Mary Todd Poore

Mary Todd Poore, affectionately known as “Toddy” since being elected mayor of her 5th grade class, passed away April 23rd, 2025, at the age of 95.

Born to Howard Davis “Jack” Todd and James Elizabeth Whallon “Jimmy” Todd in Honolulu, HI, Toddy had two sisters: Patricia Todd Carmichael, who resides in Seattle, and Lorinda Todd Luke, who passed away in 2023. Her brother, Howard Davis “Jack” Todd Jr., passed away in 1957.

Toddy graduated from Ashley Hall and attended a semester at Wellesley college before her marriage to her former husband, Col. (Ret.) James E Poore III, who survives her.

Toddy is survived by her six children: Jenny, Ellen, Betty (Mark), Jimmy, Todd, and Jerry (Heidi); grandchildren: Elizabeth (Jason), Davis (Taylor), Jack, Kate, Jimmy, and Rafe (Joanna); her great grandchild: Aidan; nieces Lorinda and Lisa, nephew Jack, and all of their eight children

Toddy raised her six children as a single mother on the Isle of Palms in the early 60’s and 70’s, and this experience no doubt trained her to juggle multiple buyers and sellers as she came to dominate the Charleston real estate market as one of the first female Realtors (if not the first) in the Charleston area. Her secret weapon in the early years was her six-member answering service on the family’s Isle of Palms home phone. Woe to the child who did not answer, “Hello, the Poore residence; may I take a message?” and then put pen to paper to get a name and number for follow up! As her career took off, this answering service was, happily for her kids, replaced by secretaries and mobile CB radios (Toddy was “unit 4”). Toddy also served on the school board for the Moultrie School District in Mount Pleasant in the mid 60’s while starting her real estate career

Toddy loved to play tennis, especially doubles. She had no problem rounding out a foursome as the only woman; she was very competitive and of course good, playing at Creekside, the Country Club, and Maybank courts. The foursomes were sometimes just friends, but more often the other three players were closing attorneys, builders, and other sales agents who had come to know and admire her competitive spirit. She developed a real camaraderie with those she interacted with and earned their respect by outselling most of them as a result of her extraordinary work ethic.

Her children emulated her competitiveness. They took to tennis naturally, and played many matches with and against their mother, not to mention all the other sports she encouraged them to participate in: football, basketball, track and field, and surfing to name a few.

Toddy had a varied taste in music, ranging from Burl Ives to opera to other classical music. She was also an avid reader and loved and supported the local libraries. All of these interests, and more, she passed along to her children.

She had legions of “followers” decades before Facebook. Her real estate clients would have given her millions of “likes” had she come along a little later. And she would likely have sold billions instead of mere millions had the smartphone been around a generation earlier. “I was born into the wrong generation,” she often lamented when “Google” and “iPhone” and the “Internet” began to dominate real estate communications. But she held her own right up to the ripe young age of 85 years old when she officially (but never really) retired from the real estate business. Before and after retirement, Toddy drove numerous Meals on Wheels Mount Pleasant routes, at first alone, then, when she stopped driving, with her children.

Beyond being a very successful career Realtor, an infamously terrible driver, and an even worse cook, Toddy was a wonderful and generous human being who rarely found fault in others. At times sharply direct, at heart a kind and simple soul, Toddy lived a good life and passed away peacefully.

She will be missed by her extensive network of family, colleagues, dear friends, acquaintances, and the thousands of buyers and sellers who for almost 60 years were privileged to share the force of nature that Toddy was. Her children will miss her most of all.

A gathering of Toddy’s friends and family will be held on Wednesday, May 14th, 2025, from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, at the J. Henry Stuhr Funeral Home, 1494 Mathis Ferry Road in Mount Pleasant, SC.

Feel free to come dressed in casual attire if that suits you. It suits us, and Toddy wouldn’t mind at all.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to East Cooper Meals on Wheels.