Mabel Fern Poling was born June 26th, 1935, in Fleetwood NC. A loving wife and mother, Mabel spent her final days in the presence of her adoring family, passing away in the care of Dove House in Westminster on December 15, 2022.

Mabel is survived by her son Jeff Poling, daughter Joyce Whitney and son-in-law Rob as well as numerous nieces, nephews, in-laws, friends and her grand pets, Toby Poling, Wilson, Lemmy, IV, Phoebe and Ono Whitney.

A 1953 graduate and basketball player of Fleetwood high school in NC. Mabel comes from a big family of thirteen brothers and sisters. She was never at a loss for partners in adventures on the family farm. She loved to tell stories of growing up in the mountains of North Carolina, her mother's abundant cooking, occasional mishaps, and all the trouble you can get into with so many loving brothers and sisters.  Mabel moved to Maryland in 1955 to start her career at Koppers Company later switching gears to the hospitality industry retiring in 2010. After moving to Maryland, she met the love of her life Harold (Hal) who she married in August 1962 and enjoyed 58 years of marriage while raising her children and supporting them in all their dreams with her whole heart.

Mabel is preceded in death by her husband, Harold Poling, her eight sisters Minnie Lou Baldwin, Ressie Garner, Bessie Lucas, Bertha Richards, Gertrude Lucas, Clyde Miller, Wanda Pugh, Jean Cullison, and her four brothers James Baldwin, Walter Baldwin, Tom Baldwin, and John Baldwin, along with her parents Will and Viola Baldwin.

Mabel loved family get togethers, baking cakes and cookies and growing beautiful flowers all summer long. She would anxiously await the delivery of seed catalogs to plan her spring garden, while keeping an eye out for first crocus to pop up in the spring.  Every fall, she waged a battle with squirrels over her spring bulbs. To her dismay, the squirrels often won enjoying a hearty meal of tulip bulbs while taunting her from the yard. Never defeated, she would read up on ways to derail the squirrels and try again the next year. Mabel was sports fan rooting for the Baltimore Orioles and Ravens as well as University of Maryland Basketball. (She had a soft spot for the Lady Terps.) She enjoyed the church family at LHUMC, her chair yoga group, finding a bargain and an occasional yard sale.

A memorial visitation and service will be held on December 28th, 2022, at Hubbard Funeral Home 4107 Wilkens Avenue, Baltimore MD. Masks required. I will supply masks for everyone, but given that everyone is coming off of Christmas events and its a rather small room, there is potential for lots of germs . The interment will be private at the Maryland Veterans Cemetery Crownsville. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Dove House/Bridging Life, Westminster. https://lifebridgehealth.org/main/bridging-life-development#makeanonlinedonation