Sylvia Mae Haynes

My name is Sylvia Mae Haynes and I am finally about to let y’all know my MO! I was born December 5, 1960 in Cincinnati, Ohio to the incomparable Edna and Albert Haynes who preceded me in passing. My heart stopped under the comfort and warmth of my baby girl’s hand on February 18, 2021. My physical life ended there but it was only the beginning of my legacy! Come and take this journey with me.

I was the fourth born child out of seven children. There were five boys and two girls. Jimmy, Alfred and Kemuel “James” Haynes all preceded me in passing. Terry, Corene and Gerald Haynes are left to mourn my passing. I was the middle child and the first girl. I was born to the best parents on this planet! I completely adored my mother and father and they returned the same genuine love, adoration and affection towards me. I could do no wrong in their sight.

At the age of 9, I was baptized at New St. John’s Baptist Church in Cincinnati, OH. I just loved being at church. There is no better place to be than in the presence of the Lord. I excelled in choir. I started as a member of the beginner’s choir, was promoted to youth choir and then elevated to the adult choir. I had always been told that my voice sent chills through people every time they heard me sing. One of my favorites to sing was Precious Lord Take My Hand by Mahalia Jackson. Woooo, that song blessed me every single time. Music was therapy for me. It calmed me and serenaded me into a great place of tranquility and peace. I often listened to Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key to Life album. It was definitely, easily one of my favorites.

Back in the day, folks called me “Red”. I had this pretty reddish-bronze colored skin and sandy brown hair that would put you to shame! It was just beautiful. It flowed down my back like a waterfall. I know folks used to hate on me, but hey, I can’t worry about that at all. They didn’t know my MO!

I was a bit of a daredevil. You didn’t have to coax me into doing anything, I was always down for a thrill! Adventure was a blessing to me. I loved it! I always faced the world with a smile in my heart and on my face. It was the only way to be.

I attended Taft High School where I was an honor roll student, a majorette, a member of the track team and of course sang in the school choir. I loved dancing just as much as I enjoyed singing. It was something about the rhythm and the way the body married with it and moved. I loved to groove! So how do y’all think that went? Of course, I became popular. I was a social butterfly. Beautiful skin, pretty hair, always dressed to the nines and the cherry on top, the voice. People would hear me singing before they could see me. I loved fashion too. I was known for letting a pair of shades perch at the crown of my head and wearing matching hats with my outfits. When you look good, you feel good and I was always down to dress the part!

After high school, I became a manager at Kentucky Fried Chicken. I held this position for years to come. However, before becoming a manager or attending trade school I whooped some tail on the card table. I was notorious for my skills at the table. I mean, you have to call a spade a spade, right? Listen, because I wasn’t letting nobody beat me. I made so much money at that table, you wouldn’t believe it. People would come from out of town to try their luck against me, only to leave with their tails tucked between their legs. Ha!

Even with all of that, none of those titles, not manager, not skilled card player, not dancer, not singer, none of them mattered to me as much as the title of Mommy did. It was my highest honor to be called Mommy by the beings I birthed and brought to this planet. Shimika Haynes, Sheena (Willie) Ivory, Rashee Wardford and Emmanuel Haynes were my most prized possessions. Becoming a mother was definitely my greatest accomplishment in life. Any chance I got, I was letting the world know that my babies were the best. They were the best kids in all of the world. I tried to make sure each of them felt important to me. I wanted them to be sure to feel special, loved and cared for. I was the epitome of what it meant to be “mama bear”. Nothing made me prouder than being their mother. Each of them got a piece of me in them too. Shimika carries my beautiful singing voice and fashion style. Sheena carries my outgoing personality and athleticism. Rashee never meets a stranger and is adventurous just like his mama. Emmanuel carries my tenacious smile and love for sharing with others. You can’t tell me they aren’t the best children in the world, how could they not be? They came from good stock! I love my babies! As y’all can probably see, family was extremely important to me. My sister and I had babies on the same day. Sheena and John. What a blessing? My daughter Sheena was actually delivered by my Grandmother Maggie Hancock (Williams), who also preceded me in passing along with my grandfather Jesse Hancock. What an experience that was!

