Dr. Harold James "Jim" Sylwester

CARBONDALE - Dr. Harold James "Jim" Sylwester, 90, passed away on Monday, August 25, 2025 at Manor Court of Carbondale surrounded by his loving family.

Jim was born on September 23, 1934 to Walter and Paula (Georg) Sylwester in Roseburg, OR. He married Kathleen Ruth Schwartzkopf on July 25, 1965 in Larned, KS. He later married Gretchen Poe on December 5, 2009 in Lawrence, KS. Jim is survived by his sons Kevin (Shanda) Sylwester of Herrin, IL and Brad Sylwester (Christine) of Chesterfield, MO; grandchildren, Liam and Laurel Sylwester, and step granddaughters Addie and Alex Parks.

He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Kathleen, wife Gretchen, and grandson Aiden.

Jim grew up in Roseburg and Portland, OR surrounded by eight brothers before the arrival of two sisters. Like his siblings growing up, he delivered papers and picked beans to contribute to the family's income. He attended Concordia College in Portland, earning an Associates Degree in 1954 before going to Concordia Teachers College in Seward, NE, receiving a BS in Education in 1956. After teaching grade school in Nebraska, he entered the University of Oregon and earned a Masters in Education in 1960. He became a Jayhawk at the University of Kansas, receiving his PhD in History in 1970. He joined Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg, MO in 1969 where he taught history and trained future high school social studies teachers. After retiring in 1999, he and Kathy moved to Lawrence, KS where they had met 35 years previously. Jim moved to Carbondale, IL in 2017 to be closer to family. He was an active church member throughout his life, taking on leadership roles at Bethlehem Lutheran in Warrensburg, Immanuel Lutheran in Lawrence, and Epiphany Lutheran in Carbondale. Jim loved to read, especially U.S. history after World War II. He faithfully tended to his garden and lawn. Enjoying travel, he made several trips to Europe, Asia, Africa, and lastly to Central America in 2024 at the age of 89.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, September 20, 2025 at Epiphany Lutheran Church with Pastor Brian Coffey officiating. Visitation will be from 9:30 am until the time of service. For those who cannot attend, the service will also be live streamed at https://client.tribucast.com/tcid/a25081573755123. 

Donations in Jim's honor can be made to Lead a Child at leadachild.org/support/ways-to-give/ or to Lutheran Social Services of Illinois at LSSI.org/giving. Please designate any LSSI gift for the Southern Illinois region.

Meredith Funeral Home in Carbondale is assisting the family with arrangements. To leave a story or memory of Jim, visit www.meredithfh.com