Tributes

1. We were saddened to hear of Sybil’s death. We enjoyed her friendship during the years we lived in Gwyther Rd, and appreciated her love of languages as well as her amazing knowledge of all things linguistic.
   Our sympathy goes to Sue and family on the loss of a loved sister and aunt.

   Bev and Barrie Dickie and family December 6 2022

2. The staff of the Victorian School of Languages (VSL) extend their condolences to Sybil’s family and wish to pay tribute to her for the great colleague that she was and for her contribution to languages education.
   We are saddened to hear of the passing of Dr Sybil Hitchman, a long serving former employee in our Distance Education Section.
   Sybil began her association with Distance Education languages in 1978. Sybil taught German and later Latin. In the nineties Sybil became the Area Manager of the VSL Distance Education Section. She was a wonderful teacher and an exemplary course developer. In the nineties, she was instrumental in working with DET officers on a major project to overhaul and modernise the Distance Education language courses. This served the VSL very well and is the foundation stone of our current courses and teaching practices. Sybil also wrote many courses herself, including all levels of Latin, some German and Classical Greek.

   Sybil was a very erudite and scholarly education professional, with a very sharp wit – all the while complemented by warmth and genuine interest in people.
   She made many friends in her time with the VSL and made a truly significant contribution to the teaching of languages in Victoria.

   She will be sadly missed.

   Victorian School of Languages December 1 2022

3. When I first met Sybil at the Correspondence School as my boss, I remember feeling a bit intimidated. She had a dry and at times acerbic wit and a somewhat jaundiced view of humankind in the abstract (she read a lot of history). She had a prodigious memory, seemed to know everything about German grammar past and present and was an incredible fount of facts, both important and trivial. She had an iron discipline and would get through piles of work, often on the weekend. When working with her, I admired her commitment to her work and her high standard of professionalism, we all benefitted many times from her collegial support. Behind a sometimes a bit prickly exterior, she was a very generous, reliable and kind person. And she was a loyal and good friend (despite our usual disagreement on political matters that became a bit of a running joke). When I moved to Germany more than 30 years ago, she kept in touch …. even when I didn’t. She was a consummate correspondent, writing long, chatty and informative letters and later emails. And when my husband and I visited Melbourne, she always made the effort to come from Geelong and meet up, even when her health was already failing her.

   We feel very saddened at her passing and we shall miss her.

   “Mit jedem Menschen stirbt eine Welt”. Vale Sybil.

   Sabrina & Andreas

   Sabrina Thumwood November 30 2022

4. Sybil was awesome: a wonderful colleague and very dear friend.
   She was an innovative, inspirational leader, frighteningly intelligent, a highly skilled course writer in languages at the VSL, with a legendary capacity for work. Always very kind, Sybil was warm-hearted and supportive. She lightened difficult times with humour, and her sometimes ascorbic wit and fine antenna for b.s.
   Sybil, we loved and admired you, and miss you so much!
   Greta & Ian

   Greta Bird November 29 2022