Ok, back to my story. So later down the road I moved to Louisville, KY. I attended community college there where I earned certifications in typing, banking and a host of other professional skills. While in Louisville, I discovered my growing love for childcare. I excelled in this field for over 20 years. My daughter Sheena also carried that same passion for children. Together, we established and co-owned several centers. Childcare was in my DNA and I left my handprint on the hearts of many people because of my passion for serving them. I preferred working with the “challenging” kids the most because they were the ones who needed the most love. They were the ones who needed to know that someone could see them and I wanted them to know that someone was me! It was my meticulous bonding with each of them that would transform them from challenging to champion. I tried my best to bring out the best in each baby I encountered. The children, staff and families we served affectionately called me “Grandma Sylvia”. All of those babies and their families became an extension of mine once they began attending any of our centers. We flourished from one center to five and because of that I had the opportunity to encounter thousands of families.

My friendly disposition played a major role in my successes in life. I never met a stranger. I loved people. I befriended everybody. It didn’t matter where you came from, your social or economic status didn’t matter to me. I would befriend a millionaire on one corner and a homeless man on the next. I genuinely cared for the well-being of others. If a person was in need and I could fill it, you could count it done.

I know I said earlier that my greatest accomplishment was being called Mommy, that changed quickly lol My most prized possessions were the ones who called me Grandma. There is something about their love that affects you differently. Grandchildren are a different type of blessing. I was blessed with 13 grandchildren (Chazsiteay Parrish, Trejhvion Haynes, Zajhariah Haynes, Najhvih Rodgers, Gregory Parrish, Harmony Haynes, Jeremy Barlow, Ja’Son Ivory, Willie Ivory Jr., Willow Ivory, Zari Wardford, Noah Wardford and David Wardford) and 4 great grandchildren (Xavier Montgomery, Layla Montgomery, Arabella Brown and one not born yet whose name will be Armonez Haynes ) before I departed the Earth. What a huge blessing that is. If you don’t have grandchildren, you have no idea the euphoria you live in daily as a grandparent. I adored each and every one of them. I dedicated my life to making theirs better each and every day that I could. It was my heart’s desire to be there for each of them and I succeeded at doing just that! You could find me anywhere with my grandchildren, singing and dancing acting a fool at any given moment. If my babies were doing something, you better believe that Grandma Sylvia was going to be there to support them as the biggest cheerleader they had. I would record them and sometimes when I wasn’t with them, I would sit, for hours, just watching videos of my beautiful babies. They brought so much joy to my life!

I’ve always been a giver. It was natural for me to share whatever I had. I would order a six-piece wing, all flats of course, and I promise you it turned into 5 loaves and 2 fish. Ha! My family teased me and called me “Baby Jesus”. I would end up sharing that six piece with 20 people before I got down to my last flat. Now listen, anybody that knew me knew that was a big deal because fried chicken was my favorite. If you didn’t catch me with that then I would probably have a pork chop. If you saw me eating, it was either one or the other.

Okay y’all, I think I have pretty much revealed my MO lol but just a few honorable mentions. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention this. I loved everyone and have a special relationship with each of the people I am connected to. However, I can’t go on without mentioning my boy Willie though. He came into my life and became a part of me so naturally. We welcomed each other with open arms and created a bond that could never be broken. He was never my son in law, he was always my son in love. Though I didn’t birth him from my womb, I definitely birthed him from my heart. He loved me infinitely like any son would his mother and I’m grateful for that. That’s my dawg!

Then you have the father of two of my children who was a true friend to me and supported me in my time of need. He assisted me in caring for my mother, Edna and was always there if I needed a friend to lean on. For that I say, thank you Michael Lynn Wardford. You were a godsend for me.

Now, this one here is my girl, Patsy Gordon. My children affectionately call her “Aunt Pat” because she put up with me for 40 plus years! The stories I could tell y’all about Pat and I would have us here all day. She is definitely a piece of my heart outside of my body. Thank you Pat for sticking by me literally until the end.
To every one of my children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, siblings, nieces, nephews, friends and extended family please know that “Red” loves each and every one of y’all! Carry me in your heart and in that special part of your mind where memories are stored so that on those tough nights, thoughts of my smile, my laugh or my life period can comfort you. I wish I could have stayed, if it was up to me y’all know I would have, but I had to go. Just know that Sylvia loved you deeply and that’s my MO!

With the Utmost Love,
Sylvia Mae “Red” Haynes