Help lay our soldier, Fred Poindexter, to rest.

On behalf of our family, with heavy hearts, and extreme grief we are compelled to share a sincere request for the patriarch of our family. On May 30, 2023, Fred Allen Poindexter, took his last earthly breath and cross over to be with his wife, Linda, his mother, Helen, and a hosts of family and friends he has since mourned. He has always shared with us that he never expected to live this long, but he believed God gave him longevity for a reason. That reason being, his family.

There are not enough words, or time to describe his multifaceted 80 years on this earth, and what he meant to so many. He was our voice of reason, our sound advice giver, our unwavering protector, and our uncompromising love sharer. He was an excellent storyteller, with a smile that lit up the room, and a highly contagious laugh.

Mr. Poindexter was the oldest of 13 siblings who he helped raise during a place and time where it was difficult, and downright unsafe to be a person of color. He protected them, and instilled in them, to not be afraid of who they were, but to embrace it. When he was barely 18 years old, he enlisted in the US Navy in hopes to help his family out of poverty. Shortly after enlisting, he was sent to Vietnam. When he returned home, he never returned the same young man he was before. He told unimaginable stories of military life, and some untold stories haunted him up until his passing. Mr. Poindexter did not let his PTSD change the core of who he was. He became an electrician, got married, had 7 children, and helped raise 3 more as his own.

After the early passing, of his wife 3 years ago, he became sickened with grief. He had voiced that he never imagined her leaving before him, but he knew he had to make sure his children/ grandchildren were healing from the devasting loss of her passing.

He has sacrificed all he had for his family’s wellbeing, and his only dying wish was, and I quote,” put me where the soldiers lay.” The VA is willing to cover his burial in a military cemetery. But it is only right that we send him off with the proper funeral, and memorial service that he deserves. His time of passing has come at a time where financial hardship is affecting so many, including our family. So, we are asking for assistance to help pay for his funeral expense and lay our Father, Grandpa, Uncle, Big cousin, our Soldier to rest.