Adrian Pols

1947 - 2025

Adrian Edward Pols of Charlottesville, VA died September 11, 2025 after a short illness.

The son of Eileen and Edward Pols, Adrian was born in 1947 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He grew up in Brunswick, Maine, the eldest of six siblings.

His father was a professor of philosophy at Bowdoin College and on two occasions, Adrian lived abroad with the family while his father was on year-long sabbaticals. These were deeply formative experiences. At age 11, he was introduced to the rigors of the British educational system in London. At age 18, Adrian joined his family for a year in the hills above Florence, Italy. He was soon fluent in Italian and deeply immersed in Italian life while also exploring much of Europe on his own.

A consummate learner, Adrian developed an early interest in all matters scientific and soon gained an encyclopedic knowledge of physics, chemistry, mechanics, and engineering through rigorous self-education. He also read voraciously in other fields, especially history, and became adept in the fine art of debate during family dinners.

He was drawn to natural phenomena and particularly fascinated by weather. By the time he was a teenager, he had a passionate interest in mountain climbing, particularly the White Mountains, where he knew the terrain as if it were his backyard. Throughout his life he found endless pleasure in mountain climbing and exploration, including the Sierra Nevada.

After graduating from Brunswick High School in 1965, Adrian enrolled at St John's College in Annapolis, Maryland, where he spent four years reading the "great books" and emerged with an education founded on the classics. In Annapolis after college, he began working in social services.

While visiting a friend in Charlottesville, he was drawn to both the atmosphere of the university town and its proximity to the Blue Ridge mountains. He settled there and remained in Charlottesville until his passing. He joined a group of friends who were working as social workers for Albemarle County.

Specializing in Child Protective Services, his work affected Adrian profoundly. His empathy for victims and those who were broken became a life-long passion. Throughout his lifetime, he supported countless people in a wide variety of ways, offering a shoulder to lean on in crisis or hiring those who desperately needed a new start, paying a single mother's fuel bill, and performing other acts of largesse. This was done quietly and without asking for anything in return. In the weeks since he passed, his loved ones continue to hear daily from those who benefited from his charity, wisdom, guidance and support.

Adrian met his future wife, Sondra Stallard, in 1977, and they married on August 4, 1979 after purchasing the Old Eastham Market, which was a restored jewel on Stony Point Road. It was there that he began tinkering with and fixing cars, mostly Volvos.

In 1979, Adrian and his colleagues faced a horrific case of child abuse, and Adrian and Sondra kept the teen in their home for safety. After that experience, Adrian decided to quit his job, telling friends, "cars are easier to fix than people." He established his first independent business, "Eastham Engineering," and began working out of the home's garage.

In 1983, Sondra and Adrian welcomed their beloved son, Adrian Evan Pols. By the next year, word of Adrian's automotive prowess had spread and he was able to lease a new repair shop facility in downtown Charlottesville. Within a few months, he hired additional mechanics and the most defining chapter in his life, beyond fatherhood, began.

Over the next 41 years, Eastham Engineering branched out into all things European and became one of the premier independent repair shops in Charlottesville, employing dozens of people. The shop, later renamed Auto-Teknika, became his "clubhouse" and one could find him there seven days a week working on various projects, often with coworkers or friends. As a car enthusiast, Adrian enjoyed driving and maintaining his own classic Mercedes.

Adrian developed countless relationships with coworkers and customers over the decades. Some he mentored, some say he impacted them profoundly, and many hailed him as a friend.

Adrian also had a love of animals and shared his home with many cats and dogs over the years-his last canine love, Evita, was with him for nearly 15 years. His "Vita-ve's" leash traveled with him to the Great Beyond.

Though he might have scoffed at the term, Adrian was a true "Renaissance Man" in every sense. He was an auto didact who could speak with authority on any subject that captured his attention. Equipped with an irreverent sense of humor and a prodigious vocabulary, he could be blunt at times, and did not suffer fools gladly. But friends described him as "a lifelong social worker who also happened to be an excellent engineer."

Adrian is survived by his beloved son, Evan, who not only absorbed his father's mechanical talents, but his intellectual curiosity. After college and a stint working in Northern Virginia, Evan moved back to Charlottesville and father and son were together daily, often working side-by-side on a project at the shop or on home improvements.

Adrian also leaves behind sisters Cynthia Pols, Alison Pols, and Mary Pols, all of Brunswick, Maine, and Elizabeth Pols of Belchertown, Massachusetts; and a brother, Benet Pols of Brunswick, and their families, including nephews Matthew Tarpey, Dolan Pols, and Sid Pols, and three nieces, Katy Reid, Isabella Pols, and Julia Pols. He also is survived by his former wife, and life-long friend, Sondra Stallard of Charlottesville.

A Memorial will be held at a yet-to-be decided location in Charlottesville in early November. Notices will be put on Facebook and anyone who would like to attend can reach Evan Pols at his email, adrian.pols@gmail.com.