Sybil Hedrick Park
She was born Sybil Louise Hedrick on January 10, 1973, to David and Nancy Hedrick. She joined her brother Eric Gable at home. Right from the beginning, their ride to the hospital in winter conditions was a precursor of the life to come: a bit wild and on the edge, likely with laughter amidst fear, and done with a strong sense of duty to others, protection of family, abundant love, and always a bit of fun rolled in you could say it was a good start. Pictures and stories from friends who were there recall the young family enamored with the new baby.
Nine months and nine days later, David was killed in an accident at work. He went out to help others in tough conditions to get a job done, just as his daughter would do many times in her life, and there was an accident. On October 19, 1973, David Hedrick passed away, leaving Nancy to raise two young children. We all can tip our hat to her for that. Support from family, friends, community, and Nancy's love made it all work.
Sybil grew up in the Felida, Wash., area, and was in the first class that went through Felida Elementary School -- then on to Jason Lee Middle School and Columbia River High School. Throughout her childhood, Nancy had to keep that girl busy. Music lessons, sports of all kinds, anything to keep her going (and likely give her mom some respite). Piano, sax, and flute were all taken on, as were soccer, softball, basketball, swimming, and others. Between school and sports, she developed lifelong relationships with teammates and classmates. Eventually, Sybil focused in on school and swimming. A proud graduate of Columbia River High School, Class of '91, she kept that focus on swimming, was an excellent student, and the Student Body President. As well as a friend to all.
College took her to the University of Puget Sound. She joined the swim team there and eventually earned a scholarship and received two All-America awards. She also found the Occupational Therapy school, which set her on a course that would not only become her profession, but also that quickly became a practice that added to her already amazing gifts.
Practicing Occupational Therapy allowed Sybil the vehicle to share her gifts both in a one-on-one clinical setting and also with the larger community of Occupational Therapists regionally and nationally. Perhaps unsurprisingly, she earned many awards in her career, including the Award of Merit from the Occupational Therapy Association of Oregon, with the organization particularly highlighting Sybil's leadership in the field, her commitment to teaching and mentoring young OTs, and the intangible way Sybil could light up a room and connect deeply with people she had just met. The organization has now renamed the award the Sybil Hedrick Park Award of Merit in her honor.
In 2001, Sybil made a decision to swim from England to France, in part to prove that her asthma diagnosis could not and would not stop her. During training, she spoke at events for the American Lung Association of Oregon and Oregon State Asthma Program, arguing that asthma did not need to prevent any athlete from achieving their goals. On August 8th, 2003, she got the call and put herself in the waters at Dover. After 13 hours and 52 minutes in the cold water of the English Channel with no wetsuit or insulation, Sybil stood on the rocky shores of Calais, France, as the first person from Oregon to perform this feat and only the 685th person to have ever made the swim.
January of 2006 brought her the greatest joy she knew, a baby she named Reece John David Fisher. Her life was about him now. A spirited child for sure, just like his mother was, he has grown to be a fine young man who she found herself to be somehow more and more proud of every day. They shared a mother / son bond that was so amazing to watch.
Sybil was hired on with Providence in June of 1999, working as an OT at the Healing Place in Milwaukie, Ore. Her gift was welcome there as she helped make that place like a family, especially around the lunchroom table where the conversations turned to, well, if you know, you know! She moved to the Providence Sports Care Center in 2011, where she designed the OT room and worked to have a Swimex installed, so that she could do swim stroke analysis on athletes of all ages and abilities. Again, at Providence, Sybil used her gifts to make people's lives better.
In 2012, she married Alan Park and the race was on!! Swimming, biking, running their way through much of their marriage, all while being present with friends and family, including them in adventures, Timbers and Thorns games, travel, and something Alan never knew about, vacations! First to Hawaii with the Kerns, then off to Vegas or Palm Springs. Their marriage and friendship were one of a kind. They had a relationship Manifesto they would read together every month. It started with "When we have Reece, he comes first."
March of 2022 brought her diagnosis of uterine leiomyosarcoma. For 944 days, Sybil lived her life as she always did, giving her gifts to others until the day she passed at home surrounded by dearest family and friends. She was an amazing, bright light in the lives of everyone who had the opportunity to know her.
Sybil is survived by husband Alan; son Reece; mother Nancy Hedrick; and her puppy Sanger; as well as the Johnson and Henderson clans; and too many others to list. She was preceded in death by her father David Hedrick; and brother Eric Gable. They all loved her dearly.
A special thanks to Aunt Jan Chiapelone; and cousin Julie Rey; friend Kim Kardonsky, and Jeremy and Angela Kern for always being there, not just these last 944 days but for all her days, including her last one with us in her body.
Sybil -- you are with us always. We all have to "Just Keep Swimming" because the gifts you gave to us can't be passed on to help others if we don't.