D'ANNA POOLE WICK

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2Timothy 4:7

D’Anna Poole Wick, civic leader and wife of a local physician, passed into glory at Hospice of East Texas on October 14, 2018 after a long and courageous fight with colon cancer. She had a positive attitude and never let on that she was sick or in pain. When anyone asked how she was it was always a “good” day.

She was born to Margaret Derden Poole and Henry Bonner Poole on August 7, 1941 in Arkansas but the family moved to her mother’s home in Malakoff, TX at a young age.

D’Anna was always goal oriented and after seeing her cousin marching in a band with white boots & twirling a baton she decided to learn to play a clarinet in the band so she could be a twirler. She succeeded and became a twirler for the Malakoff High School Band for the 3 years she was there.

She excelled in school and skipped her senior year to enroll in the nursing program at the University of Texas in Austin at the age of 16. After her freshmen year she transferred to the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston where she met a medical student who was to become her future husband. She and Paul H. Wick were married during her third year of nursing school and his fourth year of medical school. As a young physician, Paul, interned at the University of Mississippi and D’Anna transferred there and completed her BS in nursing at Ole Miss.

She taught nursing in Amarillo while her husband served his required military service. Following military service the family moved back to Galveston where Paul specialized in psychiatry and D’Anna taught in the OB department as well as becoming involved with the “medical wives”.

After completing his psychiatric residency, the young family moved to Tyler in 1967 where Paul joined Drs. Baskin and McNeel to practice psychiatry.

Shortly after moving to Tyler she became active in Smith County Medical Society Alliance where she served in every position before serving as President in 1995. She was instrumental in organizing the first Book Fair in 1968 that became the major fundraiser for the Alliance. While volunteering in the community she attended graduate school at Texas Woman’s University and earned her Master’s Degree from the University of Texas at Tyler prior to teaching nursing at Texas Eastern School of Nursing.

D’Anna became active in many local organizations. She taught Sunday School at Christ Church Episcopal, served on the altar guild, was president of All Saints Guild and organized more Advent Luncheons than she could remember. She loved serving as an alternate for Loaves and Fishes and in the gift shop.

She was President of the Junior League of Tyler in 1979-80. She helped organize the first Mistletoe & Magic and served as president of the league during its initial season. It still remains the biggest fundraiser for the Junior League of Tyler. It was during this time that the committee decided to ask the community for support for the first time; this idea continues to this day. After completing her year as President she was elected to serve on the regional level of the Association of Junior Leagues where she supervised 5 Junior Leagues in the south and served as the bylaws liaison for 32 Junior Leagues across the US.

Following her active service in the League she was asked by them to organize and start a hospice for the local community. Accepting a challenge was second nature to her even though she didn’t know anything about a hospice. She agreed to do it if they gave her a year to organize it before accepting any patients. D’Anna spent the next year educating the public about hospice care, organizing a board, raising money, talking to physicians, organizing a volunteer course and anything else that needed doing. D’Anna often said that everyone who saw her knew she had her hand out for money and that if someone didn’t know her the minute they found out what she was doing they beat a hasty retreat. The Hospice of East Texas was organized with a great foundation that has endured for over 35 years. D’Anna served as the first CEO of Hospice of East Texas for 7 years and helped recruit her successor. Later she became chairman of the Board and was instrumental in hiring the third and current CEO. D’Anna was honored by The Hospice of East Texas in February 2018 for her work with the organization.

After leaving Hospice of East Texas D’Anna became active on the state level of the Texas Medical Association Alliance and became President of the organization in 2009-2010. She later was elected to the Texas Medical Association Foundation Board of Directors and served as its grant committee chairman for several years.

D’Anna served on the East Texas Symphony Orchestra Board, Women’s Symphony League Board, the American Cancer Society, the Mental Health Association, Tyler Museum of Art, the Alzheimer’s Alliance of East Texas, Quid Nunc literary club and Cork Club. She served on the PATH committee that hired their first two CEO’s and on several Rose Festival committees. She was instrumental in starting Mah Jongg for Memory for the Alzheimer’s Alliance of Smith County and served as reservations chairman for over 17 years. She was active in WIM, an investment club, for 20 years. She also served as a volunteer nurse at Bethesda Clinic.

She was honored by the Junior League of Tyler in 2003 with the Gertrude Award/the sustainer award of the year for her service to the community. In 2002 she was honored by the Smith County Medical Society Alliance with the Heart of Gold Award for her support of the medical profession. She was also honored by the Rice PTA as a Life Member for her service in helping organize a successful bond issue for the school after it had failed two previous times.

She loved her many years of service as homeroom mother to all three children and made many friends along the way. D’Anna always said that she met so many wonderful people whom she would never have known had it not been for her many years of volunteering.

D’Anna was predeceased by her parents, and infant daughter, Stacy Anne Wick.

She is survived by her husband of 58 years, Dr. Paul Wick, sons Steven Wick and wife Merilynn of Tyler and their two sons, Hunter at the University of Arkansas and Carson of Tyler; Dr. Jeffrey Wick and wife Dr. Melanie Wick of Tyler and their twin sons Benjamin at Texas A&M and Alexander at TCU and daughter, Pamela Wick Yoder and her husband Jon of Kingwood and their son Clay, a dental student at Purdue University in Indianapolis. She is also survived by her sister, Virginia Morman (Charles) and brother, Johnny Poole (Melinda) of Malakoff, sister in law Glenda Wick Brashier of Hallettsville as well as several nieces, nephews and cousins.

D’Anna loved her Lord and Savior, her family and especially her 5 grandsons who held a special place in her heart, her church, her friends, her community and her pets. She was a wonderful Mom, loving wife, exceptional Mimi, great friend, good listener, sweet spirited, a beautiful person and a blessing to all who knew her. She added so much to all of our lives and will be greatly missed.

The family wishes to express their appreciation to all her physicians and nurses who cared for her over the last two years especially Dr. Michael Overman and the research staff at MD Anderson where she spent every Monday for the last year; and the wonderful physicians and staff at Hospice of East Texas Homeplace who cared for her during her last days.

A visitation will be held at Stewart Funeral home from 5-7 pm on Tuesday, October 16, 2018.

After a private burial service at Rose Lawn Cemetery, a memorial service will be held at Christ Church Episcopal Downtown at 11:00 am on Wednesday, October 17, 2018, under the direction of Stewart Family Funeral Home of Tyler. Friends are invited to visit with the family and have a light lunch in the parish hall following the memorial service.

The family request that memorials be made to The Hospice of East Texas Foundation, 4111 University Blvd. Tyler 75701, Christ Episcopal Church, 118 S. Bois D’Arc, Tyler 75702, or Pets Fur People. 1823 CR386, Tyler 75703

“Honor her for all that her hands have done and let works bring her praise at the city gate.” Proverbs 31:31.

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