Sylvia T. Buse

Sylvia T. Buse, a resident of Graeagle, California, passed away on October 17, 2022. Loving wife to Donald Buse (1927-2010), mother of Charles, Deborah, Sarah, and John, nonna to Amy, Michele, and Sean, and bisnonna to Evan, Alex, Ryan, Ava, Presley, and Jackson.

Born Sylvia Tweedt in San Francisco, October 8, 1926 to Pearl C. and Lloyd M. Tweedt. She graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School, San Francisco, in 1944. She married Donald Buse in 1948 with her sister, sister-in law, and Zeta Tau alpha sorority sisters Jean Fisk, Betty Humphrey, and Lucille (Raymond) Kazimi by her side.

She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in General Curriculum with majors in Physiology and Psychology from University of California in 1948 and a Master of Science in Child Development from University of California in 1961.

Sylvia was a graduate teaching assistant, University of California, Institute of Human Development, Harold Jones Child Study Center, January/1958-June/1958.

While providing a nurturing environment to her own family in Oakland, then Walnut Creek, California, she also devoted herself to research and teaching that helped others’ children as a psychometrist at the San Francisco Children’s Hospital Birth Defects Clinic, co-director of learning disabilities clinic and instructor in Child Development at University of the Pacific, School of Medical Science, co-director of learning disabilities clinic and instructor in Child Development at University of the Pacific School of Medical Science, and research psychologist at the University of California, Institute of Human Development.

She followed Don to Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and there earned her Doctor of Philosophy at Oklahoma State University in May, 1983. While in Oklahoma she found a research and teaching home at then-Southwest Missouri State, and for many years commuted 3 hours each way, often braving inclement weather,, and stayed at the well-known Brite House before moving to Springfield, Missouri. There she taught and founded the Learning Diagnostic Clinic with Dr. Virgil McCall in 1984, and served as Director until she retired in 1997 as Emeritus Professor.

Living, traveling, and teaching abroad she made friends around the world, but was most happy watching tennis with her husband Don and visiting with her grandkids and great-grandkids and besting them at Sorry at her homes in Graeagle and Albogasio, Italy.