Audrey Pinion Obituary

Audrey Mae Woodall Pinion was born January 20, 1943 to Cecil Woodall and Annie Lucille Preston Shankle in Charleston, South Carolina, where her father was stationed at the Navy Yard. Cecil was from Meridian, Mississippi and Lucille was from Anson County, North Carolina.
After the end of WWII, Audrey's father moved back to Meridian, and her mother became the family's primary breadwinner, supporting the family on her wages as a dime store clerk. All the children pitched in to help. Like many young people in the area, Audrey sometimes picked cotton. The price was reported to be a penny per pound. She also got a sales clerk job in the Norwood Department Store. Audrey dearly loved her sister Cecile and her brothers Charles, Ronald, and Donald.
Audrey attended the Norwood, North Carolina schools where she played basketball and excelled at academics, graduating as valedictorian. She later attended Wingate College, studying general education and business. She also earned her license as a real estate broker.
Audrey and Mitchell Wayne (Mickey) Pinion, also of Norwood, had two sons, Thomas Mitchell and Robert Anthony. They resided in Belmont, Mt. Airy, and Monroe, NC, following Mickeys work locations. Audrey was a skilled homemaker and, when the boys were older, worked as an office clerk. After moving to Charlotte, she worked as a waitress, front desk clerk at Heritage USA, and independent costume jewelry vendor in the Jerusalem Marketplace there. She was very proud of owning her own business and was sad when forces beyond her control forced Heritage to close the marketplace.
However, this led to a long career with the US Postal Service, where she worked until she retired at age 70. She joined her long-time friend and later fiancé, Robert John ('Bob') Hoagland, in attending Calvary Church and later affiliated with Morningstar Ministries, also in Charlotte. Audrey had a great affinity for Israel; scriptures that emphasized the covenant between Jehovah and Israel resonated with her deeply. She enjoyed gardening-especially tomatoes, peppers, and flowers, cooking with the latest gadgets, and maintaining her nails and long blond hair. Besides her five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, she was most in love with her cats. Though wheelchair-bound for several years, she relished attending family gatherings and eating out, almost always ordering a steak, baked potato, salad, and cheesecake.
After Bob passed away, Audrey moved to Pinehurst, NC, to be near Mitch and his wife, Sarah, and their family. Though she had overcome colon and breast cancer and other major surgeries, and was legally blind due to ischemic optic neuropathy, she eventually succumbed to the effects of pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Audrey is survived by: Siblings: Cecile Beasley, Donald Woodall, Sister-in-law Carolyn Woodall, Children: Thomas Mitchell Pinion and daughter-in-law Sarah Robert Anthony Pinion Grandchildren and Great-grandchildren: Thomas Mitchell Pinion, Jr. and his partner, Maddie McGrath Mary Parris, and her husband, Cody, with daughter Birdie Martha Bischof and her husband, Grant, with son Chase and daughter Lila Elizabeth Teel, and her husband, Brandon, with son Easton, Rebekah Pinion She was predeceased by her parents, her brothers Charles Woodall and his wife Sue, brother Ronald Woodall, sister-in-law Anna Woodall, and brother-in-law Robert Crump.
The family wishes to acknowledge and thank Audrey's devoted assistants who she considered special friends: Celeste McGinnis, Susan LaCosta, and Chasity Scholl, as well as family members, especially Cecile Beasley and Paula Crump Pierre, who provided help beyond measure. We are grateful for the many doctors and nurses in Charlotte, Pinehurst and Durham, especially those at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital and Hospice House.
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