Mary Madeline (Sizemore) Blake

Mary Madeline Blake, age 91, passed away on Sunday, April 26. 2020 at Montgomery General Rehab and Nursing, Montgomery, WV. with family by her side.  Madeline was born in Gauley Bridge, WV on October 19, 1928 to the late Grant Sizemore and Lura Ward Sizemore.  She was a 1946 graduate of Gauley Bridge High School and a 1974 graduate of West Virginia Institute of Technology.  She was an elementary special education teacher for Fayette County Board of Education.  Throughout her life, she enjoyed art, sewing, painting and floral design.  

Madeline was a lifelong member of Gauley Bridge Baptist Church where she was a Sunday School teacher, VBS Director, American Baptist Women president and Sunday School Superintendent.    She was a member of Gauley Garden Club and served as president of the Fayette County Garden Council. 

Those preceding her in death were her husband, Russell E. Blake, Jr. and brothers Roscoe Sizemore and Carl Sizemore.  Those left to cherish her memory are her son, Gary Michael Blake (Ann) of Deland, FL, Jill Tucker (James) of Gauley Bridge, and Jan Mullinax (Robert) of Gauley Bridge, sister, Thelma Thomas of Gauley Bridge.  Grandchildren include, Mike Blake, Dr. Christy Carter, Erica Tolbert, Adam Minter, Julie Chavez, Hollie Aguilar, Brittany Murphey, Robyn Mullinax.   There are eleven great grandchildren and three great -great grandchildren.

A walk-through viewing, with social distancing being observed, will be held at Pennington Smith Funeral Home, Gauley Bridge, beginning at 11:00 A.M. Saturday, May 2, 2020 followed by a graveside service at 1:00 P.M. at Huse Memorial Park, Fayetteville, WV, with Pastor Raymond Butcher officiating.

In lieu of flowers the family suggests donations to the Gauley Bridge Baptist Church Memorial Fund, P. O. Box 787, Gauley Bridge, WV, 25085 or the Alzheimer’s Association, 1601 Second Avenue, Charleston, WV, 25387 or www.alz.org.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.penningtonfuneral.com.

Pennington Smith Funeral Home is honored to be serving the Blake family.

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