The Reverend Mark Hambrick Poole, 70, of Oglethorpe, GA, passed away on Thursday, February 12, 2026, at Emory Warner Robins Medical Center. A celebration of his life will be held at County Line Baptist Church, 6716 Hwy 240 E., Ellaville, GA 31806, on Monday, February 16, 2026, at 2:00PM with the Rev. Johnny Brooks, the Rev. Mark Kinservik, and the Rev. Brandon Jones officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. Pallbearers will be Ashley Coker, Eric Lane, Lance Teele, Caleb Teele, Terry Layfield, and Dylan Wall. Honorary pallbearers will be his grandsons and the Deacons of County Line Baptist Church. The family will greet friends at Way-Watson Funeral Home in Ellaville on Sunday, February 15, 2026, from 3:00-5:00PM.

Mark was born March 8, 1955, in Americus, GA to Malcolm Nicholson and Vivian Hambrick Poole. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his first wife, Shirley McLendon Poole, a daughter, Carrie Michael Poole, two sisters, Betty Jean Teele and Patricia Smith; and a brother, Larry Poole.

Mark retired after a 34-year-long career as a supervisor for a 13-county area of central Georgia, working for the Department of Family and Children’s Services. He was also retired from the full time ministry after being ordained as a minister in 1994. Mark served as the pastor of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Garden Valley and his “home church” County Line Baptist, where he grew up singing hymns with his sister on a step stool and his brother playing piano. 

Mark spent his life in service to God first, his family, his church family and his close friends. He will be remembered for using his life, his joy, his wisdom, his kindness and his love to bring others to Christ. 

There was no room that was not made brighter by his presence, no song not made sweeter with the sound of his voice, no church sanctuary not filled with more the spirit of God’s love when he stood in it and no love that could be felt more deeply than being loved by him. 

Survivors include his wife, Lynn Poole; his children, Nigel Poole and wife Lezlie, Brittney Giles and partner Tyler Chapman, Jessica Northern and husband Anthony, Keely Mitchell and husband Speedy Hernandez; his beloved grandchildren, Jasper Poole, Oren Giles, Emory Poole, Ezra Giles, Kaleisa Northern, Tanner Davis, Liam Davis, Aubrey Northern, Dalton Northern, Brantley Northern, Ellie Kate Hernandez, and Leo Hernandez; a brother, Mac Poole; a sister, Beth Poole Barfield; a host of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, and friends of his children, whom he loved and thought of as the closest of family. 

Flowers are acceptable or donations may be made to County Line Baptist Church, 6716 GA Hwy 240, PO Box 304, Ellaville, GA 31806, or to Friendship Camps, 2404 Hwy 30 West, Americus, 31719.