Helen Jo Poole

1930 - 2011

Helen Jo Holder Poole passed away on Friday April 15, 2011 in Juneau, Alaska due to complications related to chronic pulmonary obstructive disease. Helen was born on May 5, 1930 in Texola, Oklahoma to loving parents James Wilkie Holder and Vera McKinney Holder. She grew up in Wellington, Texas with her brother, Jimmie Ray Holder, graduating from Wellington High School in 1948. She attended Texas State College for Women as a music major for a year.

Helen married Edward Lee Poole on November 26, 1950 in Wellington, Texas. She gave birth to two children, Marshall Scott Poole and Marsha Kimberley Poole. Helen and her family lived in Wellington, Shamrock, and Wheeler, Texas prior to moving to Amarillo, Texas in 1953. She resided in Amarillo from 1953 to 1997. For the first part of those years she attended to her family, volunteering for church, Cub Scouts, Camp Fire Girls, and other pursuits. She also went back to school, first to Amarillo College and then to West Texas State University to complete B.S. and M.S. degrees in Education. She later obtained certification as a psychometrist.
Helen student taught at San Jacinto Elementary School in Amarillo. After a short period as an independent testing consultant, Helen went to work for the Texas State Center for Mental Health and Mental Retardation as a diagnostician. She returned to the Amarillo School District and went on to teach special education at North Heights School, and later served as counselor in elementary school, then as a district wide diagnostician. Helen served the school district until she retired in 1995.

In 1997 she and Ed moved to College Station, Texas, to live near her son Scott, his wife Lisa, and her grandson, Sam. In 2006 Helen moved again and split time, living half the year in Champaign, Illinois with Scott and his family and half the year in Juneau, Alaska with her daughter Kim.

Helen is survived by her brother Jimmie Ray Holder and his wife Mary Nell of Alva, OK, her son Scott Poole and his wife Lisa Lue O'Dell of Champaign IL, her daughter Kim Poole, of Juneau AK, and her grandson, Sam Poole, of College Station TX. She was preceded in death by her husband, Ed, and her parents.

At her request no services are planned. If desired memorial donations may be made to "JAMM: Juneau Alaska Music Matters" at PO Box 32960 Juneau AK 99803.