Obituary

Born Sybille Astrid Morgan, Sybille came into this world in the small, wooded hamlet of Hasselhorst just outside of Celle, in Western Germany. Her proud parents were Mr. Bruno Morgan and Mrs. Eliade Morgan (Schulz). She was to be their only, but precious daughter.

At the age of two, she migrated to a small farm situated between two gently rolling hills just west of Sebastapol, California. Where unlike most children who only read and/or dreamt of animals, every day she lived, played and even talked with them, naming each of them, even the bull (the beginning of a love of all animals, large and small to her final breath).

Such was her carefree life until the move to The City, San Francisco; actually, Daly City. There she grew up a typical teenager, like shopping at Stonestown Shopping Center (barefoot) with her friends. But, as everything in life passes quickly, all to soon Sybille was marching to the podium at Westmore High School in 1968 to receive her diploma with bright dreams and the knowledge that in just a few short months she would be attending the University of California, Davis – the beginning of a whole new life and adventure.

It was during her second quarter of her freshman year at Davis she was paired to share a textbook with her eventual partner in life and husband. He was a Junior at the time, in ROTC and a Maverick Bandsman. At games, she’d sit up in the bleachers with the band, turning his sheet music to not miss a single note. College life was challenging and fun as her husband to be and she were totally inseparable.

In the start of her junior year, she moved into an off-campus apartment with three other roommates. Then, that January, Sybille’s husband to be received orders for active duty and Vietnam. Within weeks he presented her with his gold bars (a symbol to share his station in life with) and asked her to marry him which she enthusiastically accepted. That magic day of June 13, 1971, Miss Sybille Morgan became Mrs. Sybille Swords and traveled to Fort Hood, Texas where much to the couple’s surprise, his orders were revoked, and new ones issued assigning him to General Staff at Fort Hood.

After active duty, the couple returned home in 1973 to San Francisco where she finished her degree in 1976 at The University of California, Berkeley. Eventually, Sybille became the front-end manager to a very upscale, high end neighborhood delicatessen and full-service market – Tower Market, where her finely honed gourmet skills were fully utilized. But Sybille also had a natural innate love of people that just radiated from her and made her a natural in customer relations. She loved to be around people and help, as such, volunteered extensively, especially with handicapped children and was the President of a Homeowners Association in San Francisco.

Sybille retired early at the young age of 55 and moved to Pebblecreek, Goodyear, Arizona in 2007; a move to enable both to better look after their aging parents.

At Pebblecreek, Sybille had been very active in her arts and gourmet interests. She was a great lover of musicals, live theater, the Opera and the Symphony and a regular patron of each as well as a devoted Fan of the Forty-niners. She loved food and prepared the cuisine of all nationalities plus she just loved to dine and experience the culinary wrinkles other chefs made to their preparations. In San Francisco, she was on a first name basis with many of the Bay Area’s top Chefs.

Sybille and her husband traveled and cruised extensively from Sydney, Australia to St Petersburg, Russia, as well as visiting relatives in Europe.

Despite her grace and style, Sybille never forgot her humble roots. She approached life with humility and humor, was soft spoken and was always generous with herself and her time. She easily made friends.  Around 1977 she became a member of the Northern California Samoyed Fanciers Association and owned a line of Champion Samoyeds.

Sybille is survived by her mother Mrs. Eliada Morgan of Surprise, AZ and her husband of 50 years, Clifford Swords of Goodyear, AZ.

A Celebration of Sybille’s Life and services for her will be held at Thompson Funeral Chapel in Goodyear Arizona on Sunday, August 29, 2021, from 1pm to 4pm. Those who were touched by her beautiful life and presence are most welcome to join.