Schools

Patch Wants Your Sylvia Sewell Pictures; Memorial Service Sunday

1967 West Manor Elementary School graduate Vic Clark shared this Mrs. Sewell class picture with Cascade Patch. A memorial service for the much-loved Sewell is 3 p.m. Sunday.

—a dedicated teacher who mentored, loved and disciplined every student who came through her 6th grade class at —died last month. She was 95.

Former students from the 1960s through the mid-1980s, have posted dozens of tributes to Sewell—particularly by sharing their favorite poem that Sewell was known to require students to memorize. 1967 West Manor graduate Vic Clark, an engineer in Los Angeles, shared this picture of his class with Cascade Patch. (Feel free to post yours or send one directly to Cascade@Patch.com).

A memorial service for Sewell is set for 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 13, at the Campbell Stone Chapel in Buckhead, 2911 Pharr Court South N.W. Atlanta, GA 30305.

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The follow obituary is posted on the SouthCare Cremation Society and Memorial Centers website.

Sylvia Dodson Sewell, 95, of Atlanta, Georgia, passed away on October 20, 2011. She is survived by two daughters, Robyn Burns (Joe Burns) of Marietta, GA and Suzanne Antink of Newport Beach, CA; grandchildren Robyn Hubbard (Chris) of Costa Mesa, CA, Greg Burns (Cristina) of Parkville, MO, Liz Trond (Dave) of Camden, CT and Braden Burns (Catherine) of Rome, GA; great-grandchildren Maryn, Laurel, Grady, Jake, Elizabeth and Toby; extended family and many friends. Mrs. Sewell was born in Buchanan, Georgia to Gaines Franklin Dodson & Susie Conant Dodson. She graduated from Bessie Tift College in Forsyth, Georgia and in 1939 married Robert Sewell, who passed away in 2005. Sylvia was a long-time member of Calvary Methodist Church in Atlanta before joining Atlanta First Methodist and later Peachtree Road Methodist Church. Sylvia retired from the Atlanta Public School System in 1985 after teaching for over 30 years. She ended her career at West Manor Elementary where she taught English. Prior to joining the staff at West Manor, Sylvia spent many years teaching at J.C. Harris in Atlanta. In retirement, Sylvia volunteered as a Pink Lady at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta, where she faithfully delivered the mail to patients’ rooms for 23 years. She was especially fond of poetry and would share this love with anyone she met. In the years following her retirement, former students would stay in touch and often visit, recalling the poems they had learned in Sylvia’s sixth grade class. Sylvia also loved to play bridge and was a member of many bridge clubs during her lifetime. A celebration of life service will be held @ on November 13, 2011 in the Campbell-Stone (Buckhead) chapel at 3:00 p.m. Officiating will be Reverend Neal Ponder and Reverend Dr. Janice Hume. Family will gather with friends one hour prior to the service in the clubroom. In lieu of flowers, please send donations in memory of Sylvia to Campbell-Stone (Buckhead), 2911 Pharr CT. South N.W. Atlanta, GA 30305 Fellowship of John Fund (attention Rev. Janice Hume).

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If you were in one of her classes, please share your memories and photos of Mrs. Sewell in the comments section here.


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