Syvalia Hyman III, a towering pillar of the Boston community and a man whose life was defined by service, knowledge, and an unshakeable love for people, passed away peacefully on May 28, 2026. He was 89 years old.

Born on July 31, 1936, to Syvalia Hyman II and Annie Laurie Hyman (née Rivers), Syvalia was a product of Boston in every sense—shaped by its neighborhoods, committed to its people, and determined to leave it better than he found it. A graduate of English High School and Northeastern University, he built a life rooted in education, civic duty, and community leadership.

As President of UDC: The United South End/Lower Roxbury Development Corporation, Syvalia dedicated himself to the cause of affordable housing and economic opportunity for Boston's most vulnerable residents. His advocacy for low-income communities was not a career; it was a calling. He served on the boards of some of the city's most impactful organizations, including the Massachusetts Association of CDCs, United South End Settlements, Boston Bank of Commerce (now OneUnited Bank), Casa Myrna Vasquez—a domestic violence shelter serving women and families in need, Boston Elderly Services, the International Society of Economic Development, Tent City, APAC, Shaw House, ABCD, and Little, Douglas, Garvey, and Turner (an organization started with his childhood friends). He was also a proud Scout Master in the Boy Scouts of America, mentoring the next generation with the same quiet dedication he brought to everything he did.

Yet for all of his professional accomplishments and civic leadership, family remained one of the defining pillars of Syvalia's life. At the center of that life was Mary Elizabeth Hyman (née Johnson)

Together they built a family, established traditions, and created a home that became a gathering place for generations. Their union produced not only children and grandchildren, but a lasting family legacy whose roots continue to grow. The bonds they forged and the traditions they upheld remain an enduring part of the Hyman family story.

But to know Syvalia was to know a man who was just as extraordinary at home as he was in the boardroom. He was a sharp dresser who carried himself with style and grace. He was an avid music collector with over 10,000 albums, a living archive of sound that reflected a mind always hungry for beauty and history. He amassed thousands of books, because for Syvalia, learning never stopped. He was a history

buff, a fact collector, and a man who genuinely loved meeting new people and hearing their stories.

He leaves behind his wife, Mary E. Hyman (née Johnson); his daughter, Ashanda Marie Hyman DePalm ; his son, Syvalia Hyman IV, and his wife, Nia Grace; and three cherished grandsons, Degen Milo Gleason Hyman, John Alexander DePalm II and Staton Beverly Rhodes DePalm. He is also survived by his siblings Beverly Ann Williams, Sylvester Hyman, Andrea Catherine Hyman Davis, and Marc Syvalia Hyman, as well as a host of cousins, nieces, and nephews who loved him dearly. He was preceded in death by his eldest child, Kim Robinson Hyman, and is lovingly remembered by Kim's wife, Leslie Gleason.

Syvalia Hyman III did not just occupy space in this world—he improved it. Every board he sat on, every family he housed, every young scout he guided, every album he played, and every person he welcomed into conversation was a thread in the remarkable fabric of a life well lived.

Syvalia Hyman III lived a life of Purpose.

He will be deeply missed and forever remembered.