Sylvia J. (McLaughlin) Camandona

Sylvia Jeannette (McLaughlin) Camandona passed away peacefully at the Hannah B.G. Shaw Home on May 22, 2023.  She was pre-deceased by her husband, Chester Camandona.   

Sylvia was born in Middleborough on February 11, 1935, to the late Olive (Chamberlain) and John McLaughlin.  She was her parents’ only child.  Sylvia was extremely close to her grandmother, Florence Chamberlain, who she lived with for some time. Sylvia graduated from Burdett College with a Medical Secretarial Science Degree. She began working at Tobey Hospital and rose through the ranks until she became Head of Medical Records, a job she excelled at, for over 30 years. 

Sylvia was a third generation Grange member, following in her parent’s and grandmother’s footsteps, at the Nemasket Grange Hall holding various offices, including Master of Nemasket Grange.  She joined the South Middleboro Grange in 1994 and held numerous offices there.  Recently she was awarded the National Grange 75-year Member Award. 

In 2018, Sylvia ran for the Honorary Mayor of Middleboro contest held annually by the Friends of Middleborough Cemeteries to raise money for their ongoing cemetery restoration projects.

Sylvia was a well-known, respected, and accomplished member of the equestrian community.  Sylvia was a member of the Southeastern Massachusetts Horsemen’s Council; South Shore Horsemen’s Council Board of Governors; Massachusetts Horsemen’s Council and the American Morgan Horse Association.  She also was an East Middleborough 4-H leader.  Sylvia began her equestrian career showing Morgan horses, both under saddle and in carriage, and won many championships. When she bought her horse farm property in Middleboro, she brought her two favorite senior show horses, Woody and Sweetheart, with her to live out their lives on her farm.   After she retired, she relocated to a farm in Maine and began her second equestrian career showing Appaloosa horses.  With her horses Wayne and Lacey, she won many championships in the New England Area.  Some years later, she returned home to Middleboro and lived at Oak Point with her dog, Cheyenne.

Sylvia was very involved in the Oak Point Community, especially enjoying the book club, writing club, and playing bocce.  In her later years, Sylvia became interested in adult coloring and always had a few projects going.  Sylvia also was very interested in her family’s genealogy, traveling to Nova Scotia to view the birthplace of some of her distant relatives.  She was dedicated to her dog Cheyenne, who rode shotgun with her almost everywhere she went and walking her daily, stopping at her neighbors so Cheyenne could collect her treats. 

Visitation for Sylvia will be held on Saturday, June 3, 2023, starting at 10:00AM, at the Dahlborg-MacNevin Funeral Home 280 Bedford Street Lakeville, MA 02347, immediately followed by a funeral service at 11:00AM. Sylvia will be laid to rest with her late husband Chester at Nemasket Hill Cemetery in Middleboro.

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