Sybil Christian Gandy

Sybil Gandy of Ashburn, Georgia passed away peacefully on Tuesday, October 25, 2022, at PruittHealth-Ashburn.  She was born Sybil Nannette Christian on April 20, 1927 to John Y and Lilly Mae Metcalf Christian of Sycamore.  She was a 1944 graduate of Sycamore High School.  Following high school, she spent time in Atlanta working for the telephone company until the end of WWII.  She returned to Sycamore to be with family and finally settled in Ashburn where she worked as a hair dresser.  She met and married Bennie Gandy, and they raised their family in Turner County.

Sybil spent over 60 years as a hairdresser at Town & Country Beauty Shop AKA Professional Touch on College St. in Ashburn.  She continued to work until she turned 85 and got hit by a truck while walking to the post office. (She was more worried about the permanent wave solution on her customer’s hair than she was of her broken arm!) 

She was a devoted member of Ashburn First United Methodist Church, where she was a long standing member of the Griffin Saxon Sunday School class and the church circle.

Sybil was an avid Braves fan and UGA Bulldog fan. She loved watching her teams with her friends and canasta buddies.  

Most important to Sybil was her beloved family.  She and Bennie raised 4 children in Turner County, finally building a house on Cedar Drive in 1965.  She continued to live there until the last two months of her life.  She was known as “Grandmama” to so many children, and she was famous for her wonderful chocolate marble cakes.    Her children and grandchildren were known for fighting over “The Bowl”.  

She was preceded in death by her husband of 52 years, Bennie Gandy, her daughter, Debra Gandy Coleman (Dink), and siblings, Lois Coker, Alta Crider, Nesbitt Christian, Daniel Christian, Kirby Christian, and Myrl Pirkle.  

She is survived by her son, Benjy (Susan) Gandy of Ashburn, daughters, Beverly (Wayne) Hobby, also of Ashburn, and Carole (Aubrey) Williams of Woodbine and Alan (Leslie) Coleman of Covington.  She was blessed with grandchildren, Chuck (Angela) Hobby of Moultrie, Sara (Palmer) Westmoreland of Augusta, Joe (Amy) Coleman of Fort Mill, SC, Hank (Joe) Hobby of Cordele, Keri (Kelby) Hobbs of Athens, Sam (Stephanie) Coleman of Union City, TN, Kayla (Jamie) Hughes of Hattiesburg, MS, Kimberly (Kyle) Payne of Chula, Leslie (Jacob) Crawford of Valdosta, Chris (Courtney) Williams of Goldsboro, NC, Matt (Ally) Williams of Jacksonville, FL., and Reilley and McKenna Walker of Covington, GA. 

Her legacy of love also includes her great grandchildren, Elizabeth Ann Hobby, William, Mitchell, and Philip Westmoreland, Austin and Annaliese Coleman, Phoebe, Lydia, Asher, and Ben Coleman, Brady and Brooks Hobbs, Holly and Lilly Hughes, Owen and Anna Kate Payne, Finley Crawford, Luella and Sadie Williams, Caroline, Julien, and “player to be named later” Williams.

Visitation will be held at Perry Funeral Chapel on Friday, October 28, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm.  Funeral services will be held Saturday at 11:00 at Ashburn First United Methodist Church with burial at Rose Hill Cemetery.