Sylvia Blackwood Hansler, 86, a lifelong resident of the Hackettstown area, passed away peacefully in Hackettstown on Sunday, August 9, 2026.

Born on March 22, 1940, in Newton, New Jersey, Sylvia was the middle of three sisters and was raised in a home on Lafayette Street, built by her father in 1929.

Sylvia attended Hackettstown Public School on Washington Street from kindergarten through high school. Sylvia blossomed during her high school years. She played basketball, was part of the HHS marching band color guard, participated in numerous student clubs, and enjoyed spending time with friends alongside her high school sweetheart Wayne Hansler, whom she met as a sophomore. One of her proudest accomplishments was becoming Hackettstown High School’s first female Student Council president.

After graduating from Hackettstown High School in 1958 as class Salutatorian, Sylvia pursued her dream of becoming a registered nurse while Wayne attended college. They later married and settled in Hackettstown, where they raised their family. Together they enjoyed many happy years, including frequent long weekends in Wildwood Crest and occasional trips to Atlantic City. Their life together was cut short when Wayne passed away in 2003 after a courageous two-year battle with leukemia.

Knowing from a young age that nursing was her calling, Sylvia treasured her three years at the Mountainside Hospital School of Nursing where she received her cap as a Registered Nurse in 1961. The education she received at Mountainside prepared her well for a rewarding 35-year career as an occupational nurse at M&M/Mars in Hackettstown.

Following Wayne’s passing, Sylvia lived a quieter life but continued to find great joy in spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren, Ryan and Kelsey. She passed along her love of the Jersey Shore, leaving them with countless treasured vacation memories and a lifelong appreciation for beachside family traditions.

For the last seven years, Sylvia made her home in the assisted living community at House of the Good Shepherd. Always a nurse at heart, Sylvia especially enjoyed her daily conversations with the caregivers at The House. They welcomed her as a fellow nurse, valued her friendship, and shared many laughs and stories together. Whether it was the nurses, nursing assistants, Patient care aides, food service team, housekeeping staff, physical therapists, activities directors or the maintenance crew, Sylvia considered them extended family, and her loved ones are profoundly grateful for the compassionate care, companionship, and kindness they provided. When hospice care became necessary, Sylvia found incredible comfort and peace in remaining surrounded by her House family – as did we.

Sylvia was predeceased by her high school sweetheart and beloved husband of 41½ years, Wayne Hansler; her parents, Stanley J. and Ruth Blackwood; her beloved “Auntie” Gladys Anderson; her sister, Virginia Blackwood Nunn; her brother-in-law, Alfred Nunn; and her father- and mother-in-law, Walter and Miriam Hansler.

Sylvia is survived by her daughter, Lisa Dimiceli and her husband, Michael Arrasate; her son, Brian Hansler and his wife, Gisela; her grandson, Ryan Dimiceli and his girlfriend, Kate; her granddaughter, Kelsey Dimiceli and her fiancé, Kyle; her sister, Judy Pool and her husband, Bill; and members of the Nunn family, including nephew Greg and Alita, niece Jackie, Jake and Nicole, Eric, and Miranda, all of whom held a special place in her heart.

Visitation will be held at Cochran Funeral Home in Hackettstown on Friday, August 14^th beginning at 10am with a funeral service at 11am, and burial immediately following at Pequest Union Cemetery in Great Meadows.

In lieu of flowers, those wishing to honor Sylvia’s memory are encouraged to make a donation to the Foundation for Hackettstown Medical Center for the Auxiliary’s Healthcare Scholarship Fund, or Riverwalk Village at House of the Good Shepherd to be earmarked for Nursing Support.