Bonnie J. Poole

Bonnie J. Poole

Longtime Englewood resident Bonnie J Poole passed away last Thursday, March 16 at the Cherrelyn Health Care Center.  She was 86. 

Bonnie was born on December 13, 1930 to Charles and Hattie McFate.  She grew up in Englewood and graduated from Englewood High School in 1948.  She married her high school sweetheart, Jack Poole, in 1950.  They were married for 64 years, until Jack’s death in July of 2014. 

Bonnie raised four sons, Gary, Scott, Shawn, and Tony.  They were her proudest accomplishment.  All four obtained degrees from the University of Northern Colorado and have spent long careers in public education.  She was very proud of her boys and bragged about them whenever she could.

Aside from her sons, Bonnie had a deep love for reading.  There was never a shortage of books in her household.  She was also able to combine her love of kids and her passion for books by volunteering at the Clayton Elementary School library for 30 years.  Her love of reading was shared with many, especially her sons, who to this day remain avid readers.

Bonnie loved her kids, her neighbors, and warm summer nights spent watching the softball games at Belleview Park.  Whether her husband Jack was playing, coaching, or just watching alongside her, she could usually be found at the park bench just above the field.  The softball field was recently named after Jack, as Jack Poole Field at Belleview Park.

Over the last several years, dementia robbed Bonnie of her memories and her ability to do the things she loved.  The last two years were especially difficult for her as her mind failed far faster than her health. For a once proud and keenly intelligent woman, it was no way to live. In the end her passing was a peaceful blessing.

Bonnie was preceded in death by her parents Charles and Hattie McFate, brothers Harold and Richard McFate, sister Burnette Sharp, and husband Jack Poole.

She is survived by her four sons, Gary, Scott, Shawn, and Tony, her two daughters-in-law, Jane Poole and Rebecca Lopez, seven grandchildren, seven great grandchildren, and her sister, Mary Lawrence, 94, of Fairfax Virginia.

There will not be a formal memorial service.  If you would like to honor Bonnie, stop by the field at Belleview Park and honor her memory from the top of the steps.  She would like that.