Sylvia Ann Hagen

On Monday morning, February 5th, God called his beloved daughter, Sylvia Ann Hagen, 83, home to be with Him.

Sylvia was born in Barron, WI on June 30, 1940 to Daniel and Mabel Swan.  When Sylvia was two, her family moved to Portland, OR where her dad worked in the shipping yards during WWII. When she was ten, her dad bought a dairy farm in Hood River, OR with views of the beautiful, snow-capped Mt. Hood.  Sylvia helped on the farm by taking the family dog out to herd the cows into the barn to be milked twice a day, cleaning the cows and barn stalls, and many other tasks. She described it as a hard life, but one she appreciated.

In 1958, she graduated from Wy’East High School and then began her college career at Seattle Pacific University. She was the first in her family to attend college.

She met Ronald Hagen in 1959 when a group of young men from University Christian Union Men’s House (University at Washington) and young women from Seattle Pacific enjoyed a group date. Ron noticed Sylvia (who was actually his roommate’s date that night) and asked if he could take her out. They continued to date throughout college. She graduated in 1962 with a degree in Home Economics.

Ron and Sylvia married on August 12, 1962 in Hood River and then moved to Albany, CA so Ron could attend graduate school at Cal Berkeley. Sylvia taught second grade that year. After moving to Livermore, CA, Ron took a job at Sandia Labs and Sylvia transitioned to teaching 1st grade. In 1964, they welcomed their first child, Gwendolyn Kay. Sylvia stopped teaching elementary school to be a full-time wife and mom, but began teaching piano lessons on the side. Word of Sylvia’s piano teaching spread and she became a popular, sought-after teacher for many neighbors and friends—so much so that she began keeping a growing waiting list. Along came, Jacquelyn Rae, Carol Annette, David Mark, and Jeanette Marie.

Sylvia is known for her remarkable Christian character and love and left an indelible mark on everyone she knew. She humbly and wholeheartedly dedicated herself to serving her family, church and community, never seeking human recognition. She served in children’s ministry for many years at the church, and held a children’s Bible club in her home. She served as a church pianist for almost 70 years. She was active in Christian Women’s Fellowship and Bible Study Fellowship for decades.

Sylvia would say that besides her salvation what she was most grateful for was her family. Sylvia is survived by her husband Ron, son David, daughters Gwen, Carol and Jeanette, 21 grandchildren, 8 great grandchildren, and sister Lois. She was preceded in death by her daughter Jacquelyn Rae, brothers Ron, Gene and Jerry, and parents Daniel and Mabel.

Two services will be held:

February 10, 2024 at 3:00 pm Eternal Church 1650 O’Henry Lane, Fort Mill, SC 29708

February 17, 2024 at 12:00 pm Harbor Covenant Church 4901 Gustafson Dr NW, Gig Harbor, WA 98335

Burial will be at 2:00 on February 17 at Cromwell Cemetery, 2500 62nd Ave NW, Gig Harbor, WA 98335

In Lieu of Flowers please consider a donation to one of the following charities:

Eternal Church

Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

The Navigators