Vernon Pooley

VERNON POOLEY

Cedar Rapids

Born July 5, 1928 to Edna and Ernest Pooley in Regent, ND and passed away into the hands of our Lord Jesus Christ on November 6, 2014 at the age of 86.

Our father moved along with his parents and younger sister Donna, to Oskaloosa, IA when he was 10 years old. Dad enjoyed being an athlete in high school. He played football, basketball and baseball. He was president of his high school senior class. More importantly, this is where he met our mother, Jane, at a high school dance. This past Labor Day weekend, our parents were blessed to have celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary; a testament to their love and devotion of a long and happy marriage.

Our father graduated from Simpson College in May of 1950 and entered the military shortly after graduation. Mom and Dad were married on Sept. 2, 1951 and six weeks later Dad accepted his assignment in the Korean War. While attending Simpson College our father was President of his ATO fraternity as well as president of Simpson's business fraternity.

After returning from his tour of duty in the Korean War, Dad started working in the insurance industry and our parents started a family in 1953. As the son of an engineer and high school algebra teacher, education was very important to our father. He impressed upon his 5 children the importance of achieving a minimum of a college education, if not more. Vern himself was the premier of character, and we hope to shape fine character in our children as well. As head of the Pooley household, he tried to be a moral compass for his family. Often during the parental testing years of raising teenagers, Dad would repeatedly say, "What were you thinking?!; "Get your priorities straight! And "Remember, when you walk out that door you are representing this family." Basically, think before you act and maintain civility towards your fellow man. On a lighter note, the five children also inherited a slight ornery streak from our father. So in true Pooley fashion, each of us took it upon ourselves and made sure this characteristic was also lived. It wasn't good when we got caught.

Vern began his career in the insurance industry in 1953. From 1961 until 1998 he worked in the Cedar Rapids community. He earned his CPCU designation in 1967. Throughout his career, Vern developed many longstanding client relationships that lasted for decades. During Vern's tenure with Frank B Hall of Iowa he served as president of the organization.

Our father served on many boards in the Cedar Rapids community and Iowa at large: St. Paul's United Methodist Church, Meth Wick Manor, YMCA and Simpson College Board of Trustees to name a few. He was a well-respected leader and contributing member within the Cedar Rapids community. Dad was also very well respected among his peers within the insurance industry.

Vern is survived by his loving wife Jane and their five children; Curt (Barb), Lynn (Basil), Mark (Laurie), Marcy (Richard), and Jim (Rhonda); ten grandchildren - Katie, Amie, Jonathon, Andy (deceased), Theo, Mark, Nicholas, Kristin, Andria and Rae; four great grandchildren - Edan, Graham, Harrison and Andy; and his sister Donna (Loren) Knox of Oskaloosa, Iowa, and their three children Dave, Chuck and Ann. Additionally, our family wishes to recognize the following two individuals who were genuine friends of our father; Mr. Bill Whipple, who preceded our father in death, and Mr. Edge Watts, who continues to be a faithful friend of our family.

The Pooley Family is extremely proud of our father. He is characterized by many as a class-act and an eloquent gentleman. Our father instilled in us the importance of being true to yourself. He always made a concerted effort to treat others as you would like to be treated. For years our father carried the following quote tucked inside his wallet: "To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man". - William Shakespeare

With fondness, The Pooley grandchildren continue to refer to their grandfather as "Super Grandpa" a character from the children's book, Super Grandpa by David M Schwartz.

The Vernon Pooley family would like to take this opportunity to thank the excellent care that our father received over the past 8 months at the Meadow View Care Center. We also wish to also acknowledge Above and Beyond hospice care. Both organizations were exceptional in their attention to our father's health and wellbeing during his final chapter in life, which brought an abundance of comfort to our family.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations please be made to the Alzheimer's Association: http://m.alz.org/donate.asp

Funeral service to be held at Christ Episcopal Church: 220 40th Street NE, Cedar Rapids, IA on Tuesday, November 11, 2014 at 1:00 pm. Viewing to be held from 4-6 pm, Monday, November 10, 2014 at Cedar Memorial: 4200 First Avenue NE, Cedar Rapids, IA.

Please remember our father with smiles and laughter.