Sybil Joyce Pavey, age 77, of Omaha, NE, died April 13, 2020 at her home. A Memorial Service will be held 10:00 AM on Saturday, June 19, 2021 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Wells, MN, with Pastor Don Rose officiating.  Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church.  Interment will be at St. Rosehill Cemetery in Wells, MN.  Bruss-Heitner Funeral Home in Wells is assisting the family. To leave an online condolence, please visit www.brussheitner.com

     Sybil Joyce Brown was born September 8, 1942 in Albert Lea, Minnesota, the daughter of Charles and Luverna Brown.  Sybil grew up in Wells, Minnesota, along with her older brother, Donald, attending Wells Elementary School, and graduating from Wells High School in 1960.  Sybil attended Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, graduating in 1964 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education and Spanish.    Sybil married Norman Pavey on July 2, 1967 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Wells.  Their daughter Sarah was born in 1971, and son Christopher in 1975.  Sybil and Norman lived in many different cities throughout their married life:  New Britain, CT, Columbus, NE, New Brighton, MN, Excelsior, MN, Granite Falls, MN, Fremont, NE, Blair, NE, Vero Beach, FL, and Omaha, NE.

     Sybil was a teacher at heart, and loved teaching in public schools, churches that Norman served, and also teaching others how to sew Norwegian Hardanger.  Sybil taught at public schools, mainly 2nd grade and 5th grades in:  Columbus, NE, Osseo, MN, Echo, MN, Fremont, NE and Fellsmere, FL.  Sybil received the “Teacher of the Year” award while teaching at Howard School in Fremont.  Sybil worked together with her husband Norman at their churches in Granite Falls, MN and Fremont, NE, helping with Christian Education.  In Vero Beach, FL, Sybil and Norman worked together leading ChristCare small groups.  Sybil had a green thumb and loved growing flowers.  She especially loved roses, but was talented at growing most any kind of flower.  Her family remembers beautiful backyards wherever they lived, and beautiful flowers and plants inside their homes also. Sybil enjoyed animals, and dachshunds were her favorite dogs.  She and Norm loved their pet dachshunds they had over the years: Yenta the first, Yenta the second, and Dolly.  Sybil also loved feeding squirrels and birds.  Her favorite birds were cardinals, and her favorite color was red.

     Sybil loved music; especially the music of churches with hymns and anthems.  Sybil enjoyed singing, playing the piano, and her antique pump organ that was her grandmother’s.  In her younger years, she also played the clarinet and violin.  Sybil and Norm also enjoyed and were very supportive of Sarah and Christopher’s music activities throughout their grade school, junior high, high school, and college years.  They encouraged their piano lessons, flute and trombone playing, and attended numerous marching band performances, concert band performances and choir concerts.  She and Norm were band parent presidents at Fremont High School while Sarah played in the FHS band.  Sybil’s other pastimes included: reading, shopping, decorating, crossword puzzles, baking, traveling, and making scrapbooks.  Sybil was a member of P.E.O throughout much of her adult life, belonging to chapters in Fremont, NE, Vero Beach, FL, and finally IH in Elkhorn, NE.  She loved the Muppets and Peanuts.  The Peanuts cartoons were special to her since her father’s name was Charlie Brown.

     Sybil loved her family and extended family very much.  She treasured her time growing up with cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents.  Her two grandsons, Jay and Ethan O’Leary, were very special to her.

      Sybil and Norman celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on July 2, 2017.  Their children, Sarah and Christopher held a special reception for them in Omaha, followed by going to church that Sunday on their actual anniversary and being honored during the church service.  Sarah, Jay, Ethan, Christopher, and Michael then took them on a cruise to Alaska to celebrate; a place they had always wanted to visit.  It was an amazing cruise up the Inside Passage, seeing Glacier Bay and other amazing sights.  The land tour included a visit to Denali National Park, the Mendenhall Glacier, and watching whales feed.  Many very special memories were made.

      Sybil J. Pavey, age 77, of Omaha, died April 13, 2020. Sybil was preceded in death by her parents Charles and Luverna Brown and son-in-law Jed O’Leary.

     Sybil is survived by her husband Rev. Norman Pavey of Omaha, daughter Sarah O’Leary, grandsons Jay and Ethan O’Leary of Elkhorn, and son Christopher Pavey and husband, Michael Draper of Rockledge, FL, brother Donald and wife, Carolyn Brown of Estherville, IA, a nephew Luke Brown and wife Jill Eichner-Brown, and their children Ehlana and Garion of Earlham, IA, and nephew Nathan and wife, Sara Brown and their children Sophia and Parker of Eagle Lake, MN, and sister-in-law Cynthia Pavey of West Hartford, CT.  She will be missed by many cousins and friends.