Polly Ann Cole, 84, of Portsmouth, passed away on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, at SOMC. She was born in Portsmouth on May 24, 1941, the daughter of the late Rev. Ernest George and Grace Ramey Burton.
Polly was an LPN at the former Mercy Hospital, and she retired from SOMC. She had also worked at the former Williams Manufacturing Company, and was a 1959 Portsmouth High School graduate.
On May 20, 1961, Polly was united in marriage with Ralph Edward ‘Buddy’ Cole in Portsmouth, with her father, Rev. Ernest Burton, serving as officiant. Mr. Cole passed away on October 19, 2024, after 63 years of marriage.
Surviving are two sisters, Rosalie Johnson of Sebring, FL and Thelma Wallace of Livonia, MI; two grandchildren, Nathan Cole and Sara Cole Jones; several great-grandchildren; a sister-in-law, Ruth Ison, of Portsmouth, several nieces and nephews and their families, and some very close friends.
Polly was preceded in death by her only son, Joseph Edward Cole; and three siblings, Ernest Burton, Jr., Harold Burton, and Norma Smith.
Funeral services will be held at noon on Monday, January 12, 2026, at the Ralph F. Scott Funeral Home in Portsmouth with Pastor Randy Schintzius officiating. The Nurse Honor Guard of the River Cities will offer services as well. Interment will be in Greenlawn Cemetery.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home one hour prior to services.
