Colton L Pooler

Colton Longley Pooler Obituary

Colton Longley Pooler was born on January 15, 1927 in Auburn, New York. He died peacefully in his sleep on Memorial Day, May 27, 2024 in Jacksonville, Florida at the age of 97 with his wife of 77 years, Jacqueline Mott Pooler, by his side. Colton grew up in Cato, New York where he met Jacqueline at the age of 8. In his youth, he helped his father at the Pooler Hardware store. As a teenager, he attended Bolles Military School where he played saxophone and clarinet and had his first exposure to the city of Jacksonville where he would ultimately spend his later years. He graduated in 1944 with his diploma and enlisted in the US Navy at the age of 17 in order to fight for his country in World War II, serving as a communications officer in the Pacific theatre on the USS Ancon and on an LST. During the war, Colton and Jacque often wrote letters to each other. It was through this regular correspondence that they began to fall in love. Colton was present at the Japanese surrender on board the USS Missouri. He was one of the first Americans allowed into post war Japan, and set up the radio which transmitted the Japanese Instrument of Surrender and movie back to America. Upon his return, he and Jacque married at the age of 20. He attended Syracuse University, and later, Brevard Junior College. Colton, being a jack of all trades, worked many jobs after the war showing an interest in electric engineering and automobiles, and even built his own house. He and Jacqueline had 4 children: Chuck, Pam, David, and Ran. After getting a job with General Electric, he was offered a contract with NASA to work as a Quality Assurance Specialist on the Atlas ICBM and the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions. Taking a giant leap, he and his wife chose to leave their cozy hometown in upstate New York for this exciting new opportunity at Cape Canaveral in Florida. Specifically, Colton had an incredible skill for drawing blueprints, and with precise penmanship and meticulous lines he drew the processes for the rockets including the plugs in test. In 1969, after his contract with NASA ended, Colton and his family moved to Jacksonville. He worked as a Communications Engineer for Southern Bell, now called AT&T, until his retirement in 1989. Although originally Presbyterian, he joined his wife and children by professing the Catholic faith at the age of 70. He enjoyed his Golden Years doing house projects, working in the yard, celebrating holidays with his family, and traveling. He particularly enjoyed attending Navy Reunions and catching up with his fellow shipmates. Colton Pooler personified what it meant to be from the Greatest Generation, making sacrifices in order to ensure the best life for his wife and a lasting legacy for his 4 children, 14 grandchildren, and 22 great-grandchildren. He is survived by his wife Jacqueline and four children, Charles Colton Pooler II (Sharon), Pamela Pooler Heckman (Ronald), David Scott Pooler, and Randall Bruce Pooler (Mary); and all of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Funeral Mass will be held at St. Joseph's Historic Church on June 22, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. with a private burial on June 25.