Sybil Jo Fordos

   Sybil Jo (York) Fordos was a beloved grandmother, mother, sister, and wife during her incredible almost 74 years of life.  She passed away peacefully at her home surrounded by her family in the early morning hours of January 28, 2024.

   Sybil was born February 8, 1950, in Detroit, Michigan, where she was the younger daughter of Allen and Ellen York.  Allen was a WWI veteran, and Ellen was an Eastern Star Member and worker for the American Cancer Society. Sybil lost her father at the early age of eight, and later in life, in 1990, her Mother Ellen passed.  

   As a young child, Sybil was described as a rebellious girl, a tomboy, and a true character.  She grew up in Detroit, where she attended Cooley High School and graduated in 1967.  She remained close with some of her classmates throughout the years.

   Sybil had a zest for life and new experiences.  In her adult years, you found her enjoying listening to Motown music, riding motorcycles, and enjoying what Detroit had to offer.  

   Enjoying life led Sybil to Tip-Up Town USA at Houghton Lake in 1986, where she met the love of her life, Mike Fordos.  She was the beautiful blonde in the corner, and he was the strapping man helping her friends with their luggage.  Thankfully, one of those friends provided Mike with Sybil’s phone number, and in the months to come, they corresponded and traveled back and forth from Detroit to Kalamazoo, where Mike worked as a Pipefitter at Upjohn.  

   Sybil eventually moved to Kalamazoo to be with Mike and commuted to her job at Farmer Jacks as a baker and cake decorator.  Sybil and Mike married in Las Vegas on July 15, 1988.  Their marriage also joined together their children.  Sybil had one daughter, Stephanie, and Mike had two children, Peter and Becky.  Mike and Sybil made their home in the Oshtemo area, and Sybil transitioned to working in the bakeries of Harding’s, Cub Foods, and eventually retired from D&W Food Center.

   Sybil’s favorite activities as a family included going out on the boat, fishing, and watching the Detroit Tigers’ baseball or Lions’ football games.  Sybil’s love of fishing led her to join the Professional Bass Women’s circuit for years with her fishing partner, Linda Bennett, fishing in tournaments across the US.  Sybil also enjoyed deer hunting, and in their retirement years, Sybil and Mike settled on a house with property in the Fulton area where they were able to hunt and raise horses and various pets on the farm.   

   Sybil is survived by her husband of 35 years, Mike, and her children, Stephanie Wrobleski, Peter (Rachiel) Fordos, and Becky (Harold) Wallace.  She leaves behind her seven grandchildren:  Rhiannon, Brody, Isabel, Jillian, Carter, Ainsleigh, and Samantha.  She is also survived by her sister, Marge (Johnny) Mize, and two nieces, Debbie Brown and Sybil (Gary) Mazur.  She also leaves behind many other close family members, dear friends, and her sweet dog Odin, who will greatly miss her.

   While we will miss Sybil dearly, we will remember her love of life, of being outdoors fishing and hunting, and for the simplicity of being able to watch the hummingbirds and deer from her living room window.  

There will not be a formal service or visitation for Sybil; a celebration of her life will be planned at a later date. 

   Cremation has taken place at Langeland Family Cremation Center, 6628 Tall Oaks Dr, Kalamazoo, MI 49009

To view Sybil’s personalized web page, please visit https://www.langelands.com