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Ryan Eashoo
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Resource Center's Sybyl Atwood dies at 72
Posted by Shantell M. Kirkendoll July 31, 2007 09:57AM
Categories: Breaking News, Community - Genesee County, Obituary
The Flint Journal / Steve Jessmore
Sybyl Atwood, 1934-2007Listen to Sybyl Atwood talk about her work and her life, review photographs, and read Andrew Heller's article about a woman who has influenced many in Flint since 1966. Flint -- Sybyl Atwood, whose can-do, get-it done style made her the "grande dame" of area charity work, has died after a long battle with ovarian cancer.
The community activist and recently retired director of the Resource Center never turned a deaf ear to those in need. Her goal was that people asking for help would never hear "we don't do that here."
Atwood always figured something out, and in her last days friends supported her in similar fashion. Longtime friend Ken Van Wagoner said Atwood died at about 9:30 a.m. at his Flint home, where she had been staying.
"My (career) has taught me to handle things in a disciplined way. This is my way of functioning in the world," Atwood, 72, said in a recent Flint Journal profile as she continued to make calls on behalf of the needy.
"I don't mean to minimize death, but there is a way of ordering (it). To me, (planning things) is the most comfortable for the people around me.
"(Death) is another function of life," she said.
VanWagoner told the Journal Atwood taught him about living, and was teaching him about dying.
She counted her riches in the varied, sometimes heartbreaking, ways she helped others: a blind man who needed a talking glucose meter, a girl who lost her parents in a car crash who wanted underwear for Christmas, and the dying woman who wanted a final holiday meal.
She was born Sybyl McPeake in Jackson, Tenn., and became involved in community work in Chicago after moving there in 1955 with husband Bob Atwood, an evangelist.
The couple moved to Flint in 1965, and an activist found her calling at the Resource Center. Her basic, passionate approach to link the needy with someone who can help affected many.
Hundreds showed up last year at a tribute dinner to Atwood. The National Association of Social Workers named her Michigan's Public Citizen of the Year in 2004.
"A piece of Sybyl is inside a lot of people in this community," said director of the Resource Center, Dale Weighill.
Arrangements have not been announced.
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Flint Michigan Resident, Tax Payer, Flint Nutt - Local REALTOR - Activist. www.FlintTown.com |
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Tue Jul 31, 2007 8:52 pm |
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mark thompson
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Sybyl was an amazing person... she will be missed in this community.
I hope anyone who can will attend the service Monday August 6th at 1st presby. at 3pm. I encourage anyone who has a memory of Sybyl to post it here. |
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Wed Aug 01, 2007 12:59 pm |
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Ryan Eashoo
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Sybyl did so much for this City, its a huge hole that has been left. However, she has taught many people to help this city in ways she did. She will be missed greatly.
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Flint Michigan Resident, Tax Payer, Flint Nutt - Local REALTOR - Activist. www.FlintTown.com |
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Wed Aug 01, 2007 1:10 pm |
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Public D
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| The kindest, wisest, most dedicated, thoughtful women Flint may have ever known. Sybyl will be greatly missed. The best we can do to honor her memory is to continue the work she spent her life doing: helping others. We can only attempt to do it with her level of class, persistance and warmth. All the best to her family, friends and everyone touched by her incredible spirit. |
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Mon Aug 06, 2007 6:38 pm |
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