Florence Chan Poyner

Florence Chan Poyner, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, passionate golfer and lifelong supporter of arts and culture in North Carolina, died peacefully after a short illness on Saturday, March 9 at Rex Hospital in Raleigh, surrounded by members of her family. She was 90. Well-known for her cheerfulness, her leadership, her energy and high intelligence, and also for her courage and unshakable honesty, Florence Poyner remained active as one of Raleigh’s leading citizens up until the time of her death.

Florence Isabel Chan was born on September 17, 1922 in Brooklyn, New York to Mr. and Mrs. Robert Morton Chan. Her father, an executive with Magnolia (later Mobil) Oil, moved the family to Dallas when Florence was twelve years old. After graduating from Highland Park High School, Florence attended Randolph Macon College in Virginia, later returning to Texas to graduate from Southern Methodist University, where she studied Drama and History. Soon after the start of World War II, she met and married the late James Marion Poyner, then an officer serving with the U.S. Army’s Dallas-based Chemical Warfare Unit. After the war, the couple relocated to Poyner’s home town of Raleigh, NC to start their family. Over the years that followed, the couple became major contributors to the political, business and cultural landscapes of both Raleigh and North Carolina.

Florence was a tireless contributor to, and supporter of, her adopted home state and region. Her leadership and generosity were felt by many organizations, among them the Junior League of Raleigh, St. Michael's Episcopal Church, and the All Saints Anglican Church (Morehead City, NC). She also served on the boards of directors of the North Carolina Symphony, the Carolina Ballet, the Opera Company of North Carolina and the George Smedes Poyner Foundation, of which she was a founding member. Later in life, she took an ardent interest in assisting emerging young vocal artists, providing support to them both on an individual basis and through establishment of a special scholarship with the Metropolitan Opera’s district auditions in Charlotte.

When not serving her community or tending to her family, she loved to get out and socialize with her many friends. She was also a gifted and passionate student of the game of golf, which she played through her memberships at the Carolina Country Club (where, as a longtime member of the Bogey Busters, she once recorded a hole-in-one), the Country Club of North Carolina, and the El Dorado Country Club in Palm Desert, California.

Anyone fortunate enough to have met Florence Poyner will never forget her uniquely optimistic, upbeat outlook on life, her straightforward candor, her kindness and extraordinary generosity of spirit. She will be greatly missed by her many friends, her loving family, and the community at large.

Florence Chan Poyner is survived by four daughters, Susan Poyner Matthews, Chan Poyner Pike, Margaret Poyner Galbraith and Edythe Mary Poyner; one son, James Marion Poyner III; eight grandchildren, Sarah Florence Moore Sweeney, David Brewster Moore, Mary Smedes Poyner Pike Pozniak, Daniel Poyner Pike, Eliza Poyner Pike Bartleet, Florence Chan Lumsden, Brockman Sinclair Galbraith and Elizabeth De Koven Galbraith; and six great-grandchildren, Amelia Genevieve Moore, Leif McAfee Moore, Zachary Chandler Moore, Callan Irene Sweeney, and Edythe Rose Pozniak.

A memorial service will be held at Saint Michael's Episcopal Church on Wednesday, March 13, at 2:00PM, with a reception following in the Saint Michael’s Fellowship Hall.

In keeping with Florence Poyner’s wishes, donations to the George Smedes Poyner Foundation, 4412 Delta Lake Drive, Raleigh, NC 27612 would be greatly appreciated.

Arrangements by Brown-Wynne Funeral Home, 300 Saint Mary’s St. Raleigh, NC.