Patricia Ann Poindexter

October 3, 1940 – July 7, 2025

Patricia Ann Poindexter, age 84 of Salem passed away Monday, July 7, 2025. First child of Dr. J. Carl Poindexter and Josephine T. Poindexter, Patricia enjoyed and excelled in school activities first in Roanoke City Schools (through junior high school at Woodrow Wilson) then at Andrew Lewis High School in Salem. She was an excellent student and active in sports including gymnastics and cheerleading. Well known for her mature beauty at a young age, in 9th grade she was crowned the Snow Queen for the Roanoke City Christmas Parade, an extraordinary event as the chosen queens had always been high school seniors before. She subsequently was the Dogwood Princess in the Vinton Dogwood Festival, then Miss Virginia in the Miss Universe pageant.

Continuing her education in Washington, D.C., she graduated from George Washington University, then went to a full career as a performing artist, briefly in Boston, but continuing for decades in New York. She starred in the musical Evita, a celebration of the passion brought to the political arena by Argentina’s Eva Peron, she performed in summer stock theater in New England and in St. Augustine, Florida. She had periods as a cabaret performer in New York and in South America. Retiring from the big city, she returned home to her beloved Salem, Virginia at the turn of the millennium, residing in the family home she grew up in.

Predeceased by her parents, she is survived by her brother, J.C. Poindexter, by multiple nieces and nephews and their offspring, and by the dogs and cats that she prized as her constant companions. She also continued to maintain close friendships both in New York and here in Virginia. Bright and an intense reader of history, she became well versed in Civil War and World War II history. She enjoyed participating in WWII Roundtable events, often performing patriotic songs with guitar accompaniment. She was a contributor to many causes, including animal support programs. Any desired donations should be made in her honor to Angels of Assisi, 415 Campbell AVE. SW, Roanoke, VA 24016.

A brief graveside service will be held at the family cemetery in Glade Hill, Virginia at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 9, 2025. A memorial service will be held in her memory later at a date and location to be determined.

Arrangements by Flora Funeral Service and Cremation Center, Rocky Mount.

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