Kenneth Poe Funeral Services

November 16, 2021

CHARLOTTE – Our hero is gone, and life will never be the same.

For me (Gina) it’s hard to list the memories I cherish most.  Sometimes the little things imprint on the soul.  Despite a busy and successful career, our dad never missed a dance recital or a swim meet.  He loved waking his family up on Saturday mornings with homemade biscuits and sausage.  Dad would pour the milk and chill all the glasses in the freezer, so they were extra cold.  He made pancakes with smiley faces.  Our house was the one where all the neighborhood kids gathered.  Dad played “monster” and kids jumped on his back and he crawled around on his hands and knees and made loud noises.  I think that might be why he had back issues later in life.  He would have said “it was all worth it.”  Dad had an analytical mind and there was no problem he could not solve.  He taught me how to play chess at an early age.  I know that learning that strategic thinking helped me my entire life.  One of my truest joys is calling dad to tell him that his future and only grandchild was going to be a boy.  He cried.  From then on, he was known as “pop” and a new story was written.

For me (Sherry) it’s impossible to summarize what Dad meant to me, but I’ll start with a few highlights.  He used well-earned frequent flier miles from work to take our family to Australia when I was 12 years old, which was the impetus for my love of travel.  Dad visited me in Africa when I lived and worked there and said it was one of his favorite experiences of all time.  He taught me the value of working hard and saving money, and he was always thinking ahead for the sake of the family.  Dad was a steady advisor and was always the one I worked the hardest to make proud.  He coached me in softball and built a homemade pitcher target to make sure I could be the best at my role as possible.  Dad was the kind of man you admired and wanted to be no matter who you were or where you came from, and I am so lucky he was my dad.

We have been shaped by his love of tradition.  He held annual haunted houses at Halloween for many years and always partnered with mom to host Christmas Eve gatherings for friends and family.  Some of his favorite things were music by Ray Charles, the movie A Christmas Story, sports cars, world travel, our family mountain home, fried okra, creamed corn, bacon-wrapped filet mignon, Rich and Charlie’s salad and pasta con broccoli (recipes that he got from an Italian restaurant in St. Louis). Dad was an avid golfer.  Many Saturdays were spent on the Cedarwood Country Club course.  He always walked the eighteen holes.  Our dad could not imagine why anyone would ride a golf cart!  He had an immense love of reading.  He kept track of how many books he read each year.  Our dad would send book summaries to his family and friends.  He was a devoted husband to Carol for 53 years, and a caregiver for the last four years of her life.

He received his undergraduate degree from University of Alabama and MBA from Florida State University.  Our dad lived his life always being proud of where he came from in Gadsden, Alabama, and held true to the values that his parents instilled in him.  He worked for Monsanto his entire career as a mechanical engineer and then moved into management roles in his later years and was able to take early retirement.

Our dad died peacefully at home after a valiant fight with thyroid cancer.  He was preceded in death by his wife, Carol.  Jim is survived by his daughters, Gina, Becky and Sherry; grandson, Ethan; sister, Jean Martin; nieces, Bonny and Lara, and their children.  He is also survived by his brother-in-law, Edward and his wife, Ginger, and their family. 

A special thanks to Dr. Scott Furney for his continuing care and support of Jim and family.  The family would also like to thank Kristy from Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region for treating him as if he were her own father.  For a short period of time, he was cared for by a very special person named Jackie.  She brought love and light to all of us during a time full of sadness and suffering and we will always be grateful to her.

A private service to celebrate his life will be held in December for close family and friends.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to The University of Alabama or Florida State University.

Arrangements are in the care of Kenneth W. Poe Funeral & Cremation Service, 1321 Berkeley Ave., Charlotte, NC 28204; (704) 641-7606. Online condolences may be shared at www.kennethpoeservices.com.