Melva "Gray" Pollard

Melva "Gray" (Swinson)Pollard
GREENVILLE - Melva "Gray" Swinson Pollard, beloved wife, mother, grandmother and faithful servant of Christ, went to be with the Lord on Tuesday, August 11, 2025 at the age of 84. Funeral services will be held at 2 pm on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, at First Christian Church in Greenville, NC. Gray was born on June 9, 1941, in Morehead City, NC, the daughter of Dock Swinson and Lillie Bruton Swinson. She was one of 11 children, the baby of the family. She attended Morehead City High School where she was voted "Biggest Flirt", a story she loved to tell. After High School, Gray moved to Greenville, NC to attend cosmetology school and went on to perfect her craft for many years, making strong connections throughout the community. Then on one fated day in 1961 she met a dashing young man from Bethel, NC who, somehow, convinced her to become his wife. Gray is preceded in death by her husband, Frederick "Fred" Fernando Pollard. They were loving parents, and attended every game, tournament and event from grade school through high school. Gray never met a stranger. She could be found talking to anyone, anywhere, anytime about anything. Known for her style and grace and upbeat attitude, if you ever asked how she was doing on any particular day, she was certain to tell you that she was "always the best she could be". She was an amazing cook, a fierce friend and a tireless giver to those in need. Her favorite things in life were her children, her grandson, her garden, her beloved "Lunch Bunch:, the Outer Banks and her Duke Blue Devils. A lifelong Christian, Gray found her final church home at the First Christian Church of Greenville where she eventually served as Deacon. She was drawn to the warm, welcoming congregation and the music that reminded her of her childhood with her mother always playing old hymns on the piano. Gray loved being involved in Table Talk, cooking for church gatherings, supporting youth events and community outreach. Gray is survived by her two children, Frederick Fleming Pollard, of Greenville, NC; Elizabeth Pollard Semple and husband, Casher Williams Haggerty, III, of Beaufort, NC; grandson, Jackson Pollard Semple of Washington, DC, and longtime companion Michael Williams of Jarvisburg, NC; his daughter and son-in-law, Crystal and Bill Swain of the Outer Banks, NC and their children, Elijah and Emmett. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations please be sent to the American Cancer Society. Arrangements by Wilkerson Funeral Home & Crematory, Greenville, NC. Online condolences at www.wilkersonfuneralhome.com