Doug Poole

Elvis has been quoted as saying, "I'm just a simple country boy at heart." Henry Douglas Poole, or Doug to those who knew him, was one of those rare type of men who was strong and yet could take himself lightly. Born March 15, 1938, to Joseph Thomas and Pearl (Baggett) Poole, he was the youngest of 11 children growing up in Louise Creek Hollow near the sawmill his father ran. He drank in the cool spring water, swam in the creek basins, playfully hid from his sister in the chicken coop, and, in the cold months, sought the warmth of the wooden stove used to heat their timbered house. His home wouldn't know electricity until he was eleven. 

It would seem he enjoyed the 'good ol' days,' leaving school after 8th grade for life as a sawyer's hand/assistant. Life, he learned early on, was not without pain. Two of his sisters did not survive infanthood, and he lost his brother Billy to a horrific truck accident. He suffered a serious bout of what he believed to be ptomaine poisoning when he was a schoolboy, the effects of which stayed with him the rest of his life. Yet the Lord's hand guided him through the many challenges thrown in his path, and he persevered. 

At 18, he would meet Faye McCollom, who was in her father Thomas's car as he offered Doug a ride. It was an unlikely match at the start, as Faye would laughingly later share that she wasn't thrilled with what she saw when Doug opened the door and squeezed in the backseat next to her. That quickly turned around, and in 1959, a 17-year-old Faye would marry Doug, then 21, at her Uncle Clifton and Aunt Jewel Hayes’ home. The two would eventually settle in Cunningham for a long marriage of 66 years, just a few miles from where they each grew up. For its entirety, their union would be filled with love. Doug worked for his father, as well as Acme Boot and Brunson’s Furniture, before building units with Trane Company where he would spend three plus decades of his working life until retirement. 

At home, Doug tended a garden of his favorite beans, peppers, tomatoes, and okra. Rarely did a year go by without seeing the ground tilled in a perfect rectangle out back. Doug loved to give nicknames to those special to him – sometimes they could be sweet, and other times humorous enough to make you wonder how he still got on well with its recipient. He was always full of stories, and his thoughts were like a book; he delighted in getting to sit and ‘read’ the chapters (of his past) to others. Sometimes they would be of his childhood in the hollow, sometimes his work, sometimes the scene where he dozed off at a barbershop and the barber then shaved off his eyebrows – but in every chapter it was family. 

Doug's family was very dear to him, perhaps one of the only things to surpass a good home-cooked meal in ranking. He was a kind man who enjoyed the simple things in life. His faith was part of him all of his life, and he loved to be involved with his church. An Elvis fan through and through with a knack for the guitar and singing, he would share his gifts with those around him as often as he could. He was careful, caring, and would sometimes share wisdom he had learned over the years, one being "You can't just sit down and do nothin. You moss over and you rust out." He avoided the moss and at 71 flew in an airplane for the first time to Hawaii, a memory he would continue to delight in for years to come. Even in recent years, as he had become the caretaker for his wife Faye, he continued to enjoy the company of his family and anything home-cooked that he could get his hands on, even learning how to cook some favorites on his own. 

Doug was stubborn to the very end, diligently fighting his way back to health, saying he was “still kicking, just not very high.” He leaves a place at his earthly table now unfilled, as he takes his Heavenly seat with his Maker, no doubt thrilled to be part of the full chorus of praise. Doug was preceded in death by his parents and siblings Harry B (Jean) Poole, Ruth Poole, WG (Mildred) Poole, Essie Lois (George) Walcott, Billy Poole, Mary Belle Poole, JT (Nancy) Poole, and Peggy Jean (Finis) Gray. He is survived by his wife, Faye; son, Tim, daughter-in-law Inge, and grandaughter Zoe (his “Sweet Pea”); brother Rodney & sister-in-law Nell; like-sister Dunise; treasured nephews and nieces; the Grace Communion fellowship family; home healthcare friends from Amedisys and Barbara; as well as dear coworkers and neighbors. We will miss you, small town Southern man!

Doug’s family will receive friends at McReynolds-Nave & Larson Funeral Home from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 15, 2025, with the Celebration of Life beginning at 11 a.m. on the same day. He will be laid to rest at Marion United Methodist Church Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests you share a moment of music with someone special in your life or contribute to the music program at your local church or school.