Sibyl Shortt Malatras

Sibyl Malatras peacefully passed on from this realm during the early morning hours on May 5, 2022, after a painless but exhausting battle with leukemia. She had Dennis, her loving husband, by her side during the final moments after several days of seeing her favorite people and reading the kind words of friends who couldn’t be there. She left us very much as she lived her life, according to her plan and on her terms but with much thought to how she could make our lives easier.

Born Sibyl Rebecca Shortt, in Wytheville, Virginia, she grew up in an environment where women’s roles were defined from birth, yet she was not interested in those limitations. Sibyl was motivated to have success in the business world, and this drive led her to an excellent career in the Washington, DC, area banking industry. When she retired from banking, she was CFO at the Columbia Bank.

Retirement was not stasis, though, as she continued to enrich her life through cooking classes, volunteering with NeighborRide, and taking yoga classes. Yoga became such a passion that she started working at Columbia Yoga Center, where she made many kind friends, some of whom went with her on a trip of a lifetime to India.

Those who have experienced the exuberant joy with which she lived her life will remember her sincere smile, her intelligent wit, her blunt honesty, and her ability to make anyone feel comfortable. She was open-minded and always willing to learn more. Her grandchildren will remember her for her amazing food, for the adorable birthday songs, and for always remembering the cards for birthdays and holidays. Her children will remember her for the excellent example she provided for balancing a profound work ethic with being a loving parent. Her husband will remember her for the innumerable ways she enriched his life through 42 years of marriage, her courage and grace, her strength and wisdom; he always says that she was the best thing to ever happen to him.

Sibyl is survived by her husband, Dennis Malatras; her daughter, Tracy Vandivere Kordon, and son-in-law, Bob Kordon; her son, Jeff Vandivere, and daughter-in-law, Lindsay Vandivere; grand-children Jackson Kordon, Dekker Kordon, Oliver Vandivere, Oberon Vandivere, Anna DeBlock, and Eben DeBlock; and sister, Susan Seneker, and brother-in-law, Philip Seneker.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.witzkefuneralhomes.com for the Malatras family.