Sylvia JoAnne (Swift) Bertellotti-Vojta, 81, died peacefully on November 1, 2017 at Clarkson Mountain View Healthcare in Rapid City. She was born in Mobridge, South Dakota on June 4, 1936, the first of Boyne B. and Ruth C. (James) Swift's eight children.

Sylvia grew up on a farm north east of Glenham where she helped her dad in the fields by driving the farm tractor until her brother Mike took over that task. Sylvia and Mike have told some great stories about their tractor driving days. Among high school activities, Sylvia excelled in music and drama, winning many awards in regional competitions and events. In her Senior year she was a candidate for and won the title of Mobridge Snow Queen.

Upon high school graduation in 1954, Sylvia completed an Airline School course in Omaha, NE., moved to Washington, DC and was employed in the personnel department of the US Marine Corp. In 1957 she returned to South Dakota to enroll at the University of South Dakota (USD) in Vermillion where she studied dramatic arts. During her year at USD she won the title of Miss Rose of Delta Sigma Pi sorority and was also a candidate for Miss USD. After that year, she again worked for the Marine Corp, this time in Minneapolis, then became a Northwest Airlines flight attendent, based in Minneapolis. Here Sylvia met and married her first husband, Aurelio (Bert) Bertellotti, in 1964. They moved to the San Francisco area in 1966 where she was employed by Eureka Federal Savings and Loan in the personnel department. At the time of her retirement in 1998, she held the position of Vice President of Human Resources. She loved working, so after just a few months of retirement became employed with Rushmore Delivery Service in So. San Francisco, CA, where she oversaw the personnel and billing departments. Bert passed away in 2000 and Sylvia reconnected with her high school sweetheart, Ralph Vojta, in 2001. They were married on May 4, 2002 and lived in Rapid City, where Ralph worked with his daughter Sandi at Prairie Berry Winery until his passing earlier this year.

Among Sylvia's many hobbies, oil painting and photography were her favorites and her family and friends have many pictures from her collection. Family was very important to Sylvia. She loved spending time with her parents and siblings and there wasn't anything she wouldn't do for any of them. She was known for her ready smile, positive attitude and quick wit, often reminiscing some of her dad's famous sayings. She also was an animal lover. There wasn't a stray or orphaned animal that didn't find a way into her heart, and often into her home.

Sylvia was preceded in death by her parents, husbands, A. G. Bertellotti and Ralph Vojta, sisters, Shari (Swift) Jilek, Virginia (Swift) Bonner and Peggy (Swift) Garza.