Sybil (McLain) Topel

Sybil McLain-Topel left our world on Saturday, April 6, 2024.

Born in Winston-Salem, N.C., she and her family would move to seven states before she started high school in Morristown, Tenn. Her father, Max McLain, served in the U.S. Army, hence the number of moves. She fondly remembers many of her Army brat running buddies from Ft. Bragg, N.C.

By her own admission, she was not gifted with athletic prowess. She took enough tennis lessons to become a decent doubles player, but not enough to win any tournaments. She loved the outdoors and took enough ski lessons to tackle the moderate slopes with what might pass for finesse on a good day.

She and Chris met on a plane departing from Nashville taking a group on a ski trip to Park City, Utah. On day 3, she promptly lost control of her skis, flipped at least once in the air, unintentionally, and had a ‘garage sale,’ meaning her skis came loose, and about everything else that could went flying. Chris took his own skis off and climbed back up the mountain to comfort her while waiting on the ski patrol – and after they arrived – made sure he took a photo so he saved for all posterity the image of her laced into the toboggan for the injured.

Nothing was broken, mostly sore muscles, it would turn out. And pride, just a little.

As a couple, they discovered they both really enjoyed travel and new adventures.

One year after the ski incident, they married at Second Presbyterian Church, Nashville. The couple managed to walk up and down the aisle with no garage sales.

A few weeks after the wedding, when Chris jokingly asked her what she wanted to do when she ‘grew up’ she responded honestly, go back to school and get a masters degree in writing. Within months, they had made it happen. Chris found work in Atlanta. Sybil sold her home. [Big garage sale then.] And off they went, like some teenagers – back to college. Mollie sold her house and followed. They would spend nearly two years in Atlanta before moving to Chattanooga.

Sybil led branding and digital communications for Street Dixon Rick Architecture in Nashville. Prior to this, as a consultant she provided communications and presentation skills  training for FedEx, AIG, Alcan and several healthcare clients. She also worked with AT&T and SunTrust Banks in Nashville. In total, Sybil lived in Nashville more than 20 years.

Before joining the Chattanooga Chamber, she wrote regularly for an international career blog based in Singapore, interviewing international executives from London, Hong Kong, Singapore and St. Louis.

The Lillian E. Smith Center awarded her several writers’ residencies in Clayton, Georgia.

She began her career in Nashville as a reporter and editor for the wire service agency United Press International, after completing her undergraduate degree in Communications at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Jason McLain, one of the dozens of cousins, always said she had reached the pinnacle of her career when she interviewed singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett when she was in her 20s, while working at UPI.

She always knew writing was her calling. Speaking and learning more about French was her passion.

During her college years, she spent two summers working in France and later studied international relations in Geneva, Switzerland through a Rotary Foundation scholarship (for which she always expressed gratitude.)

Sybil completed her Masters in Fine Arts degree in Writing from the Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta in 2014.

She believed in the value moving communities forward through civic and professional leadership. Sybil served as president of two professional organizations: CABLE, a Nashville-based business networking organization with more than 500 members - and the Nashville Chapter of the Society of Marketing Professional Services, known as SMPS. SMPS provides continuing education and certification for marketing professionals in the Architecture, Construction, and Engineering fields.

Sybil served for more than 10 years as Vice President of Marketing and Engagement for the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce.

In Chattanooga she served 8 years on the board of ArtsBuild and on the board of directors of a brand-new start up arts organization called the Pop-Up-Project. She served several years on the board of directors for Co.Lab, also in Chattanooga.

She was an active member of the Public Relations Society of America in Nashville and Rotary International in Chattanooga. In Nashville she served on the PRSA board of directors, volunteered with the Girl Scouts, Cheekwood, WPLN, led the team at AT&T raising funds for United Way and earning the Ingram Award. Over the course of her career, she and the teams she worked with won a number of award in the creative fields. But that didn’t matter to her at all – she found great pleasure in helping people working alongside her identify skills they wanted to learn and help them advance in their work. She was a quiet and fierce advocate for equal pay while also encouraging people to take the next steps to acquire the skills they would need to advance. Her door was always open with a listening ear at the ready.

She is survived by her husband of more than 12 years,  Christopher Topel;  mother, Mollie R. Vannoy;  son, Alexander M. (Caroline) Douthat ; brother,  Bill McLain;  and dozens of cousins, aunts, and uncles.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 1 pm, Wednesday, April 10th  at the First Cumberland Presbyterian Church (1505 N. Moore Rd) with Dr. Courtney Krueger officiating.  

You may share condolences with the family at www.heritagechattanooga.com

Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, 651 E. 4th Street, Suite 200, Chattanooga, TN  37403

The family will receive friends Wednesday, April 10th rom 11 am until 1 pm at First Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

Arrangements are by Heritage Funeral Home, 7454 E. Brainerd Road.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.