Sylvester Henry was the fifth of six children. He was born to Jesse James Henry and Ardella Fairley Henry on August 18, 1949, in San Diego, California. He was baptized at an early age and rededicated his life in 2023. He attended Frontier Elementary School, Ocean View Elementary School, Gompers Junior High School, and graduated from Lincoln High School. He attended the San Diego Skills Center, where he learned how to assemble aircrafts and automobiles.
While attending high school, Sylvester enjoyed playing the tenor saxophone for the Lincoln High School Advanced Band. He was also a member of the California Cadet Corps (ROTC). In the Corps, he was a Squad Leader, Platoon Commander, Commander of the Fancy Drill Team, the Guidon Bearer, on Special Guards, and was a Flag Bearer on the Honor Guard. Sylvester was employed at National Steel ShipBuilding Company with his dad. While in high school, he was a cashier, dishwasher, baker and cook through Manpower.
Sylvester was your neighborhood “one stop shop” automobile mechanic. His passion was anything and everything about music. He loved writing and reading music, playing instruments, and leading a band.
Sylvester “Sly” was a son, brother, dad, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, great uncle, great-great uncle, and friend to many. His friends will remember him as a kind person who always had their back, and who was always full of energy. He shared everything with his family, his friends, and his community
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Sylvester was called to Glory on January 11, 2024.
Sylvester was preceded in death by his father Jesse James Henry, Sr., his brothers; Earnest E. Henry “Dirty”, Jesse James Henry, Jr., and Eugene Henry “Snooch”, and his nephew Rashaan Salaam.
Left to cherish his memory is his son Marcus L. Davis (Kattana), daughter Marcia Henry, his loving mother Ardella Henry, his brother Hakim Alaji (Khalada), his sister Dorothy Patterson (Kirkland, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, his nieces and nephews; Rodney (Glenda), Sonseeahray, Tracy (Janice), Jesse James III (Toni) William (Bernadette), Christopher (Cherita), Kristi (Glen), Kymberli (Mark), Deisha (Erik), Devina (Thornton), Tiffani, Makana (Mica), Atiya (Vincent), and Jabali (Jamila), along with a host of great-nieces and nephews, great-great nieces and nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, extended family, and many friends.
