Patsy Cook (Pat) Poston, age 87, died April 3, 2025, at Terra Bella Senior Living in Shelby. Although a native of Rutherford County, for almost 50 years she lived with her family in the Woodbridge community on Moss Lake between Shelby and Kings Mountain.

As a wife, mother, and grandmother, Pat earned the nickname "Gammy" while also engaged in the field of professional communications. She helped numerous businesses and organizations convey their news and messages to many diverse audiences.

She honed her craft of reporting, writing, and editing at The Shelby Daily Star (then an afternoon publication), which hired her as one of the first women news reporters shortly after she was graduated from college in 1959. She credited her seven years on this "beat" as underlying her continued interest in local government, schools, courts, and politics.

Pat graduated from Cool Springs High School in Forest City in 1955 and later earned an Associate of Arts degree from Gardner-Webb College and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Limestone College.

Pat worked for nearly 30 years as a public relations and communications executive for enterprises that merged over this time, including Carolinas Hospital & Health Services, Inc. (CHHS) of Charlotte, N.C., SunHealth Alliance, Inc. of Charlotte, N.C., and Premier, Inc. of San Diego, Calif., Charlotte, N.C., and Washington, D.C. She retired from Premier, Inc. as senior vice president for strategic communications in June 2003.

Born June 9, 1937, she was the daughter of the late Samuel Alfred Cook and Alice Brackett Cook of Forest City. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Ben Lewis Poston, and son, Lewis Patrick Poston, both of Kings Mountain; four sisters, Ruth Cook, Frances Cook, and Katie Luckadoo, all of Forest City, and Helen Cook of Spindale. Survivors include her daughter, Laura Poston Cummings, and husband, Mark Cummings, of Kings Mountain; grandchildren Allison Grace Cummings and husband, Victor Heorhiadi, of Seattle, Wash., and Christopher Lewis Cummings of Apex; sisters Carolyn Cook Hatcher and her husband, John Hatcher of Southern Pines, Ann Cook Hardin and her husband, John Hardin of Pineville, Mary Cook Ellenburg and her husband, Harold Ellenburg of Rutherfordton; brother Sam Cook and his wife, Roxanne Cook of Georgetown, Texas; three sisters-in-law, Dorothy (Dot) Poston Bridges of Cherryville, Annie Poston Sisk of Shelby, and Nancy Anthony Poston of Boiling Springs; and several nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.

A family commemoration of her life will be held at a future date. Her remains will be interred at Cleveland Memorial Park.

Memorials may be made to the Cleveland County Boys and Girls Club, 413 W. Sumter St., Shelby, N.C. 28150.

Online condolences may be made at www.cecilmburtonfuneralhome.com
Cecil M. Burton Funeral Home & Crematory is serving the family