Sybil Greta Amitay, beloved mother, grandmother, sister, teacher and friend, passed away peacefully surrounded by family in Rockville, Maryland on March 7, 2026. Throughout her life, Sybil exuded compassion and a generosity of spirit that touched many lives. “Sybie” was born in Middletown, Connecticut on September 25, 1940. Her parents emigrated from Manchester, England. Her father Morris “Moke” Levson ran a dry goods business, then owned “Moke’s Anchor Bar.” Her mother, Thelma Radnor Levson, raised three daughters, kept a kosher home and was active in Middletown’s small Jewish community.

She attended the University of Connecticut, joined the Phi Sigma Sigma sorority, and graduated with honors in 1962, the same year she married Morris J. Amitay, a U.S. foreign service officer (whom she divorced in 1997). She gave birth to her son Michael in Naples, Italy in 1963; her son Stephen in Virginia in 1965; and her daughter Cheryl in 1967 in South Africa.

Sybil lived in Flower Valley in Rockville, MD for 50 years and was active in community groups and the local summer swim team. She led the Flower Valley Elementary PTA’s cultural arts committee and brought diverse musicians and artists to her children’s school. She served as a Montgomery County substitute English and Music teacher, and in 1985 received a master’s degree in education from Johns Hopkins University. She worked almost 20 years at the County’s Mark Twain School for students with behavioral or emotional challenges, providing support to many including comedian Tommy Davidson and rapper Wale.

Sybil loved and excelled in music from an early age. She played piano and started singing in elementary school. In High School she was selected for an all-star state chorus and sang and soloed for singing groups at UCONN. When the family settled in Maryland in 1969, she joined the Oratorio Society of Washington, performing with the National Symphony under renowned conductors for almost 40 years. In 2000 she attended the Grammy Awards where the group won “Best Choral Performance” for recording Benjamin Britten’s “War Requiem”. Over her long singing career and with her ebullient personality she met many famous musicians and relished meeting Dolly Parton and partying on Willie Nelson’s bus.

Besides her love of family and music, Sybil traveled the world with her family, chorus, and beloved sisters Hazel and Anita. She was always game for adventures, meeting new people and having fun.

Sybil’s spirit lives on in  her sister Anita Hennessey, her sons Michael (Mayumi) and Stephen (Sharlene), her daughter Cheryl (Gian), and  five grandchildren she adored, Ethan, Kyle, Olivia, Matt and Nicole, as well as her nephews, dear friends and many whom she supported and encouraged over the years.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at 10am at Judean Memorial Gardens Chapel, Olney, MD. Shiva hosted that evening starting at 6pm at the home of Stephen and Sharlene Amitay. In lieu of flowers, we ask that you consider donating to the DC Youth Orchestra in memory of Sybil. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.