Marcella Ann Mabe Poling

Marcella Ann Mabe Poling died at her home at Westminster Canterbury on March 1, 2025. Ann was born September 29, 1946 in Pulaski, Virginia to Alma Mae Newman Mabe and Lanzy Robinson Mabe. Maternal grandparents were Posey Lester Newman and Ada Ayers Newman; paternal grandparents were Rachel Lineberry Mabe and James Madison Mabe. She is survived by her husband Harry Emerson Poling and sons John Robert Poling Winterbourne (Amber) and Mark Edward Poling (Kathryn Mara Richardson). Grandchildren are Winter Waln; Gaia, Fathom and Gideon Winterborne; Lucy and June Poling. Also surviving are sisters Betty Mae Mabe (Burton) and Janie Lee Mabe and brother Robert Eugene Mabe (Joyce). Ann attended public schools in Carroll County,VA. She attended one room schools in Galax and Carroll County. Other schools were Oakland and Laurel Elementary. She graduated from Hillsville High School in the Class of 1964. At age 7, she was baptized by Rev. Ottie Utt and became a member of the Galax Church of the Brethren. Later the family moved to the Coulson Community and were members of Coulson Church of the Brethren where she was church pianist. Ann graduated in 1968 from Bridgewater College, Bridgewater Virginia, with a BS in Music Education. She married Harry Emerson Poling on June 2, 1968 in the Bridgewater Church of the Brethren. They lived in Pittsburgh, PA for six years while Harry completed medical school and anesthesia residency. Ann was an elementary school teacher for Head Start and classroom music. John was born in Pittsburgh in1972. Ann, Harry and John moved to Winchester in 1974 when Harry joined Winchester Anesthesiologists, Inc. Mark was born the following year. Ann served as an organist, children’s choir director and Bible School teacher at Calvary Church of the Brethren. When this organization sponsored Vietnamese and Laotian refugees, she taught English as a Second Language. She later taught ESL and Kindergarten in Winchester Public Schools. Volunteer activities were an important part of her life. Organizations in which she served were Congregational Church Action Project, American Association of University Women, Preservation of Historic Winchester, Hawthorne Garden Club and Hospital Follies. In 2005 she received the Volunteer of the Year award from Blue Ridge Hospice. Ann (and Harry) sang in Arts Chorale of Winchester, under the leadership of Michael Main. With Wendy Oesterling’s direction, they participated in the Piedmont Singers, a group which sang Evensong in British Cathedrals in Canterbury, York and Oxford. In 1988 she was received into Christ Episcopal Church. She sang in the choir under the direction of Dr. James Kriewald, served on the Vestry and taught Sunday School. A memorial service will be held on Saturday March 22 at 2:00 pm at Christ Episcopal Church with a reception to follow. Ashes will be interred by family members in locations that were special to Ann. Instead of flowers, please make a contribution to a charity of choice or the Laurel Center (PO Box 14, Winchester 22601), Blue Ridge Hospice (333 West Cork Street, Winchester), or Nursing Scholarship Fund at the Shenandoah Westminster Canterbury Foundation (300 Westminster Canterbury Drive Winchester).

Marcella Ann Mabe Poling

September 29, 1946 - March 1, 2025