 black Ford Sunliner convertible, Marie subtly put out the word that she was interested in Jules. Both being car lovers, their first date was at the historic Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson where they saw Jack Kochman’s Hell Drivers. At a dollar per person admission price, it was a pretty cheap date by today’s standards. That date led to numerous others and, ultimately, marriage. Of course, Jules did the honorable thing and asked Marie’s father for permission to marry his daughter. With her parents’ blessing, they married on Sunday, May 9, 1965, at Blessed Sacrament Church on 6th Avenue in Paterson. After a reception at Nestor’s in Singac, the newlyweds honeymooned in Puerto Rico and St. Thomas, V.I. Jules and Marie then moved into a second-floor rental at 153 East 17th Street in Paterson. In 1970, they purchased their first home at 124 Willard Avenue in Totowa. In 1996, they moved one more time, to their present home in Wayne. 

Jules enlisted in the Army National Guard in 1963. He proudly served for six years and was present to help restore peace during the 1967 riots in Newark. Upon his honorable discharge in 1969, he was a Staff Sergeant with decorations and citations as a tank weapons expert, tank sub-cal sharpshooter, pistol marksman, and a rifle expert.

Having worked for Brogan all those years, it goes without saying that Jules appreciated Cadillacs. His first was a 1978 Coupe DeVille and the second was a 1987 Coupe DeVille with wire wheels and a rag top that his wife claims cost more than their first home! Jules’ favorite, though, was the 1966 white Buick Riviera that he and Marie still own to this day.   

Jules truly had a green thumb and was a consummate tinkerer. He had a beautiful vegetable garden which produced the makings for delicious meals (especially those Jersey tomatoes), and he was also a house plant aficionado. His Christmas cactus bloomed beautifully this year, right on time, and his angel trumpets were glorious. Jules was known for his plant propagation and ability to start many plants from just a shoot or a leaf—his family, friends, and even his doctor have plants grown from Jules’ plant cuttings. Jules was also very handy and could always find something in the house to fix. Always willing to help others, he gladly fixed things in his neighbors’ houses and on their cars, too. 

Jules and Marie enjoyed a precious marriage that spanned nearly 59 years. During those years they traveled quite a bit. In addition to their honeymoon trip, they had the privilege of taking vacations to Florida, including Disney World, California, Hawaii, Las Vegas, and abroad to Italy and France, where they had dinner in the Eiffel Tower and visited Normandy where Marie’s uncle was among the first troops to land on Omaha Beach. Closer to home, they spent many vacations at the Jersey Shore, eventually buying a shore house in Toms River that they’ve owned since 1992. Jules loved to go boating on his thirty-three-foot Wellcraft and found as much enjoyment cleaning it as he did using it.

Above all else, Jules’ greatest love was for his family. He was so proud of his sons, and enjoyed every moment of cheering for his grandsons at all of their baseball, basketball, soccer, and bowling events. 

Jules was a warm and charming man. He was good to his family, friends, and anyone he met. He was hard-working and persistent when faced with a challenging situation. He was a good husband, a fine father, and a loving and supportive grandfather. He will be missed by all who knew him, both young and old alike. 

Jules was the beloved husband of Marie; loving father of Tom Sylvester of Parsippany (former wife Susan Sylvester of Towaco) and Kevin Sylvester (husband Jim McDonnell) of Washington, D.C.; cherished grandfather of Stephen, Zachary, and Ryan Sylvester; dear brother of the late Mario Sylvester (2023) and the late Rudolph Sylvester (2020); and dear uncle of nine nieces and nephews.  

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Jules’ memory can be made to: Tunnel to Towers Foundation (www.T2T.org), or another charity of your choosing.