Reginald Maurice Poole Jr.

Reginald Maurice “Dicky” Poole, Jr., age 69 of Clayton, passed away on April 5, 2023, after a courageous three-year battle with cancer. He was born on May 29, 1953 in Ft. Jackson, SC to the late Reginald Poole, Sr. and Mary Poole, and was a 1971 graduate of Clayton High School. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his wife, LeeAnne Coyle Poole and his brother, Randy Poole. He is survived by his siblings: Rusty Poole of Merritt, NC, Frances Poole Jones (Newitt, Jr.) of Clayton, Robert Poole (Lisa) of Clayton and sister-in-law Mary Poole of Raleigh. In addition to his siblings, he is survived by his stepmother, Bette Poole of Margate, FL; aunt, Frances Poole Yeargan of Garner, numerous nieces and nephews, cousins and wonderful friends that were as close as family.

Dicky’s favorite place in the world was Prudence Island, Rhode Island, where he took many trips with LeeAnne and other family members and dear friends. He was an avid fisherman and as recently as last week, had been working on getting his fishing boat ready and was looking forward to some upcoming fishing trips. He enjoyed deer hunting and target shooting as well.

A highlight for Dicky in the midst of his cancer treatments, which he shared with the family at Christmas, was a chance meeting of a young boy and his mother on a small pier in Oriental, NC last fall. Dicky hooked a fish and handed off his rod to the boy. After the fight of his life, the boy reeled in a Citation Bull Red Drum of 40+ inches. With much excitement the boy turned to Dicky and said, “This is the best day of my life!” Dicky said with tears in his eyes “It’s my best day too!” He shared the story through tears of joy.

Dicky was also a gourmet home cook and enjoyed using the beautiful fresh herbs that he grew in his garden in his cooking. He was happy to share the bounty of his garden with family and friends. He enjoyed red wine (Valpolicella was a favorite), good scotch, and sharing recipes and cooking techniques with other foodies.

Dicky had spent three months recently working with his brothers and sister to renovate the mobile home on his property for renting. There were countless days spent laughing and reminiscing. On this past Monday, all four of them spent the entire day together, working and enjoying each other's company. They are grateful for the gift of such a memorable day, not knowing it would be the last time they'd be in his company.

As per Dicky’s wishes, there will not be a funeral or visitation. Those wishing to make a charitable donation in his memory may want to consider Fishers of Kids Anglers Academy https://fishersofkidsanglersacademy.org/ which provides fishing lessons for underprivileged and at-risk youth.

The family wishes to thank his doctors and staff at UNC for the wonderful, compassionate care he received.