Frank Edward Poe III

Frank Edward Poe III (1955-2026)

Ever known for his colorful stories, listening ear, taking his time, stopping to smell the roses and being a steadfast and loyal soul, Frank Edward Poe III, 70, of Houston, Texas, was taken from us too soon by Pancreatic Cancer on January 5th, 2026. He held the hand of his soulmate, Renée as he was called home, and his two girls were by his side minutes later.

Frank was born in Houston, Texas on November 29, 1955 to overjoyed parents Frank Edward "Sonny" Poe Jr. and Rita Joyce Poe (née Robison) and brought home to the same house on Poinciana in which his mother still resides, a house that has been a meeting place for friends and loved ones for over 70 years. Four other rambunctious Poes would be born over the next 11 years, making Frank the quintessential Big Brother figure that he was to so many, regardless of blood relation. However, his love for his younger siblings Charlie, Dwayne, Laura and Lydia was unmatched. Frank had many, many friends and admirers, but his closest three were the "Fearsome Foursome"--Lyn, Greg and Don/Bun, staying close enough friends all of these years to have just celebrated their collective 70th birthdays this past November. They have many a memory of the countless baseball and football games they played in together, forming bonds that truly lasted a lifetime.

Frank was larger-than-life in high school, being awarded "Mr. Scarborough" his senior year in 1974, as well as being named Outstanding Senior Boy by the Houston Independent School District. Little did he know, his future soulmate and wife was a freshman at the time, but they would not cross paths again until 2017. He had a long journey before he would be granted that blessing; though before then he certainly had many others. After graduating from Scarborough, Frank met many of his crew of fellow UH Cougars and Sigma Chis on and off the University of Houston campus, many of whom would come to be by his side during some of his final days 50 years later.

After graduating in 1978, Frank went to work at Cameron Ironworks until getting bitten by the snow bug and spending a few years up in Snowmass, Colorado working at a ski resort as with friends. From odd jobs to sleeping with the windows open and waking up shivering with snow all over the bed, Frank truly came of age in this winter wonderland.

Upon returning to Houston Frank went back to the ole' 9-5 and bought a patio home on Terra Cotta Drive. He began attending the Seekers Class at St. Luke's Methodist Church, meeting a smart and shy young woman there who would end up giving him two precious gifts. Though she was impressed by his humor and good looks, it was the Poe family Sunday night dinners that really won her over, so much so that she agreed to marry him as 1989 came to a close. Frank met his first born, Sarah, in 1992, and his soul was set ablaze at becoming a father, the role that he most treasured. With a new baby at home, Frank became a law student at his alma mater, the University of Houston, often studying with baby Sarah strapped to his chest at the desk that had been narrowly fit into a closet. The family moved to Frank's favorite place, The Woodlands, and welcomed a beautiful baby girl named Kathryn after Frank's aunt in 1995, all the more cementing Frank's passion for fatherhood. 1995 was a big year all around, with Frank graduating from UH Law with his Juris Doctorate.

After a devastating flood in 1998, the family made the decision to move to a new build in Spring, Texas, where the girls would attend preschool through senior year and Frank would work for years at Security Church Finance nearby. Those next nearly 15 years would hold so many precious memories, such as putting in a pool, countless garage concerts in Frank's black Expedition, scary movie nights watching Signs and War of the Worlds, New Years Eve parties with big "grand finale" fireworks, silly moments with their dogs Katie and Maggie and cats Pookie and Gracie, memories at their church Faithbridge, trips to The Woodlands Mall, sleepovers where all the girls asked Mr. Poe to tell another story before they went upstairs to bed, midnight premiers of all the Twilight movies, or mornings he sat at the kitchen table drinking black coffee and eating a Poptart, asking the girls for just a quick back scratch to wake him up.

Frank never raised his voice at his girls once, and never, ever said an angry word to them. Frank couldn't stand to see them hurting or sad, going to check the results of whether they made a team before they could get there so he could mentally prepare, or calling the theater teacher behind the scenes to ask if there are any backstage roles available. Frank would sit and let the girls tell them every detail of the book they were reading, or sit and talk with them about their heartbreak, and he was always there for a hug and a kiss on the head.

However, let's fast forward to 2017 where fate stepped in. At this point in his life, Frank had been going at it alone for the past few years, and after a few attempts, he wasn't quite sure if this whole dating thing was even worth it. He told himself he'd go on one more date and that was it-he was giving up. That same day, he saw a photo of a beautiful face that for some reason stuck out to him. It was almost as if she was familiar in some way. The two began chatting, and it turned out that that face was, in fact, familiar-so familiar, that she had even been to the famed Poe house when she was a freshman at Scarborough High, and Frank was a senior. After all of these years, things just clicked, and they were on fire for each other. When the phrase "and the rest was history" was created, it must have been about Renée and Frank, because when they met again, it was off to the races. They were married on December 29, 2017, and Frank gained two sons Marcus and Mitchell, and Renée gained two daughters, Sarah and Kathryn.

The couple were on fire for each other from the moment they reconnected, and it was a fire that will never go out. That's how it works when you're soulmates. Frank and Renée were two peas in a pod, rarely one without the other. Remember Frank's favorite place, The Woodlands? Well, that's where Renée already resided. They've lived in the wooded wonderland together ever since, with their cat Slinky and new addition Susie.

During their marriage, Frank and Renée had their fair share of joy and sorrow, as life goes. In 2020 they lost their son Mitchell, and in 2023 they lost Frank's brother Dwayne. Frank was no stranger to grief, having lost his father in 2000. Needless to say, these past five years had been a hard time. However, Marcus' wife Deysi gave birth to Frank and Renée's two beautiful grandsons, Thomas and George, whom Frank absolutely delighted in. Those boys love their Frankie and NeNe. Frank would even ignore his bad back just to pick up his boys, and was at every birthday party and fun outing. His grandsons brought so much light info his life.

Frank will always be remembered for his love for the UH Cougars, being "The Fixer" and second dad to his niece Chloe, being the go-to to recommend all the best movies, shows and documentaries, and being a peacemaker. We'll always wish we could hear him say "Ohhhh kids," or "And it's not over yet..." just one more time. We'll think of him each time Apple releases a new gadget, or we get new shoes, or any time we hear The Beatles, The Beach Boys or U2. Frank never made you doubt if he loved you. We will miss him until we see him again.

Frank was preceded in death by his father Sonny Poe, brother David Dwayne Poe, and stepson Mitchell Howell. He is survived in death by his mother Rita Poe, his siblings Charlie Poe, Laura Poe Piper, and Lydia Chamberlain and their spouses, his beloved wife Renée Cannon Poe, his daughters Sarah Poe Darnell and Kathryn Poe Franz and their husbands Culen and Marc, stepson Marcus Howell and his wife Deysi, his grandsons Thomas and George, and his many nieces and nephews and their spouses.

The Celebration of Life for Frank Poe will be held Saturday, January 24 at 2:00PM, at St. Stephen's United Methodist Church (2003 W. 43rd St., Houston 77018). Reception to follow.