Charles Poole Jr.

Charles R. Poole Jr. Charles Roy Poole Jr., 83, husband of Kathleen Harris, died Sunday, Jan. 3, 2010, at his home in Lexington, Ky. A graveside service was held Friday, Jan. 8, at 10 a.m. at Camp Nelson National Cemetery. He was born Sept. 19, 1926, in Ivanhoe to Charles Roy and Margaret Welbourne Poole. He grew up on the family farm and was the oldest of eight children. He was graduated from high school in 1945 and volunteered to serve in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He was stationed in Europe months after the atomic bomb forced Japan to surrender. He would spend the rest of his career helping to build and manage America's nuclear arsenal. After leaving the service, he took advantage of the G.I. Bill and began studying chemical engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute (Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg, graduating in 1951. Upon graduation, Charlie went to work for Mason and Hanger at the Atomic Energy Plant in Burlington, Iowa. He progressed rapidly from process engineer to division manager, responsible for the manufacture of high-explosive components and the assembly of nuclear weapons. He was also the liaison for transferring the Burlington nuclear weapons program to the Pantex Plant near Amarillo, Texas. In 1974, he moved to Amarillo to become assistant plant manager and in 1980 became plant manager and vice president of Mason and Hanger. In 1988, Charlie moved to Lexington to the company's corporate offices where he became senior vice president and a member of the board of directors. He was responsible for overseeing the Pantex plant and contracts at Los Alamos National Laboratory and NASA's Johnson Space Center. Near the end of his career, Charlie was part of a team that traveled to Russia to consult on the disassembly of nuclear arms with representatives of the former states of the Soviet Union. He retired in 1996. He also had a long history of community service. While in Burlington, Charlie coached youth baseball teams and helped run local baseball leagues. He also helped lead Boy Scout troops in both Burlington and Amarillo. He served on the board of directors for the Amarillo United Way, the Golden Spread Council of the Boy Scouts of America and the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce. After retiring, Charlie was a volunteer with the Friends of the Arboretum in Lexington and greatly enjoyed time spend traveling with his family. In 1955, he married Kathleen Oliver, who died in 1992. He is survived by two sons from that marriage, Charles R. "June" Poole III of Russell, Ohio, and James H. Poole and wife, Carrie Sorrels, of Fredericksburg; five brothers and sisters-in-law, John W. and Dina Poole of Burlington, Iowa, Dwight Poole, Sam and Josie Poole, Mark and Sue Poole, Gary and Mary Jo Poole, all of Wytheville; two sisters, Nancy P. Jackson and Wynant P. Harmon, both of Wytheville; an aunt, Mabel Hudson of Wytheville; and grandchildren, Charles R. "Chase" Poole IV, Holden Poole and Sam Poole. He is also survived by his wife, Kathleen Harris of Lexington, Ky.; a stepdaughter and her husband, Leigh Harris and Gary Thompson of Indianapolis, and their children, Julia Thompson and Charlotte Thompson. Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of the Bluegrass, 2312 Alexandria Dr., Lexington, KY 40504; or the Salvation Army, 736 W. Main St., Lexington, KY 40508. W.R. Milward Mortuary-Southland in Lexington. Ky., was in charge of the arrangements.