With hearts full of gratitude and hope in Christ, we announce the passing of our beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-grandmother, and friend, Gwendolyn Poole, who entered the presence of her Savior on July 15, 2026 at the age of 98.

Born on April 3, 1928, Gwen's story began with the gift of adoption from the Children's Home in Greensboro, North Carolina. She was lovingly welcomed into the Lambert family where they "loved her, made her mind, and took her to church”.

Gwen lived a life marked by unwavering faith, quiet generosity, and joyful hospitality. Throughout her life, she found countless ways to care for others. As a registered nurse, she compassionately served patients from every walk of life, from children with special needs to those incarcerated, believing that every person was worthy of dignity and compassionate care. Later, she operated Wescare Center for Children, where little ones found not only a safe place, but a warm heart and the kind of love that made everyone feel like family.

Her family knew her as a woman who celebrated life wholeheartedly. She loved to laugh, to sing, to dance, and to make others feel at home. She delighted in cheese straws, which never lasted long once they were set on the table! Whether sharing a meal, or welcoming someone to live in her home, hospitality was one of the many ways she expressed Christ's love.

She believed that faith was not merely something to profess, but something to live every day. She consistently pointed those around her to Scripture, reminding them that God's faithfulness could be trusted in every season of life. She quietly met needs without recognition, faithfully prayed for those she loved, and gave away countless Bibles that highlighted the Roman Road. She reflected Christ through a lifetime of humble service. She leaves behind a legacy that reaches across generations. The values she quietly cultivated: love, generosity, hospitality, and unwavering faith, continue to shape the lives of all who had the privilege of knowing her.

She is survived by her children: Carol Grigg, Eddie Poole, and LuEllen Richard, 7 grandchildren, 18 great grandchildren, and 2 great great grandchildren.

She is proceeded in death by her husband Paul Poole and her parents Joe and Ida Lambert.

The family will receive friends on Monday July 20, at Pugh Funeral Home at 1:00pm with memorial service to follow at the Glen “Mac” Pugh Chapel with Pastor Danny McLamb officiating.

If she could write the final words of this obituary herself, they would not be a lengthy description of who she was. She would want you to know the Savior she loved above all else: Jesus Christ. She would be the first to tell you that anything admirable in her life was not the result of her own goodness, but of God's transforming grace. Every life she touched, and every legacy she leaves behind belongs to Him and is for His glory.

Her greatest desire was never that people would remember her, but that they would come to know the One who forgave her, redeemed her, and gave her the hope of eternal life. She would want you to join her in living for the Savior she faithfully followed all the days of her life.

"Well done, good and faithful servant... Enter into the joy of your Master." — Matthew 25:23

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Cross Roads Retirement Community.