Sylvia Songe

Born September 13, 1940, in Savannah GA, Sylvia Powers Songe was always a bright, playful, and loving person. Though she had an artist’s temperament that led her to worry over even the smallest of details, this sensitivity, tenderness, and caring made her so loved by the most innocent among us. Her loving presence around children brought smiles to their faces, and from her beloved pet ferrets to the family’s farm goat she would swing with on her childhood porch in Taylorsville, MS, animals were her dearest friends.

Gifted with a stunning operatic voice, Sylvia’s nickname from her daughter, Heather, was “Little Blue Bird.” She was offered a scholarship to Juilliard for vocal training after she earned her GED, but she, instead, decided to dedicate herself to a career in education. She attended Jones Junior College and earned her bachelor’s in elementary education from The University of Southern Mississippi then taught for 20 years in both Mississippi and Louisiana public schools. A dedicated Christian, Sylvia was also a member of the Masonic Order of the Eastern Star.

Sylvia was preceded in death by her husband of 40 years, Gerald Songe; daughter, Cindy Sellers; mother, Mildred Rae Duckworth Rowell; and granddaughter, Kelly Willis.

She is survived by her daughter, Heather Renee Sellers of Biloxi, MS; her brother, Don Powers of Biloxi, MS; her granddaughter, Angela Willis Ellsberry of Atlanta, GA; and a host of great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

Visitation will be held at Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home, Howard Avenue in Biloxi, on Friday, December 22, 2023 from 12:00 p.m. until 12:50 p.m. A graveside service will follow at 1:00 p.m. at Biloxi City Cemetery.  Her beauty, both inside and out, will be greatly missed.

Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of Sarah Sylvia Powers Songe.