Sylvia Jane White was born on October 7, 1940, in Elizabeth, Louisiana to Ikie Solomon and Buddy Mack. She was the thirteenth child of thirteen children: Willie May, Jessie-Lee, Hazel, Chester, Marie, Jennell, Delmont, Fred, Charles, Jimmy, Mary, and Edward. Sylvia accepted Christ at an early age and was baptized in a Baptist Church in Louisiana.

In 1941, the family moved to Los Angeles, California. While in high school she met and later married Harrison W. Little in 1956. In 1957 she gave birth to their son Derrick W. Little. In 1957, while on active duty with the U.S. Navy Harrison Little died. Sylvia later went on to marry Hayward Lawson and she thereby gave birth to two daughters, Laronda Lawson born in 1959 and Veronica Lawson born in 1960. With the dissolution of that marriage the family remained without a husband/father figure until 1962 wherein Sylvia then met and married James Edward White and from their union she gave birth to three more children, Eric White born in 1964, Darryl White born in 1966, and Sylvia Jane White, named after her mother, born in 1970. Sylvia was a loving mother and homemaker: She would prepare and cook wonderful meals for her family and friends. Some of her most celebrated meals was a Louisiana style gumbo, potato salad, and macaroni and cheese. 

Sylvia involved herself with providing health care services to elderly persons via her employment at a nursing facility in and around the city of Los Angeles. Sylvia White was a graduate of Rosston College; class of 1998, and via her employment, in the security field, she continued to provide her services to the Los Angeles community.

Sylvia will always be remembered for her unwavering generosity, warm-hearted personality, witful sense of humor and her distinctive willingness always to speak her mind: She never shied from expressing her thoughts and beliefs. Sylvia was called home to rest on March 5, 2019.

She leaves to cherish her memories: her sons Derrick and Eric; daughters, Veronica and Sylvia; grandchildren, Simone, LaCretia, Kizzy, Melody, Juan Jr., Precious, Darrell, Rebecca, Kevin, Bree, and Marcus Jr.; great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. Also cousins, nieces, nephews as well as many other family members and a host of friends.