John Sylvester Obituary, Death – John, who had been a supporter of the Saddlers for seven decades, passed away suddenly on Monday, November 7th. His passing came as a shock to everyone. When he left, all three of his sons — Ian, Dave, and Mark — were there to see him off. Over the course of the better part of seven decades, John was a Saddlers supporter. John and his wife had been together for the entirety of their sixty-year marriage, and throughout that time, he had been a devoted family man. During that time, they had three children. The passing of Val the year before was a very painful and upsetting loss.
His larger-than-life personality earned him the position of Chairman of Walsall Wood Football Club in the early 1980s. During that time, he was well known for his leadership of the organization. At that time, the club was going in the wrong direction, but he was able to steer them away from it and get them back on the right track. When John attended any of Walsall’s home games, you could find him in Box 2, where he was joined by his son Mark and his longtime friend Steve Josebury. Box 2 was always John’s seat of choice. To ensure that John was able to attend the games, John’s best friend and closest confidant, Steve Josebury, went above and beyond to make sure that he was granted permission to do so.
The most memorable experience of his seven decades spent rooting for the Saddlers was when he was present at the Millennium Stadium to witness his favorite team earn promotion. This event stands out in his mind as the most meaningful part of his life. This is the instant that is the most vivid in his recollection of the event. During this difficult time, we are keeping John’s family in our thoughts, particularly John’s sons Ian, Dave, and Mark. We hope that everything works out for them. We are worried about each and every one of them.
