FALMOUTH – On Aug. 26, 2011, “Kay” Carolyn Luosey Pooler, 90, died at home in the arms of her children. Kay was born in Bangor in 1921, to Patrick Joseph Luosey and Delia Bridget Muldoon, both from Ireland. Kay’s mother Delia Bridget died within days of Kay’s birth, so she was raised by her aunt, Mary McVey and her husband, Charles, fondly referred to as “the Boss.”
Kay excelled in school, graduating at the top of her class from Bangor High School. She moved to Augusta in 1939 to work at the Internal Revenue Service. In 1942 she married her high school sweetheart, “Jerry” Gerard Henry Pooler Sr. She and Jerry moved to New York City where Jerry worked in the fur industry. In 1944 they moved back to Augusta, where she and Jerry lived for the next 62 years. They started many businesses including Jerry Pooler Furs, Jay’s Lunch, Jay’s Lodge and Capitol City Motel. Later Kay worked for her sons, retiring at age 85 when she and Jerry moved to Falmouth. Kay and Jerry had seven children, six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. She was a wonderful mother and grandmother, and is deeply missed. Family was everything to Kay. She possessed a quiet generosity, deep faith, and remarkable strength and resilience. She demonstrated grace under pressure. Kay quietly offered a sense of security, encouragement and love to anyone who was fortunate enough to have made her acquaintance. Her children’s and grandchildren’s educations were extremely important to her, and she enjoyed “collecting,” as she referred to it, their many undergraduate and graduate degrees. Kay was the last of nine Luosey siblings and the matriarch of the family. Many people thought of Kay as their surrogate mother and marveled at her ever-kind and steady way. She was a truly remarkable person, worthy of emulation. She loved life to its fullest and was ready for an adventure right up until the end.
Kay was predeceased by her husband, Jerry Pooler; and eight siblings. She is survived by her seven children, Mary Barnes of Augusta, Dr. “Jay” Gerard Henry Pooler Jr. of Los Angeles, Matthew Pooler of Augusta, Christopher Pooler of Falmouth, Joel Pooler of Falmouth, Andrew Adam of Portland and Delia Pooler and her husband, Paul Crowley, of Falmouth. She is also survived by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Jessica Gosselin and her husband, Justin, of Augusta, Jason Barnes and his wife, Karen, and children, Solstice and Elias, of Westbrook, Rachel Barnes Chandler and her husband, Drew, and daughter, Fiona Carolyn, of Durango, Colo., “Kayte” Carolyn Barnes Waters and her husband, Michael, of Boston, “Jake” Jordan Barnes of Falmouth and
“Cara” Carolyn Amelia Crowley of Falmouth. Special gratitude goes to the descendants of the McVey and Luosey families.
Services will be private. Those desiring may make a memorial donation in Kay’s memory to Preble Street Soup Kitchen, P.O. Box 1459, Portland, ME 04104. Arrangements are being respectfully handled by Conroy-Tully Crawford Funeral Home, 172 State St., Portland. Online condolences may be sent to
www.ctcrawford.com.