Obituary for Ethiopia RPCV Sybil Smith Davis



She met and married her husband, Vernie Davis, at Kalamazoo College; after graduation, both taught as Peace Corps Volunteers in Ethiopia for two years.

Obituary for Ethiopia RPCV Sybil Smith Davis

SYBIL SMITH DAVIS

Jun 18, 2006

Greensboro News & Record

GREENSBORO-- Sybil Smith Davis, 60, died peacefully at home on Tuesday, June 13, 2006, after living with breast cancer for four years.

A memorial service celebrating Sybils life will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 24, 2006, at New Garden Friends Meeting.

Sybil was an adoring mother and wife, loving sister, caring friend and exceptional grandmother. Many people have been eternally changed for the better by knowing her. She will be remembered for her humor, beautiful smile and infectious laugh; for her love of nature which led her to spend many days camping, hiking, canoeing and biking; for her appreciation and respect for all types of people; for her belief in the goodness of all persons; for her commitment to social justice and peace; and for her calming presence, healing touch, and generosity of spirit. Sybils passions included spoiling her daughters and grandchildren, shopping for pottery in Seagrove, and spending time at the cabin she built with her husband in the mountains of North Carolinas Ashe County.

Sybil was born on April 3, 1946, in Batavia, N.Y., and she grew up in Akron, N.Y. As part of her undergraduate education at Kalamazoo College in Michigan, she studied at Fourah Bay College in Sierra Leone. She met and married her husband, Vernie Davis, at Kalamazoo College; after graduation, both taught as Peace Corps Volunteers in Ethiopia for two years. She received her MA from Syracuse University while teaching high school history. She lived in Richmond, Ind., for seven years, during which time she helped lead a student group to Kenya. For over 20 years, she taught history at Greensboro Day School, where she developed treasured relationships with wonderful colleagues. She was a passionate, creative, and nurturing teacher and mentor to many students.

She is survived by a loving family: her husband and soul mate of 38 years, Vernie Davis of Greensboro; two daughters and their husbands, Jody and Jeffrey Green of Richmond, Va., and Jessica and William Lewis of Cary; two granddaughters, Eliza Jane Lewis and Anna Kathryn Lewis. In addition she is survived by her mother, Evelyn Smith of Pensacola, Fla.; two sisters, and their husbands, Sue and Sid Boyd of Ann Arbor, Mich., and Kate and Joe Lawrence of Pensacola, Fla.; two brothers and their wives, Bob and Diana Smith of St. Augustine, Fla., and Alex and Kim Smith of Austin, Texas.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Regional Cancer Center in Greensboro NC or to the American Cancer Society. The family wishes to express our gratitude for the skilled and loving care of the Cancer Center and Hospice of Greensboro.

Offer condolences at www. news-record.com/nr/obits/

When this story was posted in August 2006, this was on the front page of PCOL:




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Peace Corps' Screening and Medical Clearance The purpose of Peace Corps' screening and medical clearance process is to ensure safe accommodation for applicants and minimize undue risk exposure for volunteers to allow PCVS to complete their service without compromising their entry health status. To further these goals, PCOL has obtained a copy of the Peace Corps Screening Guidelines Manual through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and has posted it in the "Peace Corps Library." Applicants and Medical Professionals (especially those who have already served as volunteers) are urged to review the guidelines and leave their comments and suggestions. Then read the story of one RPCV's journey through medical screening and his suggestions for changes to the process.

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