Reverend Emmanuel Poole Pegram, 87, of Raleigh, NC was welcomed into his Savior’s loving arms on October 19, 2025. Emmanuel was a devoted servant of God whose dedication in ministry touched endless lives in his 50 years of preaching the gospel.
Emmanuel was born into a minister’s family on March 26, 1938, in Henderson, NC and grew up throughout the eastern part of North Carolina as his father pastored numerous churches. He graduated from West Edgecombe High School, Campbell University, Wake Forest University and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
At an early age, Emmanuel accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord & Savior. While in high school, God called him to ministry. His caring, kind heart, love and warmth for others allowed God to use him in a mighty way to spread the gospel. He embraced & loved ministering to his church families. Much glory and praise were given to our Lord as he was faithful and obedient to God’s call on his life.
He found joy in the simple pleasures of life. Being outside in God’s creation was one of his most favorite things to do. His attention to detail was displayed in his perfectly straight streaks in his freshly mowed lawn. He found great delight in playing the piano. While at Wake Forest University, he had the privilege of serving as a pianist for several churches at their Sunday worship services. Woodworking became a beloved hobby which brought him immense enjoyment.
With total dedication and loving support, he embraced his role as a husband and Dad. Peggy was the love of his life, and he thought she was the most beautiful woman both inside and out. He was the epitome of a “girl Dad” and cherished having his home filled with “his three girls.” The home echoed of laughter and fun as he possessed an incredible sense of humor. Many tears flowed from the belly filled giggles of those around him.
His family was such an important part of his life and he no doubt was over the moon when he became a grandparent and a great grandparent. He was affectionately known as “Epa.” He had an infectious laugh that his grandchildren longed to be around to hear.
He had a quiet strength and a heart for caring and listening to others. His gentleness and warmth allowed a surplus of kindness to flow to all who knew him. He modeled what love was all about not just through his words but through his actions in how he put other’s needs before his.
His love ran deep for his wife, twin girls, his grandchildren and great granddaughter. His smile lit up the hearts of those he loved, and his warm embraces were such a gift of comfort as he was the steady rock of our family.
Left to treasure his memory are his loving wife of 60 years, Peggy Norwood Pegram; twin daughters who totally adored him and sons-in-law, Sherri and Steve Kenney of Raleigh, Terri and Mike Ellis of Glen Allen, Virginia; four much loved grandchildren, Ashley Lauren, Dave, Michael and Caroline; one precious great grandchild, Zoey, and his sister he treasured, Elaine Forehand of Raleigh. His love extended to nieces and nephews, and he had an abundance of cherished friends.
His devoted parents McKinley and Lula Pegram, and dear brother, Durwood met our Savior face to face in prior years.
The place Emmanuel held in our hearts will only grow more, as we reflect and remember how special and irreplaceable his touch was on our lives. We will always love him.
A celebration of Emmanuel’s life will be at 1:00 pm on October 23, 2025, at Trinity Baptist Church, Raleigh, NC, with a visitation to follow in the church narthex at 2:00 pm. The family will have a private burial at Raleigh Memorial Park.
In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made to Trinity Baptist Church.
For those not able to attend, the service will be live streamed at tbcraleigh.com or you can go to the Facebook page for Trinity Baptist Church to view.