Pollie Huddleston Tally

Pollie was born Mary Rebecca Robinson in Atlanta on October 1, 1918, to Viola Rebecca and Ryan Sykes Robinson. As an infant, her dad nicknamed her ‘Pollie’, which stuck throughout her life. She moved with her family to Jacksonville in 1924 when her father was transferred with Graybar Electric Company. After a few years in Jacksonville, the family moved to Orlando, where Pollie spent her late childhood and early adulthood. Pollie had an older brother, John Ryan Robinson (“Jack”), who passed away in 1989, and a younger sister, Peggy, who died as an infant.

Pollie married Paul McKisson (“Mac”) Huddleston, a college friend of her brother, in June of 1940 and the couple moved to Jacksonville. When World War II broke out the next year, Mac was activated as an Army officer and the two of them moved around the country for his various military assignments. In 1944 Mac was posted to Europe with the Fifteenth Army, and Pollie stayed with his family in Sanford. At war’s end they reunited in Jacksonville, where Mac resumed his career as a civil engineer with Reynolds, Smith and Hills, and Pollie became a stay-home mother and community leader. Mac stayed with Reynolds, Smith and Hills his entire career, retiring as Chairman of the Board in 1982. They both lived the rest of their lives in Jacksonville.

Pollie and Mac loved to travel, and spent much of their later years exploring all over the world. Pollie was an accomplished piano player and a lifelong bridge player. She was a longtime member and supporter of St. Johns Presbyterian Church and was active for many years in the Jacksonville Garden Club, Timuquana Country Club, and the Riverside Woman’s club.

Mac died at age 70 in 1986, and three years later Pollie remarried an old family friend, widower Cottrell (“Cot”) Tally. Cot passed away in 2002.

Pollie is survived by her three children, John Franklin Huddleston (“Jack”) of Melrose; Patricia Marie Huddleston Joy (“Pat”) of Boulder, Colorado; and Paul Michael Huddleston (“Mike”) of Atlanta; eight grandchildren, Suzanne Morrison of St. Simons Island; Ed Huddleston of Cullman, Alabama; John Stuart Huddleston of Birmingham; Fred Joy of Atlanta; Becky Joy Jurkuta of Madison, Wisconsin; Beth Huddleston of Boston; Mary Kathryn Huddleston Colburn of Birmingham; and Ryan Huddleston of Jacksonville; and thirteen great-grandchildren.

Pollie had a long, full, active life and treasured her family and friends above all else. The family will receive friends at the funeral home (Oaklawn Chapel) on Friday from 6-8 P.M. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 A.M. on Saturday, April 28, 2012 at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 4275 Herschel St., Jacksonville. Interment will be held at 3:00 P.M. in Oaklawn Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to St. John’s Presbyterian Church. HARDAGE-GIDDENS OAKLAWN CHAPEL, 4801 San Jose Blvd is serving the family.