Sylvia Hetherington

Sylvia Hetherington, a beloved partner, mother and grandmother, passed away peacefully on May 22, 2025 at the age of 72.  Sylvia was born in London, England to Ursula Donau and John Samuel.  As a child she spent her summers in Germany and was fluent in German.  She lived and worked in London, when she met William Hetherington, who was working as an architect on the new building for the bank where she worked.  Sylvia and William married in 1975 in London.  In 1978, William’s career brought them to the United States, where they lived in Tennessee.  During this time, Sylvia and William had two children, Anthony and Natalie. Eventually, they settled in Parker, Colorado and built their lives there. 

Sylvia was passionate about staying active, often participating in Zumba classes and going on daily walks in nature.  It was on one of these walks that she met her neighbor who would become her partner of 20 years, Vern Martin. Her enjoyment of nature extended to a love of animals. She loved nothing more than seeing a dog on a nice walk, and kept a supply of dog treats just in case. Sylvia was a devoted advocate for animal rights.  Recently, she worked tirelessly on Proposition 127, which would have outlawed hunting wild cats in Colorado.  Her personal motto was “Never put off to tomorrow what you can do today,” and she embodied that in everything she did.

Sylvia took her greatest pride in raising her family, maintaining the home she loved and becoming a United States citizen in 2017. She had recently become a grandmother and delighted in how much her grandson looked like her as a child.

Sylvia is survived by her partner, Vern Martin, her children, Anthony Hetherington (Jessica) and Natalie Hetherington, her grandson, Oliver Hetherington, and her beloved cats, Kit and Teresita.  She was preceded in death by her husband, William Hetherington, and her parents, Ursula Donau and John Samuel.  A memorial service will be held at Ponderosa Valley Funeral Services on June 18th at 10:00 am.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Humane Colorado, an organization Sylvia was passionate about and where she adopted her beloved cats.