Fay Polewada Lambert spent nearly two decades making Golden Age Nursing Home residents feel at home.
A longtime volunteer at the facility, Lambert, 91, also died there of heart failure Sunday, Dec. 29, 2002. Services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Wilson & Knight Funeral Home.
Starting in the early 1980s, she organized picnics, fishing trips and parties for the nursing home's residents.
She brought in entertainment groups and ministers for devotionals. Her service earned her a paid position as the nursing home's volunteer coordinator.
"She kept the plants watered in the building, and she also would buy things for the residents who were in need - those who didn't have family members or resources they might need," said Ed Hill, the nursing home's administrator.
A struggle with progressive Alzheimer's disease brought Lambert to live at Golden Age. But she was drawn there long before by a desire to help the residents, Hill said.
"She just wanted to do something with an interest toward the elderly, and she knew that Golden Age would be a place where she could volunteer her services," he said.
Her service attracted other volunteers.
She would get van drivers to accompany her and residents on trips.
Her job as dial manager for Southern Bell for more than 47 years established her as a member of the Telephone Pioneers. She served as the group's state president for a while and organized a life member club of the Greenwood Telephone Pioneers.
"As a matter of fact, she got a lot of the Pioneers to volunteer their time," Hill said. "She was a very innovative lady at getting people to come to the facility to volunteer their services."
Mrs. Lambert attended Greenwood Public Schools and later graduated from Draughon Business College.
She was also a member of the Greenwood Rebekah Lodge No. 8, where she served as a past Rebekah Assembly president.
Visitation will be from noon until the time of the services Tuesday at the funeral home.
Burial will be in Odd Fellows Cemetery.
