Sybil Austin Steele

On December 1st, Sybil Austin Steele took her last earthly breath and will now celebrate her first Christmas in heaven. She ( as the carol "O Come All Ye Faithful" proclaims ) will be adoring " Christ the Lord " face to face and with so many family and friends already there. Sybil was born on April 6, 1929, the 2nd child of 5, to Mary Braswell Austin and Wade Hampton Austin in Monroe, North Carolina. Her parents and her childhood church ( Mill Creek Baptist ) pointed her to a Savior, and as a young girl, Sybil asked Jesus for His forgiveness and for His personal presence to abide in her heart. Her story with Him influenced her story with us and now her faith in the unseen is now being experienced in its full reality.
Sybil graduated from Unionville High School in Monroe. In school, she participated in musical productions, drama and memorized speech competitions, winning many at the county level. She also won the school's music medal in her Senior year ( which she always claimed that she didn't deserve ). After high school, Sybil attended Wingate College. While at Wingate, Sybil was asked to be a member of the school's singing sextet that traveled to sing for area churches and functions. She left Wingate the next year to marry her high school sweetheart, Harry Kenneth Steele, Jr. on March 5th, 1949. Together they had 5 children: Thomas Edward, Harriet Sybil, Mary Staci, James Graham, and Barbara Hampton. Also, together they founded an electrical contracting business in Monroe that is now in its third generation of providing professional and charitable services in North and South Carolina.
Ken and Sybil were faithful members of Benton's Cross Roads Baptist church where Sybil sang in the choir, taught in the children's and teen mission programs ( Sunbeams and GA's ) and participated in many local outreach and kindness ministries with the adult women's mission group at the Church ( WMU ). While serving at Benton's Cross Roads, Ken and Sybil made lifelong and eternal friends with other families, but especially with Joyce and Leonard Gordon. Sybil and Joyce were best friends and their laughter and adventures are memorable. Their friendship was one for the records, and an integral part of Sybil's personal and family life.
Sybil was a wise and fun mom, a helper to her parents, and siblings' families, and a nurturing Aunt Sybil to her older sister's young children after her sister passed away. She was the " World's Greatest Mother-in-Law " a title that was unanimous by all 5.
She was a wonderful grandmother to 8 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren, whom she loved dearly. In 1984, Sybil was widowed at the age of 54, and 4 years later, she moved to Surfside Beach, S.C. Besides being a beach lover, she cited the reason was that her grandchildren would more likely come and stay with her at the beach.
Besides being a beach lover, Sybil liked to play golf ( and she had a "hole in one" ). She enjoyed doing embroidery, crossword puzzles, reading cook books, trying new recipes, and cooking and eating cornbread. Sybil loved sports and was a huge NC State Wolfpack fan, attending many of their games.
Sybil lived to be 95, so her passing was preceded by many loved ones. Besides the reunion with her husband, Ken and her parents, mom now joins her sister Martha Wade Belk and brother Joe Austin, her son Tommy Steele and her daughter Staci Hunt, her grandson Wes Page, daughter -in-law Susan Steele, son-in-law David Ford, and her friend Joyce Gordon. I'm sure that they were at the front of those welcoming Sybil across the finish line hearing " Well done, good and faithful servant " from her Master. The loved ones that remain, thanking God for her life, and cherishing her memories are sisters Becky Ball ( Syd ) of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Ferry Lane Lowder ( Richard ) of Lexington, NC, children Harriet Page ( Link ) of Knightdale, NC, Graham Steele of Monroe and Daughter Barbara Ford of Myrtle Beach, SC.
Sybil and the Steele family are extremely grateful for her caregivers, Yvonne Cox, Tara Clark, Jami Blackwell and the Myrtle Beach Cronies. These ladies not only took excellent care of her but made sure that every day was full of joy, laughter, and adventure.
We are also thankful for the ministry of Surfside Baptist to the homebound who were regularly visiting and sending cards and gifts to Sybil.
The family will be receiving friends on Thursday, December 5th at the residence of Harry and Ellen Steele, 1131 Jamestowne Drive, Monroe, NC. A graveside service will follow at 2:00 pm at Lakeland Memorial Park, also in Monroe.
To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of Sybil Austin Steele, please visit our floral store.