17 February, 1940 to 10 December, 2025

What a life that was!

Mary Sylvia Fitzpatrick Libby lived her one wild and precious life with an abundance of love and generosity. Her soul passed into the next world peacefully on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, guided by her family, favorite music, and a calm sense of serenity.

Above all else, Sylvia loved and lived for family. She deeply honored simple things: nature, children, good friends, and the web of human connection. In her own words: “I saw my life as a wonderful gift and felt I got the best – a happy, full, fun, and most amazing trip.”

Sylvia surrounded herself and others with love. It was as if she came into this world already understanding that love mattered most in life. To know Sylvia was to know love. But the story of Sylvia cannot be told without including her childhood sweetheart, her husband of 63 years, Ed Libby. They were the loves of each other’s lives. Together they cultivated a beautiful garden of life where their unbreakable bond graced all those who knew them.

Sylvia had a profound relationship with the natural world. Her greatest joy was living on the river and spending her days noticing the extraordinary in the ordinary: the passing loons, the changing of seasons, the moving beauty of life around her. It was from this sanctuary on the water that she and Ed hosted generations of family and friends to gather, to play, to eat, to laugh, to reminisce. Simply to be.

She was blessed with four children, ten grandchildren, one great-grandchild, and a vibrant tapestry of in-laws and dear friends. As a mother, she feathered her nest well beyond her own kids, bringing a multitude of their friends into her embrace. Sylvia was also incredibly proud of her Irish heritage. Her Fitzpatrick clan included seven siblings and scores of first cousins that she remained devoted to until the end. Sylvia never walked this Earth alone.

She was cherished by the Camden community, and she taught us all how to dance through life. Her earth-bound presence will be missed, but her spirit will remain alive in us.

A Celebration of Sylvia’s life will be held on Sunday, May 24, at 3 p.m., at Merryspring Nature Center, 30 Conway Rd, in Camden.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Sylvia’s memory to Merryspring Nature Center at this link, visiting their website, mailing a check to 30 Conway Road, PO Box 893, Camden, Maine 04843, or calling (207)236-2239. Please note, “In memory of Sylvia Libby” on your donation.