Polly Gaylord

Pauline Elizabeth Moore Gaylord, 94, died peacefully on Monday, June 18th at Givens Estates, her home for almost 15 years after moving from Biltmore Forest. Wife of the late Robinson Gaylord, they had been married for 66 years at the time of his death in 2014. Polly was born in Stafford Springs, CT on June 23rd, 1923 the daughter Charles Henry Moore and Harriet Werner Moore, a lumber yard owner and music teacher respectively. She was preceded in death by her adored brothers, Dr. Roger Moore of Sharon, CT and Charles Werner Moore, of Stafford Springs, CT and her beloved sister-in-law, Jean McNeil Moore. As a young adult, Polly became an accomplished equestrian placing and winning in local shows that eventually led her to a national equitation competition in Madison Square Garden. She attended the Knox School in Cooperstown, NY and Erskin Jr. College in Boston, MA majoring in music and drama. After college, Polly moved to Greenwich Village, NYC hoping to explore dramatic work while studying at NYU. She worked as a dress maker’s model for the designer Sydney Wragge of B.H. Wragge sportswear until her marriage to Rob on January 31st, 1948. She lived in Winsted, CT where her husband ran the Winchester Spinning Company which he eventually moved to Asheville, NC in the mid-60s. Our mother thoroughly enjoyed and embraced the richness of her adopted southern town with the community, friends, traditions and culture she grew to love, especially through her 50-plus-year membership in the French Broad River Garden Club, The Cathedral of All Souls Church in Biltmore and the Biltmore Forest Country Club. In addition to her love of horses, Polly was an avid tennis player and fan of the sport. She was a frequent volunteer for the 100-mile trail ride on the Biltmore Estate and an administrative volunteer at The Rathbun Center in Asheville for years. During their 15 years in Asheboro, NC and before retiring back to Asheville, Mom was a volunteer at the Asheboro library nurturing her inquisitive mind and lifelong love of books and poetry. Survived by daughter Sarah Decker and her husband, John, of McLean, VA; Tim Gaylord and his wife, Leslie, of Wilmington, NC; Sylvia DiPrisco and her husband, Joe, of Jackson Hole, WY and Elizabeth Griffin and her husband, Phil, of Louisville, CO and by eight grandchildren, Alex and Amanda Griffin Nau and her husband, JD, Matthew and Alice Gaylord, Michael DiPrisco and his wife, Ashley, Charlotte DiPrisco, Elise and Claire Griffin. She is also survived by three great-grandchildren, Beckett and Harper DiPrisco, and Leo Nau. The Family plans a Memorial Service and interment alongside her husband in Colebrook, CT home of their summer cabin on Gaylord Pond later this summer. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Asheville Symphony Orchestra or The Cathedral of All Souls Church.