Mary Carol Gleason Poynter
Born September 14, 1934 in Jacksonville, FloridaPassed away August 13, 2026 in Melbourne, Florida
Mary Carol Gleason Poynter passed peacefully away August 13, 2026. She was the youngest child of Carol and W. Lansing Gleason, pioneers in Brevard County, whose great grandfather, William Henry Hunt Gleason founded the City of Eau Gallie. She was born in Jacksonville, Florida at the request of her mother since there was no hospital in Brevard County, on September 14, 1934. As a youngster she and her mother took a pony cart to downtown Eau Gallie to grocery shop at Karrick’s Grocery Store. She attended Miss Harris’ Florida School in Miami from the second grade until she graduated in 1952; thereafter graduating from Randolph Macon Woman’s College (now Randolph College) in Lynchburg, VA with a BA. She is a member of the Tri Delta Sorority. She married Raymond R. Poynter, Jr (Mickey) following graduation in July, 1956. She is survived by her husband Mickey, their daughter Carol Evans Poynter and her son-in-law David Gilchrist; nieces Carey Gleason and Joan Madry Kligerman and her nephews John and Lansing Madry. Mary Carol began her career as founder and director of the Marywood Riding School in west Eau Gallie, where she taught hunt seat riding and had many adoring students and numerous outings at area horse shows and events. She then began her career in real estate with Gleason & Neafie Realtors in Indialantic and then joined Burklew Realty for a number of years. Active in civic affairs, she was a board member of the Melbourne Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Junior League of South Brevard. She enjoyed team tennis, dance, golf, travel, music and Seaside Readers book club. She played violin and was one of the founders of the Melbourne Community Orchestra. Mickey and she were proud of their philanthropy to enable the Health First Foundation to purchase a “Da Vinci Surgical Robot” which by coincidence helped save her life in 2021. A service for Mary Carol will be held at the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Melbourne on August 28 at 2pm with a reception following at the Eau Gallie Yach Club. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Humane Society of South Brevard, the Melbourne Community Orchestra and to the Health First Foundation.
